Indian Railway News

[sajiv]

Railway station near airport yet to materialise

AAI raised the demand for station two years ago

Surathkal hobli to be a warehousing station

MANGALORE: The railway connectivity to Mangalore Airport does not seem to be a big deal. By merely setting up a railway station on the existing railway line there, the long standing demand can be fulfilled.

Yet, the project has not taken off. There is no railway station at Porkodi or Malavoor, though the new integrated terminal building of Mangalore Airport, which is on the verge of completion, is just two kilometres away.

The existing railway line, which passes via Malavoor and Porkodi, connects Mangalore Junction and further south coast with Udupi.

Both the Konkan Railway and Southern Railway are stakeholders of this line up to a point. On this line, the Southern Railway has jurisdiction up to Thokur Railway Station. Porkodi and Malavoor are located between Mangalore Junction and Thokur. The line beyond Thokur, towards Udupi, is under Konkan Railway jurisdiction.

Official sources told The Hindu that the Airports Authority of India (AAI) had written to the Southern and Konkan railway authorities on the need to set up a railway station there, about two years ago. Although the authorities of Konkan Railway responded immediately, their Southern Railway counterparts did not. A team of officials of Konkan Railway visited Porkodi and Malavoor area, inspected the railway line there and declared that it was out of their jurisdiction and that it came under the Southern Railway.

As per AAI officials, work on the new terminal building will be completed by March, 2009. It will be commissioned by the end of next year. At this juncture, a railway station at Porkodi or Malavoor would have helped passengers from north Kerala and Karwar in reaching Bajpe airport by train, without any hassles, sources said. The Union Government recently declared Surathkal and Gurupura hoblies, in which the airport is located, as "to be warehousing stations," under Section 9 of the Customs Act, 1962.

Sources said that based on the notification, the Customs Department might issue licences for setting up private and public warehouses in the limits of these hoblies.

This would prompt starting of cargo operations through the airport, the sources said.

[sajiv]

Goods train derails

TUMKUR: Three bogeys of a goods train derailed a little ahead of the Mallasandra Railway Station near here on Tuesday morning. Railway police official Gangadhar said the accident happened at around 8.45 a.m. The railway engineering staff mounted the goods train back on track in just two hours and rail traffic resumed at around 11.30 a.m. There were no casualties, he said.

[dwarakesh]

Special trains

HYDERABAD: The South Central Railway (SCR) will be running special trains from Secunderabad to Kakinada, Rajahmundry and Vijayawada from January.

Secunderabad to Kakinada trains will depart from Secunderabad on 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 January at 10.30 p.m. and arrive Kakinada at 8.50 a.m. the next day. In return, the trains will depart Kakinada the next day at 7.30 p.m. and arrive Secunderabad at 8 a.m. the next day.

Secunderabad to Rajahmundry trains will depart from Secunderabad on 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, 17 and 24 January at 9.45 p.m. and arrive Rajahmundry at 6.45 a.m. the next day.Vijayawada to Secunderabad trains will depart from Vijayawada on 11, 13, 15, 17, 18 and 25 January at 9.30 p.m. and arrive Secunderabad at 4.30 a.m. the next day.

Secunderabad - Visakhapatnam tri-weekly Garibrath Express will have an additional trip from December 19 onwards on Fridays from Secunderabad and Visakhapatnam on Saturdays.

[sajiv]

Southern Railway to run more special trains

CHENNAI: In order to clear extra rush of passengers, Southern Railway will run following special trains.

Coimbatore – Chennai Central Superfast Specials: Train (0622) will leave Coimbatore at 11.45 pm on December 30 and arrive at Central at 8.30 am the next day. In the return direction, the train (0621) will leave Central at 10.20 pm on December 31 and reach Coimbatore at 7 am the next day.

The composition of the trains will be 1 AC 2-tier, 2 AC 3-tier, 12 sleeper class, 2 general second class and 2 luggage–cum–brake van coaches.

The trains will stop at Tiruppur, Erode, Salem, Jolarpettai, Katpadi and Arakkonam. Train (0622) will stop at Perambur and the train (0621) will stop at Coimbatore North also.

Yesvantpur – Puducherry Garib Rath Specials: Train (0679) will leave Yesvantpur at 11.15 pm on all Fridays from December 19 to January 30 and arrive at Puducherry at 9.20 am the next day. In the return direction, the train (0680) will leave Puducherry at 10 pm on all Saturdays from December 20 to January 31 and arrive at Yesvantpur at 8.25 am the next day.

The composition will be 16 AC 3-tier coaches and will stop at Banaswadi, Hosur, Dharmapuri, Salem, Attur, Chinna Salem, Vriddhachalam and Villupuram.

Reservation from today
Advance reservation for the above trains will commence on December 18, according to a Southern Railway press

[sajiv]

Chennai Central Kochuveli Chennai Central (Tri-weekly) Specials

Chennai Central – Kochuveli – Chennai Central (Tri-weekly) Specials: Train No. 0657 Chennai Central – Kochuveli Special will leave Chennai Central at 15.15 hrs. on 31st December 2008, 02nd, 05th, 07th, 09th, 12th, 14th & 16th Janunary 2009 and arrive Kochuveli at 07.30 hrs. the next day. In the return direction, Train No.0658 Kochuveli – Chennai Central Special will leave Kochuveli at 11.00 hrs. on 01st, 03rd, 06th, 08th, 10th, 13th, 15th & 17th January 2009 and arrive Chennai Central at 04.50 hrs. the next day. The composition of the trains will be 1 First AC-cum-AC 2 Tier, 1 AC 2-tier, 10 Sleeper Class, 4 General Second Class and 2 luggage-cum-brake van coaches. The trains will stop at Arakkonam, Katpadi, Jolarpettai, Salem, Erode, Tiruppur, Podanur, Palakkad, Thrisur, Aluva, Ernakulam Town, Kottayam, Chenganaseri, Tiruvalla, Chengannur, Mavelikara, Kayankulam, Quilon and Varkala. Train No. 0658 will stop at Perambur also.

[sajiv]

Chennai Central Coimbatore Super Fast Special Train

Chennai Central – Coimbatore Super Fast Special Train : Train No.0621 Chennai Central– Coimbatore Super Fast Special will leave Chennai Central at 23.45 hrs. on 13.12.2008 and arrive at Coimbatore at 08.00 hrs. the next day. The train will stop at Arakkonam, Katpadi, Jolarpettai, Salem, Erode, Tiruppur and Coimbatore North. The composition of the train will be 1 AC 3-tier, 8 Sleeper class, 4 General second class and 2 Luggage-cum-brake van coaches.

[dwarakesh]

Railways to raise its own Bomb Disposal Squads

Amid concerns in security agencies that Railways could be a 'soft target' for terrorists, the Railway Protection Force has decided to have its own bomb disposal squads at certain major stations.

The decision comes in the aftermath of the terror attacks in Mumbai in which armed-terrorists opened fire and lobbed grenades at 13 different locations, including the busy Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus Railway Station, killing nearly 200 people and the assessment that several important stations are "vulnerable."

"In the wake of recent terror attacks in two metropolitan cities of Delhi and Mumbai, the RPF has decided to raise its own Bomb Disposal Squads (BDS)," Railway Protection Force Director General Ranjit Sinha told PTI.

"Till now, we were taking help of other agencies in each state for bomb disposal squads in case of need. But now we will have our own BDS," Sinha said.

Railways has identified more than 105 stations in 45 divisions as sensitive or vulnerable across the country. In naxalite-infested states as also insurgency-hit Northeast, militants are known to use explosives in trains and stations to spread terror and panic.

[sajiv]

Railway pulse polio immunisation

CHENNAI: The first round of pulse polio immunisation services of Southern Railway for children below five years will begin on December 21, according to a press release.

A total of 220 booths have been arranged in major stations, railway colonies, railway hospital and health units. They will function 24 hours in major railway stations. About 31,000 children are expected to be benefited during the three-day programme.

[sajiv]

Special trains to Madurai and Ernakulam

CHENNAI: Southern Railway has announced special trains to Madurai and Ernakulam from Chennai Central.

According to a press release, Chennai Central – Madurai Special (0625) will leave Chennai Central at 8.30 p.m. on December 20 and arrive at Madurai at 8.30 a.m. the next day.

Madurai – Chennai Central Special (0626) will leave Madurai at 9.30 p.m. on December 21 and arrive at Chennai Central at 10 a.m. the next day.

The trains will have one AC 2-tier, one AC 3-tier, 10 sleeper class, eight general second class and two luggage-cum-brake van coaches.

They will stop at Arakkonam, Katpadi, Jolarpettai, Salem, Erode, Karur, Tiruchi, Dindigul and Kodaikanal Road. Train No. 0626 will also stop at Perambur.

The Chennai Central – Ernakulam Super Fast Special (train number 0627) will leave Chennai Central at 4.30 p.m. on December 22 and arrive at Ernakulam at 5.15 a.m. the next day. It will have one AC 2-tier, one AC 3-tier, 10 sleeper class, eight general second class and two luggage-cum-brake van coaches. It will stop at Arakkonam, Katpadi, Jolarpettai, Salem, Erode, Podanur, Palakkad, Thrissur and Aluva.

[nithyasubramanian]

French AGV



This month, the French company Alstom Transport is testing its brand new "very high speed" train, the AGV (or Automotrice à Grande Vitesse), on live tracks in Eastern France.

Unlike most trains, which have a single engine car in the front or back, the AGV has a series of distributed motors underneath the passenger carriages, which saves space and allows the train to carry 20% more passengers. (Notice in the next page pic how little space there is from the nose of the train to the first passenger seats.)

The AGV is being tested over 12 nights this month on the Eastern high-speed line, between the Champagne-Ardenne and Lorraine stations, at its ideal speed of 350 mph. In comparison, Indian train Rajdhani Express travels at a top speed of 120 kmph.

The test train is outfitted with 4,000 sensors that will look at both the train's overall mechanical capabilities, as well as the interior passenger compartment. Although significant testing has already been done with computer models and on closed course test tracks, it is impossible to perfectly replicate the environment a train will face on live tracks.

Some of the features being tested at high speeds include the train's acoustics, vibration levels, wheel-to-rail dynamics, and forces exerted upon passengers. Additionally, safety features, such as the emergency braking mechanism is being tested through the activation of the brakes on tracks made slippery with soapy water. This is intended to simulate extreme conditions, such as when leaves may be covering the rails.

[sajiv]

"144 railway stations identified as terrorism-prone"

VELLORE: The Indian Railways have identified 144 railway stations and four metro railway stations in the country as prone to terrorism and sabotage.

It has started the work on the introduction of an integrated security system to tackle terrorism in railway stations and trains, according to R. Velu, Union Minister of State for Railways.

Talking to newspersons after inaugurating the Vellore-Cantonment to Chennai Beach Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU) service at the Vellore Cantonment railway station here on Sunday, Mr. Velu said that the government had sanctioned Rs.60 crore for the immediate purchase of equipment for the introduction of the integrated security system.

Mr. Velu said that the MEMU would leave Vellore Cantonment at 6 a.m. and reach Chennai Beach at 9.10 a.m., while in the return direction, it would leave Chennai Beach at 6 p.m. and reach Vellore Cantonment at 9.15 p.m.

[sajiv]

Speed of trains increased

Speed of trains increased

CHENNAI: Southern Railway has increased the speed of all mail/express trains on the Erode-Karur-Tiruchi Fort section to 110 km an hour. Earlier, in April speeds of 52 pairs of mail/express trains were increased to 110 kmph on another section of the zone. So far, the speed of 88 pairs of mail/express trains had been increased in the zone.

Permissible speed on recently converted sections have also been increased. They are: Thanjavur- Mayiladuthurai section (60 to 90 kmph), Vriddhachalam-Salem Market section (70 to 80 kmph), and Vanchi Maniyachchi to Tuticorin section (90 to 100 kmph).

The increase in speed will help in maintaining punctuality, according to a Southern Railway release.

[sajiv]

Southern Railway Mazdoor Union plans strike against board

Seeking transport allowance and residential car pass to loco pilots

MADURAI: The Southern Railway Mazdoor Union (SRMU) has threatened to go in for a strike, if the Railway Board did not agree to provide both transport allowance (TA) and residential car pass (RCP) to the loco pilots, its general secretary, N. Kanniah has said.

Talking to reporters here on Sunday, he said that All India Railwaymen's Federation was in talks with the Union Government to remove the anomaly. "The Board is insisting that the loco pilots should forego the Rs. 1,600 TA proposed by the 6th Pay Commission, if they wanted to avail themselves of the RCP, which is, in terms of season ticket value, worth around Rs. 100 a month," he said.

This was against the Board's decision to allow the railway officials to get Rs. 7,200 TA instead of Rs. 3,600, if they did not use the RCP.

The SRMU was opposed to the Board empowering the Divisional Railway Managers to increase the number of sleeper class coaches to be brought under Tatkal reservation system. "The DRMs can now reserve up to 50 per cent of the total number of coaches in each train under Tatkal reservation. This means a common man who books a waitlisted ticket 90 days in advance would lose the possibility of getting his ticket confirmed. Only the affluent can afford the Tatkal reservation by paying huge premium at the cost of the middle class," Mr. Kanniah said.

Besides, the opening of reservation under E-ticketing even before the commencement of conventional reservation at railway booking counters denied the common man the opportunity to reserve confirmed tickets.

Mr. Kanniah said that he would take up with the Railway Board the inconvenience caused to the passengers on introduction of middle berth in the side in three-tier coaches.

[sajiv]

Plan to install ticketing machines flayed

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A section of Railway Station Masters have opposed the move of the authorities to install 'unreserved ticketing machines' at railway stations.

In a resolution adopted at a meeting of the Southern Railway Mazdoor Union Station Masters' Council recently in Kollam, they said the move would impose additional burden on them. They said issuing of tickets was a commercial activity and 'commercial clerks' should be appointed for that.

As many as 391station masters are on the rolls in the railway division extending from Sengulam in Tirunelveli to Vallathol Nagar in Thrissur. In major coaching yards like Thiruvananthapuram, Station Masters handle 45 pairs of trains daily.

[sajiv]

Indian Railways registers all-round growth across all depts

New Delhi: Registering all-round growth across all departments, Indian Railways posted an 14.49 percent increase in earning on originating basis during April-November this year, earning Rs 50,931 crore as compared to Rs 44,484 crore during the same period last year.

The total goods earned went up from Rs 29,733 crore during the same period last year to 34,393 crore this year, an increase of 15.67 percent.

Similarly, the total passenger revenue earnings during the first eight months of the ongoing financial year were Rs 14,440 crore compared to 12,869 crore during the same period last year, thereby showing an increase of 12.21 percent, said a release issued by the Railways.

The Railways carried about 471 crore passengers compared to 440 crore during the same period last year, which was an increase of 6.47 percent.

In the suburban and non-suburban section, the number of passengers booked during April-November was 251 crore and 220 crore respectively, the release added.

The revenue earnings from coaching amounted to Rs 1,297 crore during April-November, 2008 compared to 1,215 crore during the same period last year.

Likewise, the total sundry earnings went up to Rs 799 crore during April-November this year as against Rs 665 crore during the corresponding period last year, said the release.

[sajiv]

Railways' earnings continue to decline

NEW DELHI: The earnings of Indian Railways continued to decrease with each passing month during the current financial year.

The total earning for the first eight months ending November was Rs. 50,931.98 crore as against Rs. 44,484.60 crore during the corresponding period in 2007 for an increase of 14.49 per cent.

This percentage rise was however lower than what was registered at the end of the seven-month period ending October when it was a more healthy 15.76 per cent jump in revenues.

Each passing month leads to a drop in its revenue notwithstanding its decision to reduce freight rates for short-duration freight and reclassification of commodities such as cement, coal and coking coal leading to hike in the freight rates by seven to eight per cent.

Declining trend
The increase in freight earnings was 15.67 per cent in the April to November period in 2008 over that of 2007. However at the end of October 2008, the seven-month period registered a growth rate of 17.38 per cent showing the declining trend. Even the rate of growth in the passenger earnings has taken a hit. It stood at 12.76 per cent at the end of October over the corresponding period in 2007 but declined to stand at 12.21 to stand at Rs. 14,440.93 crore at the end of November 2008.

More commuters
About 47.17 per cent passengers commuted during the eight-month period for a 6.47 per cent rise over the corresponding period in 2007 when 44.30 crore travelled by trains

[sajiv]

Report on Railway disaster management submitted

New Delhi: The disaster management review committee constituted by the Railway Ministry to suggest effective disaster management on Indian Railways has submitted its report to Railway Minister Lalu Prasad here on Tuesday.

The term of reference of the committee is to look into the comprehensive study and audit of current preparedness and management practices referring to all types of disasters for different phase of disaster management - prevention, mitigation, rescue, relief, and rehabilitation.

[dwarakesh]

Railways' Posts 14.49% Increase In Earning

Indian Railways reported 14.49 per cent increase in earning for the period of April-November2008. It stood at Rs44,485 in the same period of last year and currently stands at Rs50,932 crore. Now, Union Railways Minister, Lalu Parsad Yadav has reason to cheer as he can take credit to bring the Indian Railways out of the red due to his efficient management. Indian Railways maintains a long history of losses.

Railways posted the total goods earnings of Rs34,394 crore during April-November 2008 as compared to Rs29,734 crore during April-November 2007. The total passenger revenue earnings also reported profit with an increase of 12.21 per cent.

Revenue earnings from other activities also increased to Rs1,298 crore during April-November 2008 against Rs1,216 crore, showing an increase of 6.72 per cent. Its sundry earning increased to Rs800 crore during April-November 2008 with an increase of 20.17 per cent as compared to same period last year.

The total approximate number of passengers traveling by railway has shown increase of 6.47 per cent. It booked 4,717 million passengers during April-November 2008 against 4,431 million during the same period last year.

[dwarakesh]

Special trains from Chennai to Kochuveli, Nagercoil

Southern Railway will run special trains from Chennai to Kochuveli and Nagercoil to clear extra rush of passengers.

Chennai Central-Kochuveli-Chennai Central ''Garib Rath'' would leave Chennai Central at 23:30 hrs on December 31, Jaunuary 7 and 14 and arrive at Kochuveli at 16:45hrs the next day.

The Kochuveli-Chennai Central 'Garib Rath' Special will leave Kochuveli at 20:00hrs on Januray 1, 8 and 15 and arrive in Chennai Central at 12:20hrs the next day.

The Chennai Central-Nagercoil-Chenni Central Special will leave Chennai Central at 19:40hrs on December 23 and arrive at Nagercoil at 10:35hrs the next day. The Nagercoil-Chennai Central Special will leave Nagercoil at 16:30hrs on December 24 and arrive at Chennai Central at 08:30hrs the next day.

Source- UNI

[sajiv]

SCR to run special trains on Dec 30 and January 1, 2009

Tirupati : To meet the year ending and January 1 rush to the Tirumala temple, The South Central Railway(SCR) will run special train on Secunderabad-Tirupati.

The special train, which would departure from Secunderabad at 2030 hours on December 29 , will reach Tirupati on December 30 around 0850 hours and the same train in return direction, would departure Tirupati in the night around 1955 hours on December 31 and reach at Secunderabad the next morning .

Another special train also would run from Tirupati to Secunderabad on January 1 night touching the station of Renigunta, Srikalahasti, Gudur, nellore, Ongole, Tenali, Vijayawada, Khammam, Warangal and Kazipeta, Tirupati Station Superintedent Mr.Murthy said here today. The special train would consisting of 10 second class sleeper couches , two general, two break vans , AC two-tier ad 3-tier, he added.

[sajiv]

Train services extended

HUBLI: South Western Railway has decided to extend the services of the Hubli-Yeshwanthpur-Hubli Daily Express Special (known as Kurkure Express) by one month, a release said. The train service was to end on December 31. Accordingly, Train No. 0690 Hubli-Yeshwanthpur Daily Express will leave Hubli at 10.40 p.m. and reach Yeshwanthpur at 6.45 a.m. the next day. Train No.0689 Yeshwanthpur-Hubli Daily Express will depart from Yeswanthpur at 10.10 p.m. and arrive at Hubli at 7.25 a.m. the next day.

[sajiv]

Special trains

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Southern Railway will run additional trains between Chennai Central and Kochuveli between January 1 and 16 to clear the heavy rush of Sabarimala pilgrims. The 0635 Chennai Central-Kochuveli train will leave Chennai at 3.15 p.m. on January 1, 8 and 15 to reach Kochuveli at 7.30 a.m. the next day corresponding. In the return direction, the 0636 Kochuveli-Chennai Central train will leave Kochuveli at 11 a.m. on January 2, 9 and 16 to reach Chennai Central at 4.50 a.m. the next day, said a press release here on Wednesday.

[sajiv]

Delhi Metro turns six today

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Metro on Wednesday completed six years of operations. The first section of the Metro between Shahdara and Tis Hazari, a distance of 8.5 km, was inaugurated on December 24, 2002 and commercial operations began a day later on Christmas.

Seven more sections were added as part of Phase-I which covers 65.1 km and was completed in seven years and three months, two years and nine months ahead of schedule in the subsequent years.

In June this year, DMRC opened the first line of Phase-II between Shahdara and Dilshad Garden which added 3.1 km to the Metro network.

"Between December 2007 and December 2008, the ridership of DMRC witnessed a 20 per cent increase in the number of commuters, with the average number of commuters going up from 6.12 lakh to 7.29 lakh. DMRC also recorded its highest ever single-day ridership of 9.51 lakh on 24th November 2008," said Anuj Dayal, chief public relations officer of the DMRC tracing the Metro's six year old journey.

He said in 2008, DMRC became the first Railway project in the world to be registered by the United Nations to claim carbon credits and received an award from the Ministry of Power for adopting special measures which have resulted in energy conservation.

"It also launched a Citizens Forum to instil better behaviour, etiquettes and discipline among Metro commuters and authorised station personnel to directly impose fines for offences such as squatting, littering and nuisance," said Mr. Dayal.

"Construction activities on various sections of Phase-II, which will cover 125 km, gathered pace this year and a number of breakthroughs of tunnel boring machines took place. The Vishwavidyalaya – Jehangirpuri section, where trial runs have already started, is likely to be opened in January 2009 as against the original target of October 2009," he went on to add.

The metro is expected to start its run into the Indraprastha – New Ashok Nagar – NOIDA section by June 2009 and the Yamuna Bank – Anand Vihar ISBT line in December.

[sajiv]

Himgiri Express derails at Khalispur

Varanasi: Jammu bound Himgiri Express derailed near Khalispur railway station here on Wednesday leading to minor injuries to over 20 passengers.

A dozen coaches of the Jammu Himgiri Express train derailed at about 4-15 p.m. on Wednesday, two hundred meters away from the Khalispur railway station, Varanasi Divisional Railway Manager B.N. Jha said.

Miraculous escape
He said that the passengers had a miraculous escape in the incident as the train was running at a speed of about 100 kilometres per hour. All the twelve coaches derailed from the railway line with about two dozen passengers suffering minor injuries in the accident.

They were released after being administered first aid on the spot. No causalities were reported. Mr. Jha said that the Northern Railways has sent a special train to Khalispur to bring back the passengers to Varanasi. Another train is being arranged for the passengers who want to continue their journey towards Jammu, he added.

Railway sources said that in the accident railway tracks of over half kilometre got displaced and therefore some of the trains on the route might have to be diverted. An inquiry into the matter has been ordered.

[dwarakesh]

Special trains to Tiruchi, Tuticorin, Nagercoil

CHENNAI: To clear the extra rush of passengers during the winter, Sabarimala, Pongal season, Southern Railway will run special trains.

No.0685 will leave Egmore at 11.45 p.m. on January 5 , 12, 19 and 26 ( Monday) and reach Tuticorin at 12.30 p.m. the next day. No. 0686 will leave Tuticorin at 8.45 p.m. on January 6, 13, 20 and 27 (Tuesday) and arrive at Egmore at 8.50 a.m. the next day.

No.0634 will leave Tiruchi at 8.30 p.m. on January 4,11,18 and 25 (Sunday) and arrive at Egmore at 3.15 a.m. the next day. No.0633 will leave Egmore at 11.45 p.m. on January 7, 14, 21 and 28 (Wednesday) and reach Tiruchi at 6.15 a.m. the next day.

No.0635 will leave Chennai Central at 3.15 p.m. on January 1, 8 and 15 (Thursday) and reach Kochuveli at 7.30 a.m. the next day. No.0636 will leave Kochuveli at 11 a.m. on January 2, 9 and 16 (Friday) and reach Central at 4.50 a.m. the next day.

No.0603 will leave Egmore at 8.25 p.m. on January 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29 (Thursday) and reach Tirunelveli at 9.30 a.m. the next day. No. 0604 will leave Tirunelveli at 3 p.m. on January 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30 (Friday) and reach Egmore at 4.15 a.m. the next day. No.0605 will leave Egmore at 11.45 p.m. on January 4, 11, 18 and 25 (Sunday) and reach Tirunelveli at 12.30 p.m. the next day. No. 0606 will leave Tirunelveli at 3 p.m. on January 5, 12, 19 and 26 (Monday) and arrive at Egmore at 4.15 a.m. next day

No.0609 will leave Egmore at 6.40 p.m. on January 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31 (Saturday) and arrive at Nagercoil at 8.15 a.m. the next day. No.0610 will leave Nagercoil at 1.30 p.m. on January 4, 11, 18 and 25 and February 1 (Sunday) and reach Egmore at 4.15 a.m. the next day.

No.0611 will leave Egmore at 11.45 p.m. on January 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30 (Friday) and reach Nagercoil at 2.30 p.m. the next day. No. 0612 will leave Nagercoil at 7.40 p.m. on January 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31 (Saturday) and reach Egmore at 10.15 a.m. next day. No.0607 will leave Egmore at 8.25 p.m. on January 7, 14, 21 and 28 (Wednesdays) and arrive at Nagercoil at 11 a.m. the next day. No. 0608 will leave Nagercoil at 1.30 p.m. on January 1,8,15, 22 and 29 (Thursday) and arrive at Egmore at 4.15 a.m. the next day.

No.0639 will leave Chennai Central at 11.30 p.m. on December 25 and reach Rameswaram, passing through Madurai, at 1.50 p.m. the next day

No.0613 will leave Chennai Central at 7.40 p.m. on December 27, 29 and 31 and reach Nagercoil at 10.35 a.m. the next day. No. 0614 will leave Nagercoil at 4.30 p.m. on December 28, 30 and January 1 and reach Central at 8.30 a.m. the next day.

Reservation will begin on December 25, says a railway release.

[dwarakesh]

Train services disrupted

CHENNAI: Main line and suburban train services between Chennai Central and Arakkonam were disrupted for more than 3 hours on Wednesday morning due to failure of overhead equipment (OHE) near Arakkonam.

According to a Southern Railway official, OHE wire got snapped at about 7.15 a.m. affecting through movement of train services on the section.

Eight main line trains suffered a detention ranging from 30 minutes to 110 minutes. One EMU service was cancelled and eight services were delayed.

Normal services were restored at 10.30 a.m., the official added.

[dwarakesh]

Tirupur-Chennai train service under study

Coimbatore: Southern Railway is considering a proposal to operate a train service between Tirupur and Chennai.

Minister of State for Railways R. Velu conveyed this information to State Minister for Highways and Ports M.P. Saminathan in a letter dated December 16. Mr. Saminathan had sought the service in view of Tirupur becoming a separate district and increasing passenger traffic to the hosiery town.

[dwarakesh]

Railways to convert Gorakhpur-Nautanwa route to broad gauge

In a bid to connect districts on Indo-Nepal border with the rest of the country and facilitate movement of passengers and tourists, the Railway Ministry has decided to re-lay tracks on the Gorakhpur-Nautanwa route.     

"It has been decided to replace the 81-km stretch of existing metre gauge track on Gorakhpur-Nautanwa route by broad gauge and the work will start soon," spokesman of North Eastern Railway Amit Singh told.     

The conversion work which will start from December 26 and is scheduled to be completed in April next year at an estimated cost of Rs 381.17 cr, Singh said.

"Once the conversion is complete, districts on the border will be connected directly with Delhi and other important stations."     

The official said conversion of the tracks would help passengers specially tourists to Nepal to save time spent on travelling.

[sajiv]

Special trains to meet Christmas, New Year rush

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:  In a bid to clear the extra rush of passengers for Christmas and New Year, the Thiruvananthapuram Division of Southern Railway will run special trains.

Train no. 0619 Chennai Central-Kochuveli Garib Rath special will leave Chennai Central at 11.30 p.m. on December 31, January 7 and January 14 and reach Kochuveli at 4.45 p.m. the next day.

Train no. 0620 Kochuveli-Chennai Central Garib Rath special will leave Kochuveli at 8 p.m. on January 1,8 and 15 and reach Chennai Central at 12.20 p.m. the next day.

Train no 0618 Nagercoil-Chennai Central special will leave Nagercoil at 4.30 p.m. on December 24 and reach Chennai Central at 8.30 a.m. the next day. It will stop at Perambur also.

Advance reservations for the above trains have commenced on December 23. 

The computerised passenger reservation centres over Southern Railway will function for only one shift similar to Sunday pattern of working (8 a.m. to 2 p.m.) on Christmas day.

[sajiv]

Railways to beef up security

PATNA: The railways would beef up security measures on Kiul-Jamalpur section under Malda division of the Eastern Railway (ER) in the wake of the Maoist attack on the Bhagalpur-Muzaffarpur Jansewa Express on Thursday evening.

The railways would also hold a meeting with GRP officials to check recurrence of such incidents in future on this particular route, said ER PRO B K Sharma.

According to Sharma, though law and order is a state matter, the railways would co-operate fully with GRP and the state police in launching a joint operation against the banned Naxal outfit. The railways would ensure that each train passing through this route is properly escorted, he said.

He informed that the Maoists had also snatched walkie-talkies of both the driver and guard of the ill-fated train with an aim to disconnect any communication with the control room or the nearest station. The railways have put all security personnel on high alert following this incident, he said.

[sajiv]

DRM to come on AIR phone-in programme

Will answer queries on rail services

TIRUCHI: The Divisional Railway Manager, Tiruchi, S. Subrahmanyan will reply to the queries from the public during the phone-in programme to be conducted by the All India Radio, Tiruchi, on December 29 (Monday).

It will be aired in the AIR's 'Makkal Medai' programme from 9.16 p.m. on that day. Mr. Subrahmanyan will take queries relating to railway services and passenger facilities.

Public could contact the telephone numbers 0431 – 2416888, 2411691 to participate in the programme, a press release from the AIR here said.

[dwarakesh]

Railways profit would touch Rs one lakh crores: Lalu Prasad

Describing Indian Railways as the lifeline of the nation, Railway Minister, Lalu Prasad Yadav on Friday said that its profits during the current five-year plan were expected to touch Rs 1 lakh crores.

Speaking at a function after showing the green flag for the Mahoba-Khajuraho train, he described the railways as the biggest zamindar of the country and said that the land owned by it was next only to that in the army's possession.

He said that the railways was capable of tackling the water shortage with the help of its tankers that can take water to problem areas.

The Minister said that the NDA had given the slogan of India shining but the railways was incurring losses then and added that a committee set up at that time had predicted that railways could not come out of losses in the next 25 years.

The committee had also recommended a 20 per cent increase in rail fares and cutting jobs in railways but without all that the railways had earned profits, he said.

[dwarakesh]

Rlys may cut iron ore freight rates

The Railways is planning to slash freight charges on domestic transportation of iron ore up to 6% to provide relief to local steel companies hit hard by slowing demand. The Railways had already cut freight rates on iron ore meant for exports. The move will help steel makers such as Ispat, Essar and JSW, who are mainly dependant on railway for movement of iron ore.

With a view to provide cushion to exporters in the wake of a slowdown in demand globally, the Railways recently offered 20-50% discount on freight charges on iron ore meant for exports at some of the Indian ports. India's annual iron ore production stands at close to 200 million tonnes, of which almost 50% is exported. The price of ore comprises about 30-45% (depending on the kind of iron and steel) of the total price of steel.

The move to reduce freight charges may not translate into lower steel prices as prices have already touched the bottom. An executive of Mumbai-based Ispat Industries said, "The move would be a solace for the domestic steel industry, which has been hit hard by the economic slowdown. Reduction in freight cost would result in lower transportation costs and thereby reduce the overall cost of production."

Steel companies, which are largely dependant on rail would benefit from the government's decision. JSW Steel's railway utilisation, for instance, is close to 70%. For those steel companies, which use roads or ships as a means of transport, lower freight rates wouldn't mean much. The total railway utilisation of Essar Steel is nearly 16% as it primarily uses slurry pipelines, ships and roads for transportation.

The move would also benefit small sponge iron and steel firms located in the eastern region, who are also dependant on rail for transportation of iron ore. At present, there are close to 300 organised and unorganised sponge iron units spread across Orissa, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh. Besides, there are over 4,000 mini steel plants and rolling mills, which directly employ over 50 lakh people.

Earlier last month, the government had increased the freight charges on iron ore by upgrading its classification. With the onset of economic slowdown, the domestic steel industry had proposed reclassification of iron ore to class 140, which would have reduced transportation cost for companies by up to 25%.

[sajiv]

'Rail roko' agitation on January 1

Hassan: The Sakleshpur-based Railway Prayanikara Hitha Rakshana Vedike, to press their demand for starting of a day train between Bangalore and Mangalore, will stage a "rasta roko" and "rail roko" agitation on January 1 in Sakleshpur.

Vedike president H. Narayana Alva and secretary H.A. Dayanand told presspersons in Sakleshpur recently that several other organisations will participate in the agitation.

[sajiv]

Health club opened for Railway employees

Hubli: The South Western Railway has opened a health club for its employees residing in the Officers' Colony. The club was formally inaugurated by Praveen Kumar, General Manager, SWR, here on Friday.

The inaugural function was presided over by Rita Kumar, president, SWR Women's Welfare Organisation (SWRWWO). Adesh Sharma, Divisional Railway Manager, Hubli Division, was present.

Ms. Kumar stressed the need to exercise regularly and called upon the employees to make the best use of the facilities and equipment provided at the club. It was necessary for every individual to ensure that he was fit, she said.

Mr. Sharma said that about Rs. 3 lakh had been spent from the staff benevolent fund to purchase fitness equipment.

The membership fee has been fixed at Rs.100 a month for an employee and Rs.50 a month for each family member. The fee for members of the Golf Club (non-railway employees) is Rs. 500 a month. The fee for guests of Railway Officers will be Rs.20 a day and for the guests of Golf Club members it will be Rs.50 a day. Each member will be issued an identity card. The club will be open from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. and from 5 p.m. to 8.30 p.m.

On behalf of the SWRWWO, Ms. Kumar donated Rs. 86,000 to purchase gym equipment for the club, according to a release issued here on Saturday.

[sajiv]

Train services to resume immediately

TIRUCHI: Train services on the Mayiladuturai-Tiruthuraipoondi meter gauge section will resume with immediate effect and the services would be operated as per the following notification:

The Tiruthuraipoondi-Karaikudi-Tiruthuraipoondi Express trains (6881/6882) will remain cancelled until further advice. The Mayiladuturai-Karaikudi-Mayiladuturai Passenger trains (861/862) will be partially cancelled and operated only on Mayiladuthurai-Tiruthuraipoondi-Mayiladuturai section. The Mayiladuturai-Tiruthuraipoondi-Mayiladuturai Passenger trains (865/866) would be continue to be operated, said A. P. Muthuramalingam, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Southern Railway, Tiruchi, in a press release.

[sajiv]

Longer trains, shorter waits

In an attempt to find a solution to overcrowding on the city's suburban trains, Indian Railways is conducting trial runs of 15-coach
rakes. The railways had last altered the suburban train length in 1986 when nine-coach rakes were first made 12 cars long. Two decades on, both Western and Central railways are getting new trains under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP). The target is to get 129 new 12-coach trains by June 2010, and an equal number under MUTP-II later. As of now, the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai has sent 34 new-generation 12-car trains to Mumbai. Another 50 are expected in 2009.

The Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC), which oversees MUTP works, has already comissioned RITES, the consultancy arm of Indian Railways, to submit a report on the technical changes and investment required for 15-coach trains.

MRVC managing director P C Sehgal said RITES's report would be available next week. "With the new power supply system, technically it's possible to run even 18-coach trains. But RITES will detail the technical modifications required to run 15-coach trains,'' he said.

With fresh rolling stock (trains) available, Indian Railways is considering 15-coach services and improved frequency by reducing the waiting time between trains from three to two minutes.

It's no coincidence that both WR and CR are converting the system of power supply to trains from 1,500 volts DC to 25,000 volts AC. "Improved power supply and new trains and tracks will help smoothen operations. Running 15-coach trains is very possible with investment in overhead electric cables, signals and telecommunication, as well as platform length,'' said a senior railway official, requesting anonymity.

Railway officials said having 15-coach trains halt at all Western and Central stations may require an investment of nearly Rs 300 crore. "It can always be made part of MUTP-II, which was sanctioned in the railway budget for 2008-09. The World Bank is still to sanction the loan, so alterations are possible at this stage,'' an official said.

[sajiv]

Special team to guard railway station 24x7

Chandigarh In the wake of the recent terror strikes in Mumbai, the Government Railway Police (GRP) of Haryana has come up with plans to strengthen the security system at railway stations. After Ambala, Panipat, Gurgaon and Faridabad, where special forces has been deployed, it is now the Chandigarh railway station's turn to have stepped-up security. A group of 20 officers will be deployed at the entrance to the railway station.

The temporary bunker installed at the entrance will be replaced by a permanent structure with a 4.5-foot-high metal barricade. The entire area will be supported with a fibre roof for protection from extreme weather conditions.

Talking to Newsline about the initiative, IG (GRP), Ambala Zone, K K Mishra said: "To counter any security threat, well-equipped permanent bunkers have been installed at the railway stations in Ambala, Gurgaon, Panipat and Faridabad. In Chandigarh, 20 policemen will guard the station from this bunker 24 hours a day. One assistant sub-inspector in-charge and four constables will be on duty in three shifts of eight hours each. The policemen have been equipped with the latest INSAAS rifles, which have proved to be better than the SLRs."

According to the IG (GRP), the arrangement will be in place at the Chandigarh railway station in another three to four days. "The bunker with sufficient power to counter a security threat will come up by Wednesday or Thursday. A high-beam torch will also be installed for operations in the night hours," said Mishra.

In another development, close-circuit television (CCTV) cameras will be installed at the railway station.

The IG (Ambala Range) said: "The GRP has already sent the proposal of CCTV cameras to the Railway Board. These cameras will be installed at the Chandigarh station latest by January. By another two months, CCTV cameras will be in place at Gurgaon and Faridabad railway stations too." The cameras have already been installed at the Ambala stations.

[sajiv]

Special trains for Pongal

Chennai:  Southern Railway will operate additional special trains to clear extra rush for Pongal according to a Railway release.

Chennai Egmore Tuticorin ( No.0685) Chennai Egmore Tuticorin Special will leave Chennai Egmore at 11.45 pm on January 5, 12 ,19 & 26 and arrive Tuticorin at 12.30 pm the next day.

Chennai Egmore Tiruchchirappalli (No.0633) Special will leave Chennai Egmore at 11.45 pm on January 7, 14, 21 & 28 and arrive Tiruchchirappalli at 6.15 am the next day.

Chennai Central Kochuveli ( No. 0635) Special will leave Chennai Central at 3.15 pm . on January 1, 8, and 15 and arrive Kochuveli at 7.30 am the next day.

Chennai Egmore Tirunelveli (No.0603) Special will leave Chennai Egmore at 8.25 pm on January 1 ,8 ,15, 22 & 29 and arrive Tirunelveli at 9.30 am the next day.

Chennai Egmore Nagercoil ( No.0609) Special will leave Chennai Egmore at 6.40 pm on January 3 , 10, 17, 24 & 31 and arrive Nagercoil at 8.15 am the next day.

Chennai Egmore Nagercoil ( No.0611) Weekly Special will leave Chennai Egmore at 11.45 pm on January 2 ,9, 16 ,23 & 30 and arrive Nagercoil at 2.30 pm the next day.

Chennai Egmore Tirunelveli (No.605) Weekly Special will leave Chennai Egmore at 11.45 pm on January 4 ,11, 18 & 25 arrive Tirunelveli at 12.30 pm the next day.

Reservations would commence from Dec. 30. the release added.

[sajiv]

With expansion mantra, Southern Railway set to surge ahead
CHENNAI: The world may still be shrouded in the uncertainty of the economic slowdown, but Southern Railway is all set to chug off into a brighter year, taking with it an increasing number of passengers and freight.

Year 2008 may have posed some problems for rail passengers, but, the year ahead promises to be better, with more trains and more routes to choose from, as Southern Railway is finalising elaborate plans to meet future traffic demands.

Railways is also speeding up to complete the Velachery- St Thomas Mount link of Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS), which together with Metro Rail, will pose a credible alternative to the sluggish road traffic.

"The growth is going to continue, especially because there are demands for more trains and more routes. The road ahead is challenging because we will need a lot of coaches because four gauge conversion projects have already been completed and two doubling and two electrification works will be over by March 2009. This means we will have to re-introduce the train services that were discontinued when the works were taken up," said Southern Railway chief public relations officer Neenu Ittyerah. "We are going to bring in more trains, more coaches and locomotives and also maintenance yards to meet passenger growth." So, passengers will get at least seven new trains, while as many as 300 coaches will be added to existing trains to accommodate more passengers across destinations in 2009.

The expansion is clearly based on the lessons of 2008. Passenger traffic, which has been on the rise since 2003-04, peaked this year, resulting in tremendous demand for trains from Chennai to destinations such as Tiruchi, Madurai, Nagercoil Tirunelveli, Coimbatore and Bangalore.

Bangalore emerged as one of the most popular destination for people traveling from the city, as air passengers switched to trains because of the hike in air fare and the distance of the new Devanahalli airport in Bangalore to the city centre.

Hundred special trains will be operated every month to these high patronage routes in 2009. Works of gauge conversion and doubling of existing routes have been kicked off.

Gauge conversion of the Katpadi-Vellore Cantonment line and introduction of a mainline EMU service between Vellore and Chennai recently has changed the way people travelled between these two cities.

Short-term measures adopted by Southern Railway this year has got mixed responses. While the high demand showed passengers lapping up every new service, the introduction of a third side berth had the passengers squirming, literally.

"The demand for berths is so high that we are forced to go ahead with coaches that have extra side berths, though it is unpopular among passengers. We have also placed orders for 300 new coaches. They will be used to prepare new rakes and also to make 22 trains into 24-coach trains, said a senior railway official.

Already 11 trains have 24 coaches. In other trains, extra coaches were added to clear the extra rush on a day-to-day basis.

Changing with the times, railways added new stainless steel trains and also came out with a proposal to make designs and fixtures more attractive and commuter-friendly in suburban services.

Passenger traffic has been growing at a steady pace since 2003. Year 2008 saw an unprecendented increase in passengers -- 9.8%in the suburban trains and 13.95% in other trains till November this year.

[dwarakesh]

Special trains for Pongal festival

CHENNAI: Southern Railway will operate additional special trains for the Pongal festival.

Nagercoil – Chennai Central Superfast Specials: Train (0618) will leave Nagercoil at 4.30 pm on January 4 and 11 (Sundays) and arrive at Chennai Central at 8.45 am the next day.

In the return direction the train (0617) will leave Chennai Central at 12.30 pm on January 5 and 12 (Mondays) and arrive at Nagercoil at 5.15 am the next day.

Nagercoil – Chennai Egmore Specials: Train (0638) will leave Nagercoil at 7.40 pm on January 5, 12, 19 and 26 (Mondays) and arrive at Egmore at 8.50 am the next day. In the return direction, the train (0637) will leave Egmore at 3.40 pm January 6, 13, 20 and 27 (Tuesdays) and arrive at Nagercoil at 5.30 am the next day.

Advance reservation for the above trains will commence on December 30, according to a Southern Railway press release.

[sajiv]

Special trains extended

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Southern Railway has extended five pairs of weekly special trains to clear the heavy rush of passengers.

The 0635 Chennai Central-Kochuveli Sabarimala Weekly Special on Thursday had been extended up to January 15 and the 0636 Kochuveli-Chennai Central Sabarimala Weekly Special on Friday up to January 16, according to Southern Railway.

The 0609 Chennai Egmore-Nagercoil Weekly Winter Special on Saturday had been extended up to January 31 and the 0610 Nagercoil-Chennai Egmore Weekly Winter Special on Sunday up to February 1.

The 0611 Chennai Egmore-Nagercoil Weekly Winter Special on Friday had been extended up to January 30 and the 0612 Nagercoil-Chennai Egmore Weekly Winter Special on Saturday up to January 31. The 0607 Chennai Egmore-Nagercoil Weekly Winter Special on Wednesday had been extended up to January 28 and the 0608 Nagercoil-Chennai Egmore Weekly Winter Special on Thursday had been extended up to January 29.

[sajiv]

New General Manager for Northern Railway

NEW DELHI: Vivek Sahai has taken over as the new General Manager of Northern Railway.

Prior to this, he was General Manager of North-Central Railway, Allahabad.

He succeeds Shri Prakash who has taken over as Railway Board Member (Traffic).

An Indian Railway Traffic Service officer of the 1973 batch, Mr. Sahai has held several key posts in Indian Railways. He also has extensive experience in suburban train operations having worked as Divisional Railway Manager of Mumbai Division of Central Railway and Additional General Manager of Western Railway.

[sajiv]

A promise that made train commuters smile

Pune: For harrowed Pune-Lonavala local train commuters, 2008 is ending on a positive note. Over one lakh local train commuters can now raise a toast to the plan of the Pune division of the Central Railway to ply one local train every 15 minutes.

Commuters are facing problems with the present frequency, one every hour in the morning and one every 90 minutes in the evening.

Disclosing the proposal to The Indian Express earlier this month, Divisional Railway Manager D K Jain had said a Pune-Lonavala local train every 15 minutes during selected hours was a possibility. But the plan hinges on DC (direct current) to AC (alternate current) conversion project they have undertaken between Lonavala and Pune.

"If the project is completed by the set deadline of March 31, we would be in a position to implement the one-local-every-fifteen-minutes plan," he had said, much to the delight of students, office-goers and industrial workers, who find local trains faster, cheaper and more convenient than buses.

But commuters want more. "Why not one local train every five minutes? If one every 15 minutes is possible, this is also possible...if there is will to implement it," says Harsha Shah and Kanubhai Trivedi, who heads two different commuter organisations.

Ever since the local train service was introduced between Pune and Lonavla in 1978, there has been no change in the frequency.

"The thousands of vehicles on the roads cause jams, create pollution and lead to accidents that take hundreds of lives. All this can be stopped if frequency of local trains is increased as promised by the railways," says Shah.

Many people are not happy with the morning schedule of local trains. Trivedi says they benefit few students and office-goers. "Because of the longer duration between two local trains, people reach office late and students miss their classes," he said.

The Central Railway is determined to increase the frequency of trains as planned. The plan is ready and the required assistance is being sought from Mumbai.

The Central Railway is also planning to set aside one platform at Pune railway station for the exclusive use of local trains to ensure commuters do not have to run around.

Also, tickets will be made available at the counter on R B Road to ensure they don't have to vie for space with long-distance travellers.

[sajiv]

Cotton farmers block rail traffic; 5 trains cancelled

Intensifying their protest against the alleged anti-farmer attitude of the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) and the lax attitude of the administration in sorting out the tussle over the purchase of cotton, members of six farmer unions today blocked the Bathinda railway junction.

Around 7,500 passengers were affected as five trains had to be cancelled at the Bathinda railway station while seven more were stranded en route.

At around 1.45 pm, the farmers, who had been on a dharna outside the regional office of the CCI here, reached the railway junction and blocked the Ferozepur-Rewari passenger train, which had to be sent back.

The farmers alleged that officers of the CCI had been purchasing cotton crop at a rate less than the MSP.

Joginder Singh Ugrahan, president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union, Ekta (Ugrahan), said the CCI officials were not purchasing cotton at the rate of Rs 2,800 per quintal, which was fixed as the MSP.

The dharna will be lifted only when their demands were fulfilled, said Shingara Singh, a leader of the farmers.

According to the list given to the district magistrate by the railway authorities, two trains for Sriganganagar-Ambala, one for Bathinda-Suratgarh, Ferozepur-Rewari and Bathinda-Ambala had been cancelled and the fare was being refunded to the passengers.

The Rewari-Fazilka train was stopped at Shergarh, Bikaner-Bathinda at Gurisar Sainewala, Bikaner-Abohar train at Hanumangarh, Ambala-Bathinda train at Rampura, Rewari-Bathinda train at Sirsa, Delhi-Sriganganagar at Jakhal and Jammu Tawi-Ahmedabad train at Ferozepur.

District Magistrate Rahul Tewari said: "The matter is between the CCI and the farmers. We can't sort it out on our own. We have been doing our best to lift the blockade."

CCI's manager V.P. Nagpal said: "The CCI is firm about the decision and we have been doing everything under the parameters. About the "unreasonable" demand of the farmers, we are helpless."

[dwarakesh]

Railway union opposes privatisation move

Chennai: S.G. Mishra, secretary, All India Railwaymen's Federation (AIRF), has warned the Union government of industrial action and stoppage of work if it went ahead with the privatisation of the Indian Railways through the corporate route.

Mr. Mishra participated in a meeting organised by the Southern Railway Mazdoor Union (SRMU) at the Moore Market Complex here on Wednesday. He explained in detail the federation's importance in getting productivity-linked bonus and 40 per cent arrears for the railwaymen in the Sixth Pay Commission.

N. Kanniah, assistant secretary, AIRF, remembered the contribution of late J.P. Chaubey, who was former secretary of the federation, for getting benefits to the railwaymen in the Sixth Pay Commission. SRMU president C.A. Raja Sridhar also spoke.

[dwarakesh]

Special train

CHENNAI: The train (0650) Rameswaram – Chennai Central Special (via Madurai) will leave Rameswaram at 3.15 pm on Sunday and arrive at Chennai Central at 8.30 am the next day.

Advance reservation will commence on Friday.

[dwarakesh]

S.Rly announcement on special trains

Coimbatore: Southern Railway – Salem division has announced that South-Western Railway will be running a weekly Garib Rath Express special train between Yeswantpur – Puducherry – Yesvantpur. It will be run as a special train. The special train will be in lieu of train number 2255/2256 Garib Rath Express already announced.

The regular services of Garib Rath Express (train number 2255/2256) will commence from a later date. Special train number 0679 will be run from Yesvantpur on January 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30 and from Puducherry to Yesvantpur it will be on January 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31. Train from Yesvantpur will start at 11.15 p.m. and reach Puducherry at 9.20 a.m.. In the return direction, it will leave Puducherry at 10 p.m. hours and reach Yesvantpur at 8.25 a.m. the next day. The train will have stoppages at Yesvantpur, Banaswadi, Hosur, Dharmapuri, Salem, Attur, Chinna Salem, Vridhachalam, Villuppuram and Puducherry in both directions.

Chennai Central – Kochuveli – Chennai Central: train number 0657/0658 Sabarimala specials have been extended up to January. The specials from Chennai will be run on December 31, January 2, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14 and 16 while the specials from Kochuveli will be run on 1, 3, 6, 8, 10, 13, 15 and 17. The train will stop at Arakkonam, Katpadi, Jolarpettai, Salem, Erode, Tirupur, Podanur, Palakkad, Thrissur, Aluva, Ernakulam Town, Kottayam, Changanaseri, Tiruvalla, Chengannur, Mavelikara, Quilon and Varkala in both directions. The train will leave Chennai Central at 3.15 p.m. and reach Kochuveli at 7.30 a.m. and in the return direction, it will leave at 11 a.m. and reach Chennai Central at 4.30 a.m. the next day.

Ernakulam – Bangalore – Ernakulam: Train number 0647/06448 is being extended up to January. From Ernakulam, the specials will be on January 5, 12 and 19 and from Bangalore it will be on 6, 13 and 20. The train will have stoppages at Bangalore Cantonment, Krishnarajapuram, Whitefield, Bangarapet, Kuppam, Tirupattur, Salem, Erode, Tirupur, Podanur, Palakkad, Thrissur and Aluva in both directions. The train will leave Ernakulam at 6.40 p.m. and reach Bangalore City at 7.30 a.m. and will leave Bangalore City at 5.15 p.m. and reach Ernakulam at 4.30 a.m.

Ernakulam – Bangalore – Ernakulam: special train number 0641/0642 on this section has been extended up to January and from Ernakulam the special will leave on January 1, 8 and 15 and in the return direction it will leave Banglaore on January 2, 9 and 16. Train will stop at Bangalore Cantonment, Krishnarajapuram, Whitefield, Bangarapet, Kuppam, Tirupattur, Salem, Erode, Tirupur, Podanur, Palakkad, Thrissur and Aluva in both directions. From Ernakulam it will depart at 9.15 p.m. and reach Bangalore City at 10 a.m.and in the return direction it will leave Bangalore City at 6.50 p.m. and reach Ernakulam at 6.30 a.m. the next day.

[sajiv]

Train traffic severely hit by fog

LUCKNOW: The fog has severely hit train services all over the northern stretch. The trains are running late from Charbagh station. On Thursday, New Delhi-bound Shatabdi Express left Charbagh station at 5:20 pm against its normal departure scheduled at 3:30 pm. The officials shared that trains are arriving late at the station and that is the reason why the departure time too is getting affected. The long distance trains were late by 3 to 18 hours. None of the trains though were cancelled.

Shaheed Express was late by 17.5 hours, Lohit Express by 13 hours, Punjab Mail (Dn) by 9.5 hours, Punjab Mail (Up) by 3 hours, Duplicate Punjab Mail (Dn) by 8.5 hours, Duplicate Punjab Mail (Up) by 4 hours, Gwalior-Chhapra by indefinite hours, Amprapali Express by 3 hours and Gomti Express by 2.5 hours.

The trains which have a lesser time margin between arrival and departure are more affected. Railway needs 6 hours for primary maintenance of originating and terminating trains. Even if train arrives late at the station, it has to undergo primary maintenance before it goes on run again. This might cause a further delay in its operation.

Lucknow Mail arrives at 7 am and leaves at 10 pm. Though it is arriving late every day the huge margin between its arrival and departure allows railway to run it on-time.

On the other hand, in the case of trains undergoing secondary maintenance at the station, 2 hours is the minimum time that railway needs. Shatabdi Express is given a secondary maintenance at Charbagh. When the train arrives late at Charbagh, it gets further delayed due to the requirement of secondary maintenance.

Railway is trying to make up the delay by cutting the stoppage time of trains running late but that can bring a difference of only 5 to 10 minutes.

[dwarakesh]

Special trains

CHENNAI: Southern Railway is to operate additional special trains during Pongal holidays.

Train No. 0602 will leave Coimbatore at 1 p.m. on January 13 and arrive at Egmore at 9.15 p.m. on the same day. The train will stop at Tiruppur, Erode, Salem , Morappur, Jolarpettai, Katpadi, Arakkonam, and Perambur.

Train No. 0615 will leave Egmore at 11 p.m. on January 13 and reach Tirunelveli at 12.45 p.m. the next day. It will stop at Arakkonam, Katpadi, Jolarpettai, Salem, Erode, Karur, Dindigul, Kodaikanal Road, Madurai, Virudhunagar, Sattur, Kovilpatti and Vanchi Maniyachchi.

Train No. 0616 will leave Tirunelveli at 3.45 p.m. on January 14 and arrive at Coimbatore at 4.15 a.m. the next day. It will stop at Vanchi Maniyachchi, Kovilpatti, Satur, Virudunagar, Madurai, Dindigul, Tiruchi, Karur, Erode, Tiruppur and Coimbatore North. Reservation will commence on January 30.