Indian Railways Thread

Karthik S · Post by **Karthik S** » 15 Nov 2015 18:17

http://www.outlookindia.com/news/articl ... -15/920397

Railway fares for travel in the upper class categories will go up from tomorrow as a service tax levy of 14 per cent and a Swachh Bharat cess of 0.5 per cent become effective.

According to a rail ministry circular, fares will go up by 4.35 per cent for First Class and all AC Classes from November 15. There was a notification by the government for imposing a Swachh Bharat cess on all taxable services on November 6.

"Service tax of 14 per cent and Swachh Bharat cess of 0.5 per cent are chargeable on 30 per cent total passenger fare equivalent on 30 per cent of total passenger fare equivalent to 4.35 per cent of the total fare on first class and all AC fares," the circular said.

However, the service tax will not be applicable for tickets issued before November 15.

The levy will not be applicable for general and sleeper class travel.

With the hike, AC-I fares on mail and express trains from New Delhi to Mumbai will go up by Rs 206 while the rise is of Rs 102 for AC-III fares from New Delhi to Howrah.

On the Delhi-Chennai route, the increased fare works out to about Rs 140 for the AC-II segment.

According to an estimate, the service tax levy and the Swachh Bharat cess are expected to fetch about Rs 1,000 crore in a year.

Annual earnings for railways from the passenger segment are estimated to be at about Rs 35,000 crore.

vsunder · Post by **vsunder** » 16 Nov 2015 11:38

I took Lucknow Shatabdi to Kanpur on Nov 5 and returned by the same train on Nov 7th. The city of Cawnpore is a total disaster and mess. The train going to Kanpur was 15 mins late, coming back was 40 mins late as the train hit goats before Ekdil station approaching Etawah and the process to clear the train/line took time.

I visited the Indian Railway Museum in Chanakyapuri, Delhi and have plenty of pictures. But this post is about the Dedicated Freight Corridors. The Corridor is seen from Dadri which is a big container depot outside Ghaziabad and where Eastern and Western DFC meet. However the first real place to see the EDFC is from Khurja Jn. From there onwards for about 430km to Bhaupur outside Kanpur it is clearly visible 98% of the time to the right of the train going to Kanpur. The embankments have for the most part been blanketed by red, crushed stone overlaid on the yellowish clay soil of the Doab. There are only minor bridges on this route, culverts mostly and most are in advanced stages of completion or finished. Castings are seen for some minor bridges alongside the existing alignment. The EDFC leaves the existing alignment at Somna to bypass Aligarh and joins the existing alignment at the next station after Aligarh, Daud Khan which will be a junction with IR. Ditto for Hathras, Tundla and Etawah, the embankment is seen to leave current alignment, going into the boonies and re-joining the existing alignment beyond Aligarh, Hathras, Tundla and Etawah. No tracks have been laid except for a 5 km stretch before Etawah coming from Delhi. But there are huge stockpiles of sleepers and rails at Maitha for example just outside Kanpur. There is a crane arrangement in place and 500 m of track in place. When the NTC( New Track Construction machines) Harsco machines come, these cranes will feed the sleepers to the NTC machine and the machine will start out from these tracks at these depots. I counted 3 depots in all along the route with a huge stockpile of sleepers and rails. So things are being put in place for track laying. What is troubling is that there are 10-15 villages where the permanent way stops on either side of the village and the construction of the embankment is incomplete. This must be ongoing land litigation/acquisition. I did not see a single instance of a village where structures have been demolished to accommodate the DFC. So this is the work. I think construction and stabilization of the railroad bed is in a very advanced stage on this 430km sector.

Ghaziabad-Aligarh is triple lined, and Panki-Kanpur a distance of 25 km is triple lined. Rest is doubled since ages, this is a Class A route Howrah-Delhi. I saw many small stations still have lever and frame assembly and signal cabins. I would hope this is to control movement in the shunting yard and not for the through lines and attendant loop lines. So there are signal cabins like Mitawali East and Mitawali west, etc rather than a PI system or RRI controlled by the stationmaster and these old east and West cabins derelict.
There is more about the cleanliness of the Shatabdi and Kanpur station and environs but that is another issue.

vipins · Post by **vipins** » 16 Nov 2015 20:21

Northern Railway on a sunny trip

“We already have rooftop solar panels at railway stations such as New Delhi and Delhi Cantonment, among others, but also atop a large number of platform shelters at these stations. These measures have helped us bring down our electricity consumption bills in a significant way,” said Arun Arora, Divisional Railway Manager, Delhi Division.

“The Delhi Division is tapping solar power, whether at platform shelters, railway stations or service buildings. One of our pilot projects is to convert an entire express train – Shaan-e-Punjab – with solar panels on top,” said Mr. Arora.

The biggest achievement of the Northern Railway in harnessing solar energy has been at the solar power plant at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Railway Station, which is meeting energy needs of 5,000 kilo watts daily through solar power. The one Megawatt Peak (MWP) rooftop grid at the station is the largest rooftop solar power plant on the Indian Railways network and the largest in Jammu and Kashmir.

The plant not only takes care of the energy needs of the station but Northern Railway has also made an arrangement for import/export of excess energy production with Power Development Department of J&K government.

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 17 Nov 2015 11:16

The 800 12000hp 120kph Prima II double-electric freight locos from @alstom for Indian Railways will look like this

GeorgeM · Post by **GeorgeM** » 17 Nov 2015 17:29

Zynda wrote:Has GE mentioned which locomotives will be supplied to India? The press articles mention both 4,500 & 6,000 HP locomotives. Will it be based on GE Evolution series (4500 HP models) & AC6000CW (6000 HP models)? AC6000CW had lot of reliability issues which led to its premature retirement from major US railroads (along with EMD's competitor SD90MAC).

Whatever happened to DLW's plan of developing a 5000 HP (or 5500 HP) loco along with EMD which was designated WDG-5? Last I heard, it had some major issues especially with vibration.

I understand GE is leading Diesel-electric loco market currently but what is the long term plan of IR? Tie up with GE just for manufacturing and still continue with EMD (Caterpillar) for small R&D projects?

I guess we will be operating diesel-electric locomotives from 3 US giants...ALCO (non-existent), EMD & GE

Yes it is the evolution series locomotives. 4500 will be 12 cylinder engine and 6000 will be its 16 cylinder version. I am not sure if it is correct to say AC6000 was prematurely retired. The US rail companies have consolidated around 4500 hp, hence the 6000 did not have the market penetration. But many of the reliability issues have already been addressed using proven carry over systems from 4500 hp. These will be excellent work horse for IR with lot of cutting edge technology built-in and scope for future upgrades.
The DLW/EMD 5500 HP got canned. DLW was very unhappy with the product. Several issues reported.
It is reported that this is the end of the road for EMD in India. Mother ship Caterpillar is not is a good position to pump money into it due to mining down cycle. I would think Cat might eventually spin-off EMD. They have lost market to GE worldwide. Eventually the EMD & Alco will be replaced by the GE Evolution series.

Zynda · Post by **Zynda** » 17 Nov 2015 19:14

Yep,
Its mentioned right on the GE Transportation Evolution product page about 16 cyl 6000HP version.

The Evolution Series Locomotive meets the most stringent emissions standards including U.S. EPA Tier 3 and EU IIIa. The Evolution Series Engine also is offered in a 16-cylinder configuration that delivers 6,000 HP.

Sidharth, will DLW be modifying the GE locomotive for passenger operations by including a dual cab & higher max speed later on just like they brought out WDP-4D?

GeorgeM · Post by **GeorgeM** » 17 Nov 2015 20:39

Zynda wrote:Yep,

Sidharth, will DLW be modifying the GE locomotive for passenger operations by including a dual cab & higher max speed later on just like they brought out WDP-4D?

Though the operation cycle for both are different, these locos are frequently used interchangeably between freight and passenger. There is no modifications required here.
http://www.railway-technology.com/news/ ... ia-4378325

What the IR is going to really benefit is through-put. The freight doesn't have to be parked to give side to higher speed passenger. They can ride right along/behind.
You can expect to see much more capable locos

. I would say it is couple of generations ahead than EMD. It has much better fuel numbers, ramp rate, controls, communications, GE's own host of s/w suits etc.
I dont think speed would be an issue. GE has designed high speed Co-Co assemblies in the past. That is about the major change needed if going to 150+ kmph.
http://gereportscee.com/post/1254190032 ... kazakhstan

Zynda · Post by **Zynda** » 17 Nov 2015 22:03

Sidharth, I believe IR doesn't have turn tables in major stations to position the loco in short hood forward. At least in WDP-4, due to the radiator's flaring design, there was an obstruction of track view for loco pilots and IR limited the max speed to 100 Kph (or 105 ?) in Long hood forward. I believe there was a similar speed restriction on ALCO locos as well when running in LHF. Thats why I specifically asked about Dual cab configuration.

How far ahead is GE in US compared to latest offerings by EMD such as Tier 4 SD70ACE? I am pasting info from Wiki about SD70ACE-T4

The SD70ACe-T4 is the Tier 4 emissions standards-compliant version of the SD70ACe. The first locomotive was built in summer 2015, and made its debut at the Railway Interchange Expo in Minneapolis, Minnesota during the weekend of 3–4 October 2015. It features a new 4-stroke engine called the EMD 12-1010 - a V12 with 1010 cu.in displacement for each cylinder. This new prime mover has a two-stage turbocharger system consisting of three turbos; one turbo (the primary/high pressure turbo) for low-mid RPM and two turbos (the secondary/low pressure turbos) for mid-high RPM. The results of this setup are bigger power throughout the broader RPM range, better fuel efficiency, and lower emission. An EGR system is applied as well, allowing the engine to achieve Tier 4 without the use of urea after treatment. It is capable of producing 4,600 hp (but only 4,400 hp that goes to the wheels), 200,000 lbf. (889.64 kN.) of starting tractive effort, and 175,000 lbf. (778.75 kN.) of continuous tractive effort. Meanwhile, its dynamic braking effort is as much as 105,000 lbf. (467.25 kN.) The amount of starting tractive effort is equal to that of the 6,000 hp SD90MAC-H while, on the other hand, its continuous tractive effort is higher than that of the SD90MAC-H (175,000 lbf. vs. 165,000 lbf.). While it retains the SD70 name, the locomotive has several major new features such as a vibration-isolated powertrain and alternator start capability. In addition, it features a newly redesigned cab reminiscent of the earlier SD70M, even bringing back the old fan - and crew - favorite "porkchop"/"teardrop" windshields; new trucks; a longer frame (76 ft. 8 in / 23.37 m); longer radiators with three radiator fans instead of two; and a more even long hood appearance

Sachin · Post by **Sachin** » 18 Nov 2015 10:05

Zynda wrote:Sidharth, I believe IR doesn't have turn tables in major stations to position the loco in short hood forward. At least in WDP-4, due to the radiator's flaring design, there was an obstruction of track view for loco pilots and IR limited the max speed to 100 Kph (or 105 ?) in Long hood forward.

Turntables have been done away with in IR. They were more relevant in the steam era. On the LHF operation mode, may be http://www.irfca.org would have more information on it. My understanding was the LHF was a bit dicey in the WDM series, where the driver (who has the controls) sat on the right side of the loco. So for him in LHF operations, visibility of signals seems to have been a problem. But many new locos have the driver's console on the left side, which means that LHF operations are not really a major concern. And they also have the assistant driver, whose job is to actually spot signals, caution boards and inform the driver. Both of them acknowledge and the driver takes the next steps.

PS: I found it strange that IR uses the British pattern when it comes to placing the signals. Signals are always on the left side of the track. But when it comes to the locos, the drivers used to sit on the right side of the loco, which is generally what is seen in US. So was it a case of British infrastructure (built early on), but US made locos brought in as part of the modernisation drive (after Independence)?

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 18 Nov 2015 16:33

Nitpicking.
The engines look pretty and all, but IR will put on grilles in front of all glass onlee

ldev · Post by **ldev** » 18 Nov 2015 20:25

Gagan wrote:Nitpicking.
The engines look pretty and all, but IR will put on grilles in front of all glass onlee

They have to. In case of an accident or strike, the first thing the public does is throw stones at the engine/carriages!! And there are plenty of stones on the ballast.

GeorgeM · Post by **GeorgeM** » 18 Nov 2015 21:27

Zynda wrote:Sidharth, I believe IR doesn't have turn tables in major stations to position the loco in short hood forward. At least in WDP-4, due to the radiator's flaring design, there was an obstruction of track view for loco pilots and IR limited the max speed to 100 Kph (or 105 ?) in Long hood forward. I believe there was a similar speed restriction on ALCO locos as well when running in LHF. Thats why I specifically asked about Dual cab configuration.

How far ahead is GE in US compared to latest offerings by EMD such as Tier 4 SD70ACE? I am pasting info from Wiki about SD70ACE-T4

GE got the jump start in T4. They 1st launched the non-Urea solution with an upgraded Evolution series engine before EMD. I think they have a clear 1.5 to 2 yr head start on EMD. So the trouble EMD is going to face are listed below..
- Pricing. GE with additional volumes and time, will be able to bring the price down. So EMD will have to beat that lower pricing right off the bat.
- EMD still needs a DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) unlike GE that has no after-treatment what so ever. DPF adds to back pressure. So GE is expected to continue to maintain its fuel/SFC lead over EMD. The other issue with DPF is its serviceability. The Carbon soot can be 'burned' off, but the ash accumulates over time and gets caked in. The typical service method is, take the DPF out, mount it on a service equipment to blow high pressure air in reverse. But over time, once the ash gets caked in, it becomes impossible to dis-lodge. This can further aggravate the fuel penalty for EMD.
- Once the DPF back pressure reaches a certain level, fuel is dozed into exhaust to burn the soot. more fuel penalty. Also DPF needs replacement possibly at each engine overhaul.
- On top of this when GE achieved the T4 emissions with just 2 turbos, EMD needs 3. Also EMD has 3 rad fans. These are critical parts and more of them means reliability issues.
I think EMD still has to pour some money into the 1010 engine to be anywhere near GE is today. That is why I said 1.5 to 2 yr lead for GE.
Also I think we need to see this EMD engine running on tracks. I hear that the SD70ACe-T4 was towed in for the rail interchange 2015. GE has already started shipping the T4 locos a few months ago. It is already pulling freight.
The advantage IR is going to have with the new GE locos are significantly better fuel numbers with better emissions over EMD
I think IR requires dual cab. I would be very surprised if they accept single cab

Zynda · Post by **Zynda** » 19 Nov 2015 15:42

Thx Sidharth for the answers. Looks like EMD has quite a ways to go before they can really compete with GE. I believe the US railroads just order locos from EMD to prevent GE from completely monopolizing the market.

Will be interesting to see GE locos on Indian tracks. I remember the experience of seeing one of the original EMD GT46MAC loco at Blr City Railway station back in early 2000s. It was built in their currently closed London, Ontario plant. Even though the powerplant was 2 stroke when throttled, it whined much like an aircraft engine and its horn...was so electronic & American

. I hear that the original EMD built GT46MAC locos are still pretty much rust free even now.

Saral · Post by **Saral** » 20 Nov 2015 09:07

I guess we just don't have the talent+leadership in IR as it has been directed to IT related areas and videsh over the last few decades. We were in CLW from 68 to 74 and my dad was involved in design/manufacture/debugging of traction motors for WAM-4 (As I recall the traction motor was based on Alstom design and there is an anecdote in the book below re the chief designer some famous French engineer). He passed away earlier this year and some memories of his IR career are here. Being in CLW in that era of Naxalites and Bangladesh brings back memories of a totally different world. His boss, the general manager Mr. Misra (still alive, met him a few years back in Dehra Dun) was a keen sportsman and was a damn good tennis player (His brother Sumant was once Indian team Davis cup captain) and I recall him jogging on the road with his Alsatian. It was a small community and during some family crisis when my parents had to be away the kids (us) stayed with the Misras. Another powerful memory I have is of Lt Gen Jagjit Singh Arora arriving at a maidan by helicopter after the victory in Dec '71. Massive crowd. Army folks had unbelievable affection in those days in the aftermath of victory. My uncle who served in Artillery in Shakkargah sector brought back Ammo and books (US math) from Paki schools. He told me stories of civilians gifting him with various things as he traveled by train after the war.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/771 ... wayman.pdf

vipins · Post by **vipins** » 21 Nov 2015 17:47

Broad gauge passenger train from Silchar to Guwahati flagged off

The passenger train from Silchar will cover a distance of 210 km in eight hours to reach Guwahati through Lumding, reducing the travelling time by four hours.

Earlier, it took 12 hours to cover the distance on the metre gauge line

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 23 Nov 2015 10:45

Assam Tribune:

Silchar-Guwahati BG train service begins
Arindam Gupta

The new broad gauge Guwahati-Silchar Passenger Special at Badarpur station on Saturday. – UB Photos SILCHAR, Nov 21 - There were scenes of euphoric celebrations at the Silchar Railway Station today as the first BG passenger train left the station for Guwahati. With this, a long-standing demand of the 40 lakh people of the Barak Valley has been fulfilled.

The two decades of wait and struggle came to an end as Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu flagged off the 55616 Silchar-Guwahati fast passenger train at 10.52 am from Rail Bhavan, New Delhi, via video conferencing. Simultaneously, Union Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha waved the flag at the Silchar Railway Station amid deafening cheers and beating of drums. Around 20,000 people from all parts of the Barak Valley had converged on the station.

Seventy-year-old Ramendra Kumar Das, who came from Kalain, summed it all up: “It is the happiest day for me.” Youngsters got into each of the 15 coaches as they celebrated the historic occasion.

According to Railway sources, regular passenger train services will begin from November 23. One train will depart from Silchar every day at 5 am and reach Guwahati at 5.15 pm. Similarly, the 55615 Guwahati-Silchar train will leave Guwahati at 11.55 pm every day and reach Silchar at 1.10 pm the next day.

Addressing the people of the Barak Valley from the Rail Bhavan in New Delhi, Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu said that it was a day of rejoicing not only for the Barak Valley, but for the entire nation. Prabhu added that the Government is committed to accomplishing 500 km of gauge conversion works in the North Eastern States so that all the State capitals are connected through broad gauge. On investments in the North-Eastern States, the minister said, “The Government has decided to invest Rs 6,000 crore in the North East Frontier Railway in the current financial year to boost rail connectivity. Also, efforts are being made to establish rail links with Bangladesh.”

The connection with Silchar through a broad gauge line will not only benefit the people of the Barak Valley but also the States of Mizoram, Tripura and Manipur, the Union Railway Minister said.

Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha said that he was happy to be a part of the historic day. Sinha admitted that completing projects for the North Eastern States has always been a big challenge for the Railway Department, but the officials have done commendable work. He assured the people that trains with greater speed would run on the tracks in the coming days.

Union Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who reached the function after the train had left the station, called for coordinated efforts to take the State forward on the path of development.

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 24 Nov 2015 06:24

New factories to double railways freight-pulling power

India’s Rs 8,500-crore railway locomotives market is set for a mega upheaval with the government awarding the contracts for the Madhepura and Marhowra factories to General Electric (GE) and Alstom in a Rs 36,000-crore deal — the country’s first foreign direct investment (FDI) in the rail sector.

Once commissioned over the next two to three years, the two factories to come up in Bihar would supply 200 locomotives of 6,000 horsepower (HP) and 12,000 HP annually to Indian Railways, adding to the existing supply of 650 locos of 4,000-6,000 HP.

“That translates into more than doubling the trailing-load-capacity of freight trains without having to use extra engines per train,” said R Sivadasan, former Railway Board financial commissioner, who had overseen the preliminary discussions on the Bihar projects.

Trailing load refers to the maximum tonnage volume that can be hauled by a freight train and it depends on the propulsion strength of the locomotive being used. Indian Railways’ freight trains currently carry a maximum trailing load of 3,900 tonnes.

“The new 12,000-HP engines will catapult this capacity to an average 10,000 tonnes per train — similar to Chinese railways,” Sivadasan added.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 24 Nov 2015 06:28

I hope well managed PSU townships are also built adjoining the factory. pulls up the surrounding areas.

Nick_S · Post by **Nick_S** » 24 Nov 2015 15:11

vipins wrote:The passenger train from Silchar will cover a distance of 210 km in eight hours

For just 210km, 8 hours of travel is required ~ 26 km/h. Its a rather disappointing average speed for our current trains that can easily top over 120 km/h.

Dysfunction Junction: Railway Puts India on Slow Train to Future
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/ ... -to-future

^ Quite a negative article. IR needs quite a lot of reform and investment.

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 25 Nov 2015 03:40

Railways sign Rs 2,500-cr pact for stainless steel freight wagons

Indian Railways on Tuesday signed an initial pact with rolling stock manufacturer SAIL-RITES Bengal Wagon Industry Ltd (SRBWI) for procurement of high-class stainless steel freight wagons at a cost of Rs 2,500 crore over 10 years.

The joint venture between steel manufacturer SAIL and rail ministry’s arm RITES was set up in 2011. The company operates a wagon factory at Kulti in West Bengal, from where the wagons will be supplied. “The pact includes a commitment for procuring 1,200 new and 300 refurbished wagons every year over a period of 10 years,” Railway Board’s Member-Mechanical Hemant Kumar said.

Steel secretary Aruna Sundarajan, who was also present on the occasion, said the steel ministry was working on an ambitious plan to ramp up domestic steel-making capacity from 100 million tonnes (mt) to 300 mt over the next few years. The increased steel supply would cater to the railways’ massive modernisation and expansion plan, she said.

Railway Board Chairman A K Mital said the assured supply of wagons over 10 years would help Indian Railways improve freight loading from 1.1 billion tonnes (bt) currently to 1.5 bt over the next five years. “This JV will give new wagons of increased capacity and better technology. Also, this factory will come up in an area (East) that contributes to a bulk of the loading,” he said.

A total of 15000 wagons to be generated by this contract - 12000 new and 3000 refurbished.

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 26 Nov 2015 01:26

^that is awesome.. they should design restrooms like microsoft designed e-ram scientific ones too or better.
most importantly, the wagons must be designed for high speed wheels > 250-300kmph.

--oopsie, never mind: it is freight!

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 26 Nov 2015 03:32

Japan has a lot it can teach India
http://www.freepressjournal.in/railway- ... rom-japan/

First, India may have the population and the railway tracks. But more people travel (very comfortably) by rail in Japan than in India (see chart). Japan saw 8.8 billion railway passengers last year compared to 7.7 billion carried by Indian Railways. Moral: give people comfort, reliability safety, speed and relevance: then more business will happen and people will travel.

Second, Japan has fewer trains and tracks than India, and even China. But it runs more trains every day than any other country on each track. That is because while efficient China turns round a train every 40 minutes, super-efficient Japan turns them round in just 12 minutes. As a result, despite having just 3 platforms and 6 tracks at its most active railway station, Tokyo, Japan runs 426 trains a day compared to 156 for China which has 6 platforms and 12 tracks at its busiest railway station, Beijing South.

Kashi · Post by **Kashi** » 26 Nov 2015 04:44

A_Gupta wrote:As a result, despite having just 3 platforms and 6 tracks at its most active railway station, Tokyo

Tokyo station is huge; most certainly there are many more than 3 platforms and 6 tracks over there. The Shinkansen tracks (and platform numbers) alone number over 20.

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 28 Nov 2015 00:13

Pace of rail project awards doubles this year

Railway projects worth Rs 10,594 crore were awarded in the April-October period, first seven months of this financial year, more than double the value of those awarded in the same period last year, at Rs 4,279 crore.

This comes some months after the railway ministry was rapped by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) for slow pace of capital spending and progress on key projects. Suresh Prabhu, the minister, has pushed hard to lure investors, to meet the financial year’s targeted spending of Rs 1 lakh crore.

Among the projects awarded last month was a Rs 1,102- crore contract to Alstom Transport India by Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation, for train sets and signaling systems for the new network planned for the city. The contracts for civil works and electrification of the under-construction Rs 82,000 crore Dedicated Freight Corridor project has also pushed up projects award activity.

Most of these projects involve engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts. Relying on EPC in the wake of limited success in PPP (public-private partnerships) is a correct strategy. If the current rate of project award continues in the railways, the government would be able to award around Rs 2 lakh crore of EPC contracts over five years,” said Abhaya Agarwal, partner-infrastructure at research and ratings agency Ernst & Young.

He said a major cause for the improvement in award of rail projects is the ministry’s decentralising of powers to delegate works to the zonal railways, apart from the huge budgetary support. “This is a very encouraging sign and would allow the railways to create more capacities within a short time frame,” he said.

The railways’ plan size is Rs 1 lakh crore for this financial year, a 53 per cent jump over 2014-15’s spending target of Rs 65,000 crore.

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 28 Nov 2015 02:27

A woman passenger fearing her safety Tweet to Railway Minister for help and get Railway Police help at very next station!!India is changing .

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 29 Nov 2015 01:11

Kashi wrote:
A_Gupta wrote:As a result, despite having just 3 platforms and 6 tracks at its most active railway station, Tokyo
Tokyo station is huge; most certainly there are many more than 3 platforms and 6 tracks over there. The Shinkansen tracks (and platform numbers) alone number over 20.

I'll hazard a guess that the author of that piece misstated something based on slides like this
http://www.apta.com/mc/hsr/previous/201 ... -Japan.pdf (PDF)

It is a presentation called "High-Speed Rail Operations in Japan" by Takao Nishiyama, Director of Japan Railways Group, New York Office.

which says (slide 11) "Tokyo Station has only 4 tracks (2 platforms) for JR East Shinkansen service. These tracks handle 300 trains per day, arriving and departing".

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 29 Nov 2015 16:12

Jhujar wrote:A woman passenger fearing her safety Tweet to Railway Minister for help and get Railway Police help at very next station!!India is changing .

sorry mr. prabhu..
help should be in within 2 min if proper security was arranged in all trains. a next station help is no use for any type of injurious crime.
- cell phone based calls or security alarm push button in each coach/1st class cell
- cops/security can reach via vestibules
- no untrained private security guards who themselves might do these crimes
- steep fines for pranks

simple things.. more jobs for people too. they can be deputed on weekly/monthly shifts or 1 week of railway sentry for each cop per year, .

so India needs to change lot more!

Karthik S · Post by **Karthik S** » 29 Nov 2015 22:48

http://www.raillynews.com/2014/future-d ... hrs-train/

In future, Delhi to Chennai in 6 hrs by train :Railways minister Suresh Prabhu has fast-tracked plans to build the world’s second-longest high-speed rail corridor between Delhi and Chennai that will see trains running at speeds of 300km/hour, covering the 1,754-kilometre distance between the two cities in six hours.

The corridor is likely to cost Rs. 2 lakh crore and is proposed to be developed jointly with China, home to the world’s longest high-speed rail line between Beijing and Guangzhou.

A high-level Railways team will visit Beijing on November 24 to complete formalities with Chinese counterparts for the project’s feasibility study, ministry officials said.

Rishirishi · Post by **Rishirishi** » 30 Nov 2015 03:25

Karthik S wrote:http://www.raillynews.com/2014/future-d ... hrs-train/

In future, Delhi to Chennai in 6 hrs by train :Railways minister Suresh Prabhu has fast-tracked plans to build the world’s second-longest high-speed rail corridor between Delhi and Chennai that will see trains running at speeds of 300km/hour, covering the 1,754-kilometre distance between the two cities in six hours.

The corridor is likely to cost Rs. 2 lakh crore and is proposed to be developed jointly with China, home to the world’s longest high-speed rail line between Beijing and Guangzhou.

A high-level Railways team will visit Beijing on November 24 to complete formalities with Chinese counterparts for the project’s feasibility study, ministry officials said.

Would it not be logical to build an Delhi-Jaipur-udaipur-Ahemedabad-Surat-Mumbai link in stead. ?? just wondering.

Sachin · Post by **Sachin** » 30 Nov 2015 13:37

Wagon repair unit proposed in place of Coach factory
So at present IR does not have a plan for the coach factory at Kanjikode, Palakkad, Kerala. IR wanted this factory to be in a private-public/government mode, but so far no private party has come to joining hands with the government. A railway repair shed may be really "some thing better than nothing".
PS: Found a comment in the Malayalam section of the same news item. Some one equated Kerala to Suri Namboodirippad in the first Malayalam novel - Indulekha. He was after the heroine Indulekha, but when he knew he could not get her he was even willing to accept her maid instead

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Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 30 Nov 2015 13:58

A_Gupta wrote:which says (slide 11) "Tokyo Station has only 4 tracks (2 platforms) for JR East Shinkansen service. These tracks handle 300 trains per day, arriving and departing".

Yes, the general point of platform usage efficiency is valid, even if the data provided is very misleading. Platforms 20-23 at Tokyo Station service all the bullet train services to the north/northwest areas (Niigata, Nagano, Shin-Aomori etc). It's quite remarkable that they operate so many trains a day off that many platforms, particularly since each train is quite long, sometimes with even bi-level carriages and 7-14 carriages per train. There are precise queue marks on the platform where you stand, and the trains stop right there. Everyone religiously lines up waiting, sometimes even swapping spots in line so that those seated further in from the doors can get in first and make it easier for everyone else behind them.

300 trains across 4 platforms is 75 per platform over ~18 hrs of daily operation, or a full train arrived, disembarked, cleaned, boarded and dispatched in a little less than 15 minutes. The nearby platforms 14-19 are for the Tokaido Shinkansen line that runs from Tokyo down to Osaka and then further south to Hiroshima and beyond. That sector operates more than 400 trains a day in both directions combined. In case of Tokaido Shinkansen, the trains are 16 cars rather than 14 maximum in the north/northwest bullet trains, as I recall. All those trains have Tokyo Station as terminus. The whole thing works like clockwork. From my experience, when the ticket said arrival or departure at 8:33am, the train starts moving or stops at platform at that precise minute.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 30 Nov 2015 19:00

guwhati - silchar has probably used the old MG alignment which is fairly twisty, used rickety brit era bridges and had tens of tunnels. so speed increase will be a gradual process once they understand the running times and the new train bed settles down.
also probably being a overnight train they do not want to arrive too early...I think same idea is used in the two night trains that depart closely madras for bangalore...they run fairly slow for the distance.

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 02 Dec 2015 08:29

http://trak.in/tags/business/2015/11/27 ... b-profits/

IRCTC Revenues Jump to Record $3 Billion, Posts INR 130 Crore Profits!
Posted by: Editorial Staff in travel November 27, 2015 0

While we keep talking about eCommerce sites on regular basis, and their sales and traffic, the state operated Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corp (IRCTC) has quietly raked up revenues from their online portal that nearly twice as much of Flipkart, India’s largest online retailer.
IRCTC registered revenues of Rs. 20,620 crore (just over $3 Billion) through online ticket sales in the last financial year. This is a whopping 34 percent jump over the revenues from an year ago, when Rs. 15,410 crore worth of tickets were sold reports Economic Times.
And, the best part is – IRCTC is making decent profits (unlike most of our ecommerce sites) – IRCTC posted profits after tax of Rs. 130 crore, nearly 90 percent higher than Rs. 72 crore that it posted an year earlier.
IRCTC’s income from service charges on tickets, sales of Rail Neer water, onboard catering services and licence fees increased by 19 percent to Rs. 1,141 crore. Its combined income from commissions on ticketing, travel and tourism was Rs 670 crore.
Here is how IRCTC e-ticketing Revenues have grown over last 5 years.

IRCTC eTicketing Revenue Growth
IRCTC has made many positive changes over past couple of years. First and foremost, they have increased the capacity of booking tickets to a large extent. Previously, at peak, maximum of 2,000 tickets could be booked per minute, this capacity has now been increased to 7,200 tickets per minute. While we do not have any exact numbers, the rate of failure in ticket bookings also seem to have come down to large extent.
According to Sandip Dutta, PR manager at IRCTC, 55 percent of all tickets are now booked online.
In 2014, on March 19th, IRCTC had created a record of booking 5.8 lakh tickets on a single day – this year they bettered that record by more than double. According to Dutta, in April of this year, IRCTC booked 13.4 lakh etickets on a single day.
Major announcements by IRCTC over past 12 months
– IRCTC has decided to gradually phase out Pantry cars from the trains and instead push for e-Catering and Takeaways with third party tie-ups.
– IRCTC recently partnered with FoodPanda, KFC, Dominos Pizza and many other third party Food delivery services to provide food to passengers directly on trains.
– IRCTC has now partnered with Spicejet and GoAir. They will now allow waitlisted passengers to upgrade to flights as well.
– IRCTC has increased introduced many new payment channels including mobile wallets. They have partnered with Paytm and M-Pesa and have launched their own wallet as well.
– Now, Passenger can buy tickets online and get it delivered at their doorstep with Cash on Delivery facility. Not only that passengers can also buy tickets on installments from IRCTC website!

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 07 Dec 2015 05:16

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/ind ... s?from=mdr
Delhi & Tokyo may ink pact for India’s first Bullet Train during Japanese PM Shinzo Abe’s visit

[quote]NEW DELHI: India and Japan are set to firm up an agreement on highspeed train services, widely referred to as 'Bullet Trains', during Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit next week. Senior government sources told ET that Abe's Special Adviser Hiroto Izumi will be in Delhi this week for high-level talks to finalise the terms of the agreement on high-speed trains, known as Shinkansen in Japan. He will be negotiating the details with senior officials in the Prime Minister's Office.Further, Japan is likely to agree to finance the Rs 90,000 crore-plus railway project through a soft loan at 0.5% interest with a repayment tenure of 50 years, according to the people cited. Usually, Japan offers this sort of project financing at 1.5% interest and a tenure not exceeding 25 years. "The rate of interest and repayment time proposed by Japan are extremely attractive for India. [quote]

Karthik S · Post by **Karthik S** » 07 Dec 2015 05:27

^ Excellent news! Enough of feasibility studies. Hope the work starts soon.

Kashi · Post by **Kashi** » 07 Dec 2015 07:34

It seems that after Japan lost the Indonesia HSR tender to China recently, they are very very keen to bag this project. Will be good if it materialises.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 07 Dec 2015 08:42

I hope they go for the slowest trailing edge HSR tech the japanese have .... even if retired in japan ... this will greatly reduce the cost of the signaling and track/bridge upgrades needed. there is a huge diff in cost between a system that runs 200km cruise vs 350km.....the trainsets are a tiny part of that cost.

reduced tech level will reduce the capex and opex and permit a quicker and wider buildout than a few gold plated F22.

chennai - delhi rajdhani covers 2200km in 28 hrs. it has 7 brief halts say 15 mins each. so lets say 26:30 hrs running time.
avg speed = 83kmph.

even if we can get the track infra done for 120kmph (existing coaches are rated 120 for old model and 150 for new model), it will reduce that time to 18 hrs (120kmph) and 14 hrs (150kmph)..and still preserve the existing halts. being electric locos they will accelerate very fast.

so imo what we should seek from japan is not just HSR trainsets but the whole technology of enabling such fast sustained cruising including civil engineering. this will benefit all other trains as well. HSR trainsets should be the sweetener than main meal.

14 hrs means why should I take a flight and add 1000/- taxi fare at both ends and hours of security checks etc. I can take a short ride to station and read a book and sleep a little enroute in a chair car, with a couple meals.

SSundar · Post by **SSundar** » 07 Dec 2015 09:23

Singha wrote: 14 hrs means why should I take a flight and add 1000/- taxi fare at both ends and hours of security checks etc. I can take a short ride to station and read a book and sleep a little enroute in a chair car, with a couple meals.

Now imagine this becoming an overnight train, saar. End a productive day at work, head to Chennai Central after a good dinner at HSB, get comfortable sleep in a quiet train, get a quick shower at Delhi station and head to HSB for a good breakfast before beginning another productive day at work.

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India could use a mix of old and new Japanese technologies. Overnight trains between every financially sustainable city pair should be targeted. That would mean Kolkata to Hyderabad/Chennai can be done with old tech while Chennai/Hyderabad to Delhi would need new tech.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 07 Dec 2015 09:38

^^ good point that. beyond a certain distance the higher speed HSR techs will be useful. its should be gradual and countryside boiling frog in water technique than a bank-busting showpiece h&D mumbai-ahmedabad or delhi-jaipur line

Supratik · Post by **Supratik** » 07 Dec 2015 11:02

Since we are getting in late in the HSR game it is better to get the best tech we can afford. Old tech may need to be replaced sooner jacking up the cost further.