Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

[Zynda]

6 Multi Tracking Projects have been Sanctioned on IR in last days after new budget

Vsunder, thanks for the updates...miss these posts of yours here. I hope in the near future (< 2-3 months), SBC-MAS will be fully 130 kph (of course, there will be speed limitations on ghat sections, city limits & possibly on many station limits). But I hope that with quadrupling, IR is planning on at least 160 if not 200 kph speed limit (would probably save on reworks)...but for 200 kph operations, lot of upgrades on signalling (kavach, in-cab signalling, auto signalling), possibly using higher strength rails, strengthening the bridges (many bridges were upgraded recently for 130 speed limit...hoping the strengthening was done enough to take care of higher speeds as well) and track fencing among other things.

[vsunder]

@Zynda: In Nov 2023, SWR had already upped the sectional speed from Bangalore to Jolarpet to 130 kmph, need permission from the Railway Board to operate trains at 130kmph permanently. Here:

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cit ... 546153.cms

SR is doing a survey to quadruple Arrakonam to Jolarpet.

Regarding Kavach, 136 locos all on SCR are retro-fitted with Kavach which is operational on SCR on about 1400km mainly for testing and trials. It is complicated to retro fit Kavach on locos. Look at the technical document linked to this post which is written by SCR engineers and shows how it is done. Openings have to be cut out in the loco for wires and clamps welded etc. I am not sure OEMs like Alstom and GE will allow such modifications by third party on their locos. CLR built Indian locos no such problems for WAP and WAG locos. Plus people think they can go and buy 1900 Kavaches from the kirana store and the Gobarmint is stupid and so on. You need to not only train loco staff to use it, but also at every ELS(Electric Loco sheds) across the country you need to train staff to repair and maintain Kavach systems. Plus you need track maintainers who can maintain track side transponders and repeaters for Kavach n deep cuts and tunnels. You need transponders as the UHF signals get attenuated in deep cuts and possibly will result in automatic brake application if telemetry is lost. Just like distributed power on which I had made a very long post some time back. Distributed power will be seen a lot on the DFCs. I know a sizeable amount of Distributed power units have been retrofitted into elocos in Ajni Electric Loco shed at Nagpur.

Contrary to what people have written Kavach has already been installed on 139 locos of SCR. A long time ago I had written two long essays on Distributed power and Locotrol(GE devices) and on EoTT(End of Train Telemtry) that does away with the last van and will be also tried on the DFCs. Kavach is similar. Kavach was tried on the section from Nizamabad to Nanded. One has to be careful with all this. I am just too tired to reproduce my Distributed power essay. So let me leave you with some thoughts.


1. It is not just rapidly fitting Kavach to locos, do we have loco staff trained properly on Locos fitted with Kavach? How easy is it to retro fit Kavach to existing locos? Read the pdf link below developed by SCR engineers

2. Do we have trained staff who can repair and do maintenance on Kavach device on the many ELSs(Electric Loco sheds) around India.

3. Do we have trained track men and track maintainers who will maintain track side track transponders and track repeaters? You see how do you know your signal will not attenuate in a deep cut and inside a tunnel? You need trackside transponders in such locations. What if SCR and it did try Kavach on flat regions and it failed up the Bhor ghat out of Mumbai towards Pune, inside tunnels, then Babaji ka thulla since you had quickly put in Kavach all over and now it fails on certain sections due to terrain. Then the same people who told Gobarmint to buy 1900 Kavaches at the neighbourhood kirana store will say Gobarmint is full of dumb idiots etc etc that they never tested it in Bhor ghat.

4. In the 1970s IR had tried putting in such devices though a primitive one on the Delhi-Howrah route and found track side equipment stolen due to their copper content. Look at the DFCCIL twitter feed in the last month. At Mirzapur on the already built EDFC and on the Makarpura to Sanand section they just broke up gangs doing exactly that, stealing copper wire and trackside components.

IR in the early 1970s also tried distributed power where two locos are connected by Locotrol devices and talk to one another. Both MG at Lumding on YDM-2 and on the DBK railway freight heavy with iron ore in Odisha on WDM-2 BG. They found that maintenance was a big issue with equipment needing very good maintenance. These are lessons learned and eventually IR will roll out equipment when they have a good maintenance and training on this equipment in place and they are sure that the equipments does not fail due to weather and terrain.

5. Lastly IR has said they want private industry to build Kavach devices. They are willing to give designs to European and Japanese companies to build these systems. I am not sure if Alstom will agree or permission is needed to change aspects of OEM design to put in a Kavach system. This is connected to the brakes. So if something happens, Alstom can turn around and say, hey you tampered with our braking system and so we are not liable if an accident happened. Bad things can happen. Wag-9 is Gobarmint of Eendia so OK, what about the GE and Alstom products, will these guys agree if changes are made? Just asking here?? Apne ko kuch pata nahi hai, I do not know any Laplace transform or Control Theory but just asking hiar since so many people know Kantrol theory and can dejign Kavach ka baap.

Official Press Release by Govt. on Kavach deployment

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePa ... ID=1983975

Problems and Challenges installing TCAS system Kavach(South Central Railway staff on which the trials for Kavach and deployment on locos was done)

https://iriset.railnet.gov.in/content/g ... ticle4.pdf

[vsunder]

Automatic Signalling has been installed along the entire length of the DFCs. All train control is done from two futuristic OCCs Operational Control Centers, one at Prayagraj for the EDFC and one outside Ahemdabad at Sabarmati for the WDFC. The are gigantic computer screens that locate every rake across the network. DFCs stations are 40km apart and have no relation to IR stations. It would be stupid to use absolute block. Then a train would have to wait till a train ahead of it cleared 40km and the block was clear of traffic. Instead Automatic signals have been installed every 2km and multiple rakes can enter a block between two DFC stations. In Punjab where the EDFC is single lined due to Land acquisition issues, EDFC stations are closer within 10-15 km to facilitate crossing of freight rakes. But all the rest stations are 40km apart. DFC rakes ar 1500m almost 1 mile long as opposed to Indian Railways which have 800m rakes. These extra long rakes need extra long loop lines and so you will see loop lines far longer at these new DFC stations than standard loop lines at IR stations. DFC rakes usually are 13,000 tonnes as opposed to IR rakes at 5,000 tonnes. DFC rakes travel at an average speed of 50-75kmph with a top speed of 100kmph. The average speed of IR rakes is 25kmph. Trials are going on from Vadodara(Makarpura) over the Narmada river and bypassing Surat with a new bridge over the Tapti on Surat outskirts to Sanjan, south of Surat between Surat and Billimora. From Sanjan to Palghar MH the WDFC is complete. Here is a twitter post from DFCCIL about these trials. Now only two sections are left to complete on the WDFC. Sanand(Ahmedabad) to Makarpura(Vadodara) 138km L&T+Sojitz(Japan) Corp. Scheduled to finish in 2 months March 2024, Tata Construction Vaitarna to JNPT, Nhava Sheva port Mumbai 109km who knows about that see my posts above ^^^^ EDFC from Ludhiana to Son Nagar Bihar complete and the 135km connector double lined with high mast electric poles to facilitate movement of double stack container freight from Dadri EDFC to Rewari WDFC around Delhi NCR which was the most challenging section to build through the Arravallis is also opened since October 2023. So only Tata has to finish on their 109km section before the WDFC+EDFC is fully done.
The twitter post talks about Automatic Signalling

https://twitter.com/RailMinIndia/status ... gr%5Etweet

For the moment they have to offload WDFC freight somewhere before Vaitarna for it to proceed towards Mumbai JNPT port on IR lines as Tata has not built its 109 km section. ^^^

Notice container freight WDFC is container freight heavy. Notice single stacked containers as the IR legacy lines around Mumbai OHE is of standard height allowing only single stacks, while all of the WDFC can take double stacked container freight. All spur lines off the WDFC towards Gujarat ports have been built so that the OHE system can accomodate double stacked container freight, towards Pipavav(Maersk), Mundhra(Adani), Kandla and Dahej. All are connected to WDFC and so too Hazira which handles petrochemicals and so mast in principal can be standard height but is extra long here too.

[rajkumar]

₹ 12,000 CRORE MULTITRACKING PROJECTS APPROVED BY RAILWAYS जानिए क्या क्या हैं ROUTES

[Aldonkar]

Just wanted to express my thanks to vsunder-ji for all the informative posts on the railway upgrades and the road upgrades in a different thread. It is particularly useful to those of us based abroad. It is particularly noticeable the enormous improvements in the last ten years!

[sanjaykumar]

I’m impressed by the vastly improved livery of Indian trains. Previously it was utilitarian, and that’s being charitable.

[Jay]

Just wanted to express my thanks to vsunder-ji for all the informative posts on the railway upgrades and the road upgrades in a different thread. It is particularly useful to those of us based abroad. It is particularly noticeable the enormous improvements in the last ten years!

I second this sentiment here. Apart from the hard work from the govt and the people on the ground, to people like vsunder ji cataloging the progress and the context behind these changes, we are thankful for everyone in between for these contributions.

[Nikhil_Naya]

. So only Tata has to finish on their 109km section before the WDFC+EDFC is fully done.
The twitter post talks about Automatic Signalling

https://twitter.com/RailMinIndia/status ... gr%5Etweet

For the moment they have to offload WDFC freight somewhere before Vaitarna for it to proceed towards Mumbai JNPT port on IR lines as Tata has not built its 109 km section. ^^^

Notice container freight WDFC is container freight heavy. Notice single stacked containers as the IR legacy lines around Mumbai OHE is of standard height allowing only single stacks, while all of the WDFC can take double stacked container freight. All spur lines off the WDFC towards Gujarat ports have been built so that the OHE system can accomodate double stacked container freight, towards Pipavav(Maersk), Mundhra(Adani), Kandla and Dahej. All are connected to WDFC and so too Hazira which handles petrochemicals and so mast in principal can be standard height but is extra long here too.

Have seen the WAG12 and the WAG9Twin both operate on freight routes. My understanding is that while the WAG12 can have higher sustained speeds due to the "Bo-Bo + Bo-Bo" arrangement, the WAG9 Twin will actually have highter tractive effort due to the 'Co-Co+Co-Co' arrangement. So, would the DFC have separate loco sheds for these loco's as well - like in higher gradient sections the G9Twins and in the plains with lower gradient start sections the G12?
Also the forthcoming Seimens 9000 HP electrics will also have better mainline speeds and traction - so will that be on the main IR network or the DFC's?

[vsunder]

Thanks all.

A large number of antiquated frame lever signalling equipment and equipment for changing points many dating from 1935 has been replaced with modern electronic equipment where paths through a busy yard can be set with a few clicks of a mouse. Kanpur yard along with Tundla and Mughalsarai are some of the busiest yards in India and these pictures are when new electronic equipment to control train movement through Kanpur was installed in 2022. Ditto for Tundla around that time. Some of the equipment in Kanpur yard dates to 1935, all got replaced. Freight on the Howrah--Delhi line esp. coal rakes that do not have to go into the busy Kanpur Juhi marshalling yard no longer does that as they take the new EDFC tracks that bypass Kanpur entirely freeing up the yard for only freight that terminates at Kanpur, passenger trains and freight towards Lucknow that originates at Delhi NCR. Kanpur Control Center inaugurated 2022


https://twitter.com/CPRONCR/status/1514203257052168195


The DFCs are even more modern as they have two completely centralized operations centers at Prayagraj for the EDFC and Sabarmati (Ahmedabad) for the WDFC.

Operations Control Center WDFC, opened 2023 near Sabarmati D Cabin Ahmedabad:

https://www.appendix3exam.com/2023/07/d ... entre.html

Operations Control Center EDFC--- Inaugurated 3 years ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J53mXk2ATbI

[vsunder]

Train to Kashmir

PM Modi inaugurated the Banihal to Sangaldan section 48km two days ago. Now only 63 km is left to open to connect Kanyakumari to Baramulla. Electrification is also complete between Baramulla and Sangaldan. Out of the 63km left only 11km is left for track linking, all civil works are over including the famous Chenab bridge at Reasi which is in the last section of 63km left to operationalize, most likely by year end. Anyhow by opening Banihal and Sangaldan, the Kashmir valley is connected to Jammu district by train. Scenes on the first passenger train from Srinagar to Sangaldan:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIjgmWtVRVk

A lot of track is ballastless on this line. Section left Sangaldan----Reasi(Chenab bridge)----Shri Vaishno devi Katra(63km)

[A_Gupta]

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2001857
Indian Railways achieves 1297.38 MT freight loading till January 2024

Freight loading increases by 53.92 MT as compared to the same period of last year

Railways earns Rs 140623.4 Crore from Freight loading during April 2023- Jan.2024

Freight Earnings increases by Rs 5235.30 Crore as compared to the same period of last year

Railways achieves Freight Loading of 142.70 MT in Jan 2024 - an improvement of 6.43% over last year freight loading for the same period

[JTull]

Loved the videos by various bloggers of Banihal to Sangaldan train.
I hope Vande Bharat trains will be heated for passenger comfort.
Will these sections be opened up to freight trains?

[vsunder]

End of an Era, A 110 year MG section is closed and a new one dawns with BG


Nepalganj Road railway station was the point of entry into India for millions of Nepali people. From here they took MG trains to their places of work all over India. This area is under developed. Gauge conversion over IR left only the Baharaich---Nanpara----Nepalganj Road section as a MG section with old style semaphore mechanical signals. Now since February 10th, traffic has been suspended on this section with a ceremonial send off of the last MG train from Bahraich. Soon after that the construction department swung into work, by uprooting the MG tracks and demolishing stations en route and they are tasked to complete gauge conversion from Nepalganj road to Bahraich a distance of 54km within 18-24 months. So an era ends that lasted a century and a new one begins. It will facilitate better movement of people and freight towards Nepal and better facilities as the old stations are being demolished and renovated.


A deserted and desolate Nepalganj Road station after trains were stopped on February 10th.

https://youtu.be/wT6z05mnlrA


The end of the MG era:

https://youtu.be/Xia68u4KTE4

https://youtu.be/lyhVuY-Wzf8


The last MG train sent off, still using those tennis racquet tokens

https://youtu.be/adBHmdyS2eg

[vsunder]

The fastest project implementation on IR I have seen in recent times is the pilgrim circuit doubling, Barabanki---Ayodhya---Varanasi. Stations were demolished and rebuilt, new bridges built and a modern, futuristic station constructed at Ayodhya and the track doubled all the way to Varanasi. Some sections were completed in about 3 months at the end to meet the Ram Mandir inauguration deadline. Now only one block section remains to be doubled on this pilgrim circuit and that too due to the new bridge to carry the second line for doubling over the Tamasa(Tons) river of Ramayana fame. This is the river Shri Rama crossed on his way to exile. This bridge is also being rapidly executed though they should have built two bridges as the existing bridge is long in the tooth and there are a number of permanent cautions on it restricting speed.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nD5IGpjDhYU


A 45 day traffic block was taken at Barabanki all of Dec 2023 into January 2024 and ending just before Ram Mandir inauguration to facilitate yard remodeling in connection with doubling towards Ayodhya and connecting the doubled tracks from Lucknow---Barbanki---Gorakhpur. They will also quadruple Lucknow to Barabanki as this old time sleepy line is seeing tremendous surge in traffic, towards the Northeast with the new lines to the NE states capitals and pilgrim circuit trains which will be supplemented due to increasing tourists and added capacity due to doubling towards Ayodhya.

[vsunder]

The second railway bridge over the Ganga at Prayagraj is almost finished, just part of a span left to construct between two piers. This is part of he 119km line connecting Prayagraj and Varanasi via Manduadih and it is the shortest railway line connecting the two cities out of existing three. Rest of the 119km is doubled over the last 4 years. Prayagraj station is undergoing a massive facelift as part of Amrit Bharat yojana where 508 stations have been selected for facelift. All this activity at Prayagraj is to get the town ready for the immense traffic the city will face at the Maha Kumbh Mela in late 2024, early 2025. This bridge was the obstacle to finish doubling on this shortest route which is used by Varanasi VB from New Delhi. One of the three routes passes through Phulpur which was Chacha Nehru's Lok Sabha seat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0EXTKTvKlo

The bridge shown connects Jhusi on the Varanasi side to Daraganj a part of Prayagraj named after Dara Shikoh.

[vsunder]

Belthara Road, Second Bridge over Sarayu/Ghaghra getting constructed over Varanasi---Bhatni--Gorakhpur route. This route is being doubled. Traffic on this route will explode once NE capitals are connected. Traffic towards New Jalpaiguri and chicken neck and on to Assam from Varanasi and that means Mumbai and western India towards NE India travels on this route. Note the provision for laying additional spans as the bridge over which the train is running is ancient and possibly masonry which has to be replaced as it is reaching the end of its codal life or exceeded it. They will then lay additional spans on the pillars already built for the new bridge.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGR0Xl9e3cs

Update: Line to Mizoram will be complete March 2025. The accident where an uner construction bridge collapsed and claimed 17 lives mostly construction workers from WB in August 2023 was a setback.

[vsunder]

CRS on Khandwa to Amlakhurd Gauge Conversion 54km


54km converted from MG to BG. Now Amlakhurd to Akot(77 km) needs to be gauge converted for the project to be completed. This is the shortest route between Delhi and South India and was a MG route over which the Meenakshi Express ran on this MG from Delhi to Secunderabad. Bits and pieces were gauge converted. Now the part from Mhow to Khandwa is left to be gauge converted and Khandwa to Akot. Once done a new BG link and the shortest between Delhi and Secunderabad will again become functional. The route passes through Indore and Mhow an important military Cantt and regimental HQ of Mahar regt. and Ambedkar was born in Mhow and so its re-named as Ambedkar nagar. His father was a soldier in the Mahars. Omkareshwar rd on the Narmada a jyotirlinga is also on this route and a new bridge is being constructed on the Narmada to carry the BG line. The old bridge of the MG era dates from the Holkar raja who constructed it.

https://youtu.be/BaWRYA5QYTc



I think in a day or two there should be CRS for Targaon---Masur---Sirwade doubling on Miraj to Pune route. This leaves only the following sections for doubling.


Shenoli--Karad, Karad----Sirvade, Jarandeshwar---Satara, Shindwane----Ambale, Koregaon---Rahimatpur---Targaon, Wathar--Palsi. 7 sections left for doubling, Bangalore to Pune via Belagavi. FEDL is also close as SWR part Bangalore to Miraj is doubled and RE in last stages near Miraj. A lot of these projects were initiated by Suresh Prabhu who was quiet but arguably the best Rail Mantri of India.


https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cit ... 769132.cms

[vsunder]

A Gauge Conversion Project Comes to a Successful End


The Sitapur to Pilibhit gauge conversion project was initiated in 2015. It was the route in the old days that a MG train from Lucknow Charbagh took to go to Kathgodam, the gateway to Kumaon and Nainital. Initially the project went well, but the last part Shahgarh to Pilibhit was stuck for a very long time. This section passes through the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve. The old MG station of Mala lies at the edge of the reserve and there have been rather dramatic pictures of tigers walking on the station platform. Negotiations between IR and the Wildlife authorities turned out to be protracted. Finally the IR agreed to a speed restriction of 20kmph(see the new boards in the videos) through the reserve. Next Mala station is fenced as best one can and parts of the track is also fenced in the forest (see videos) and there are specially constructed animal underpasses. After all this, there again arose a problem with OHE as the wildlife authority again raised objections. This was also overcome and RE is now in the last stages preparatory to CRS in about 2 weeks.


Next the locals demanded that the old Mala halt station be converted to a crossing station. This entailed putting loop lines. The Railways ran across a new problem as they agreed to the demand by the locals. A couple of huge trees blocked the loop lines and again permission was now needed from the Forest department and an NOC to cut down about 40 odd trees. The NOC has finally been received a few days ago with all the requisite signatures and in writing and so the trees can be cut.


The major work that remains is an Open Web girder bridge over the Mala River deep inside the forest. There are two spans and one is in place and the second one is ready as seen in the video and ready to be launched within a week or 10 days. Track is all laid except across this 100m bridge. In the video the track packing machine is seen doing its work. To do its work and to lay OHE, several limbs of trees overhanging the track had to be pruned. The line has been inactive for a long time and the trees have grown over the track. This is in the Terai area which has a high water table and also is an important route for the locals to travel to Delhi and the capital Lucknow and some to Dehradun, the capital of Uttarakhand. They should be very happy now that all the tortuous negotiations have been done suucessfully and the entire line is finally open.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgvkFToxueo


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GY9xdEEA5Pw


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PEWoVO1a2s


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teoRBMRV1CA

[Mukhi]

@VSunderji

Much Pranam for updates.

https://youtu.be/8nOpYTfuzR0?feature=shared

As per the link above, the NOC for tree cutting has not been granted yet.

What I dont understand is, why does it take so long to get NOC and why need it, especially the project is in national interest. I mean, we cut trees left and right to build Shopping Malls and high-rises for politicians and other corrupt officials. What happens if the rail department just cuts the trees without notifying.

[Atmavik]

@VSunderji

Much Pranam for updates.

https://youtu.be/8nOpYTfuzR0?feature=shared

As per the link above, the NOC for tree cutting has not been granted yet.

What I dont understand is, why does it take so long to get NOC and why need it, especially the project is in national interest. I mean, we cut trees left and right to build Shopping Malls and high-rises for politicians and other corrupt officials. What happens if the rail department just cuts the trees without notifying.

Someone will go to court with a PIL and courts will stall development for much longer. Better to follow process other wise videos will be made abt abt Phasist Modi

[chetak]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqbn4dQdG2U


Runaway Indian goods train travels 80 km without driver from Kathua in Jammu & Kashmir to Punjab

[sanjayc]

@VSunderji

Much Pranam for updates.

https://youtu.be/8nOpYTfuzR0?feature= shared

As per the link above, the NOC for tree cutting has not been granted yet.

What I dont understand is, why does it take so long to get NOC and why need it, especially the project is in national interest. I mean, we cut trees left and right to build Shopping Malls and high-rises for politicians and other corrupt officials. What happens if the rail department just cuts the trees without notifying.

That is why Goras have created a fetish worldwide about environment and climate change - to stall economic development of developing nations so that natives dither and think ten times before cutting a blade of grass (defence projects, railways, tunnels .. everything to be sacrificed at the altar of "environment". It is a trick whites are playing on heathens to get them to impose limits on their own development). Foolish heathens have fallen for it. Why do you think every speech of White leaders begins and ends with "environment" and "climate change" and Greta Thunberg is trotted out. Heathens have begun to treat every tree and bush as national assets that need permission of Supreme Court to be cut, followed by one year of penance

[hgupta]

Well to be fair during my last visit to Delhi I couldn’t breath that well in Delhi or its surrounding areas. It was chock full of pollution. I had a miserable time. My health only got better when I got back to the States. My health immediately improved.

[disha]

Well to be fair during my last visit to Delhi I couldn’t breath that well in Delhi or its surrounding areas. It was chock full of pollution. I had a miserable time. My health only got better when I got back to the States. My health immediately improved.

That's true, but largely due to local government faults. At the same time the environmental damage done by West is immense. West is cleaning up its act now after the infrastructure is created.

Again, look at Aarey dairy and extending the metro. It was all about the elite of mumbai (the bollywoodias mainly) to not see a loco-shed in their backyard. But couched under "environmentalism".

This increased cost for the tax payers, the commuters suffered and several as well died in unavoidable accidents.

Anyway, here is the progress of Mumbai Metro at Aarey station

https://twitter.com/Sahilinfra2/status/ ... wsrc%5Etfw

[disha]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqbn4dQdG2U


Runaway Indian goods train travels 80 km without driver from Kathua in Jammu & Kashmir to Punjab

In US, they make a movie out of it and show the bravery of the people who hop on the engine and shut it down.

[nachiket]

Part of the the new Kashmir line between Sangaldan and Banihal. Includes India's longest railway tunnel - T-50 (12.77km).

[Cyrano]

I’m impressed by the vastly improved livery of Indian trains. Previously it was utilitarian, and that’s being charitable.

Unfortunately it was not my experience on the 3 train trips I've undertaken recently.

Delhi - Lucknow Shatabdi was an old rake in tatters (all chair cars) with sudden unexplainable jerks that throw passengers around every few minutes. Couldn't get VB tickets - was on WL and couldn't afford to take a risk.

SCR Kacheguda-Vskp superfast express had the same old dirty rakes, the bio toilets stink to high heavens, somewhat less jerky ride than the Delhi - Lucknow train. The train came on to PF 1, stopped and started few minutes later, advanced a couple of bogey lengths and stopped again, much before departure time. Very dangerous for pax boarding. Arrived at vskp on time.

Vskp-Sec'bad Godavari express was no better , actually worse since it arrived 3 hours late. Took almost 2 hrs to get from Bibinagar to Secbad.

The screwdriver giri in every compartment of these 3 trains is a reflection of decades of ingrained chalta hai attitude. These are all LHB coaches if I'm not mistaken

Why only 1 foot overbridge has escalators? Porters unions?! LoL !

Stations were reasonably clean. It seems Secbad station is being totally redeveloped.

Lots of efforts to be done for another decade or so before we can feel we have a decent system from passengers perspective, world class is far far away.

[vsunder]

@Mukhi: NOC has been received and they have already started cutting the trees to lay loop lines at Mala station as can be seen in this video. The CRS is tentative for March 15th. It all depends on when the bridge work seen in the video can be completed. One of the girders out of two of the bridge has to be straightened that's all that is left, wiring work left will go very fast as about 5 km of wiring and tensioning of OHE left, poles and brackets already in place/ stay tubes etc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0uEucl1FZc

CRS was done on Tirunelveli to Melpalayam doubling on Feb 29th and that means the route from Chennai to Nagercoil is fully doubled. The Kanyakumari to Nagercoil section doubling is also very close to finishing about 2 months left. Trivandrum-Nemom--Nagercoil doubling has been held up for years due to land acquisition problems in KL. It will never be finished eventhough earthworks have been done in bits and pieces. KL Govt. is unhelpful with LA.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuWRRL3MwX4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Fr3tR5zSgI

Lot of windmill farms around Nagercoil as I remember.

[Mukhi]

^^Thank You. I watch the video and subscribe to him. His video seems much more enjoyable than many other YouTube.

[chetak]

@OpIndia_com

Driver, assistant were watching cricket on phone: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw reveals details about 2023 Andhra Pradesh train accident

[chetak]

India will seal the deal for procuring 24 E5 Series Shinkansen trains (bullet trains) from Japan by this month end.

Going by the accelerated pace of progress, the railway is confident of the first train operation starting in June-July 2026 in Gujarat




https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/ind ... 276109.cms

[bala]

BEML sleeper version of Vande Bharat inside shell is being discussed in YT in Hindi with Mantriji Ashwini Vaishnav. The undermounts still don't have a cover. There is a photo of how it will look. It will take 6 months.
वंदे भारत स्लीपर ट्रेन BEML के बेंगलुरु कारखाने में बनाई जा रही है

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltbaIenvFZ0

[vsunder]

Guntur Station after makeover under Amrit Bharat Scheme


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXfWwUX87tw

[vsunder]

Agra Metro Inaugurated

A section of the Agra Metro has been inaugurated a few days ago. The operational section of Line 1, has 3 underground stations and 3 over ground stations. Taj Mahal Metro station is underground. This corridor is still incomplete and construction is going on both overground and underground till Sikandra. 4 underground and 3 overground stations are left to be built on this semi-complete corridor. There is also a second corridor that is being constructed from Agra Cantt. to Kalindi Vihar. Jama Masjid on the Agra Metro has been renamed as Mankameshwar Metro station. It is the end of the current operational section of Agra Metro. From Mankameshwar Metro station the line will head to Agra University(underground) and end at Sikandra on completion. The junction of the two corridors at Agra College/University is still being constructed. Line 1 a section of which has been inaugurated^^^ will be underground at the junction, while Line 2 from Agra Cantt. will be overground at the junction. Line 1 when completed will have terminal stations at Taj Mahal East gate and Sikandra. Taj Mahal is a separate underground Metro station!!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Api-Hupe_hE

Kanpur Metro is also moving fast with the entire 23km corridor from IIT Kanpur to Naubasta to be completed by 2025 March. The ug sections will be about 6km. Currently about 7km overground of Kanpur Metro is functional. Kanpur Metro has two corridors planned. The second corridor of Kanpur Metro has also been tendered out and is scheduled for completion by 2026.

Sikandra is where Akbar's tomb is. It is an empty tomb as the Jats attacked Agra in the late 1700s and dug up Akbar's body from his tomb and burnt it.

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Trains Crossing each other post commissioning of double line a week ago between Targaon---Masur---Shirvade on the Pune to Miraj doubling project. This leaves 7 block sections for completion between Pune to Miraj for FEDL. They are:


Koregaon----Rahimatpur----Targaon(2 sections), Shenoli---Karad-----Shirvade(2 sections), Jarandeshwar----Satara(1 section), Palsi----Wathar(1 section), Shindwane---Ambale(1 section).


Only the last one is a bit challenging with ghat terrain and viaducts out of which only 1 remains. The embankments are really very high 50+m and pillars for the viaducts are 50-75 m in height. The sections around Karad are all flat and in advanced stage with bottom ballast laying and track linking left a few small culverts to be prepared.


Londa to Miraj is fully doubled and only a 33km from Kudachi to Miraj needs to be electrified for FEDL between Bengaluru to Miraj. This 33km of OHE work should see completion by end April or mid May.


On the Pune to Miraj section the block section Shindwane to Ambale is the most challenging for laying the second line as it is a ghat section with several viaducts with extremely tall piers and embankments that are extremely high. Rest of the block sections I expect the work to be over by the financial year 2024-2025. All tunnels are complete between Pune and Miraj and all are on the two out of the 7 block sections that remain. The Indian Rail Info website map has not updated any of these developments, those guys managing that site, smoke ganja and are doped half the time. Train in video is running on the new laid line. Note at the beginning of the video, they have straightened the tracks and you can see the old alignment with old OHE poles and track still left to be uprooted and sold as scrap.

https://youtu.be/_08y1PJ5vkM



This doubling project between Bengaluru and Pune was initiated by Suresh Prabhu. The status of Railway electrification of 33km between Kudachi and Miraj on SWR, which will finish FEDL between Bangalore and Miraj, via Hubbali, Dharwad and Belagavi. The entire route is doubled and only this 33km section has to be wired to finish the project.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzKRryCmMEE

In more news on Tuesday, CRS will take place in Goa between Sanvordem and Kulem doubling and RE which has seen enormous pushback from the locals who did everything to stop the project. Now basically Vasco to Cansaulim left for doubling. This 13km section between Vasco and Cansaulim faced tremendous opposition from the locals. I am not sure when and if it will be completed, though a traffic block was taken recently by SWR etc for engineering works related to this doubling as they had to dismantle foot bridges to provide space at Cansaulim for the extra tracks. Between Kulem and Castle Rock through the Braganza Ghat, no doubling as it was disallowed by the Supreme Court. Electrification on this 26km section Kulem to Castle Rock(through Dudhsagar Falls and Braganza Ghat) has yet to start and it is strange that SWR creates such islands and thus prevents using elocos on its trains out of Goa. Castle Rock is where 30 diesels all from the old Hubbali diesel shed are homed. Just stupid policy.


They (SWR) have done the same between Hassan and Mangalore leaving an unelectrified island between Kabakaputtur and Saklespur through the ghats near Subramanya.

The Shindwane Ghat to Ambale section is the most challenging of the 7 remaining block sections undergoing doubling between Pune and Miraj. You can see why through this video. It will be completed the last.

https://youtu.be/KssNmCroqxY

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Varanasi has 4 Railway stations. They are 1. Banaras( formerly known as Manduadih and under the jurisdiction of Northeastern railway NER), 2. Varanasi Jn.(also known as Varanasi Cantt. railway station which is the largest) 3. Varanasi City railway station 4. Kashi Railway station.

Across the River Ganga, is the massive Marshalling yard and junction of DDU(Deen Dayal Upadhyay Jn. formerly Mughalsarai). Here are some views of the redevelopment in progress at Banaras and Varanasi City railway station under Amrit Bharat Yojana.
The intermodal terminal across the Ganga at Jeonathpur is now operational a few days ago. EDFC and IR come together here a few kms outside DDU and here is Varanasi Inland waterway terminal on IW-1(Ganga) for barge traffic from Farakka on the Ganga, plus two major national highways. This is a Gati Shakti hub for container traffic. It is very near to Ramnagar fort which is the home of Kashi Naresh(the king of Benaras, at least titular and ceremonial)


Varanasi City Railway Station

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWT1zN4E8bU


Banaras Railway station(formerly Manduadih)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEn05gu4J_o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYOAXglsi-8

And here is the new terminal building of Pune airport. Finally. It was just a dump the last I flew through it 2016 January. Koti Harinarayana was on the same Air Asia flight (now I think the airline is called AIX) as me of LCA fame and we were together out of Bangalore and we had a quiet chat. PM Modi inaugurated several airport terminals yesterday, about 15, including Pune, Gwalior(Rajmata Scindia airport) and Jabalpur(Dumna), Azamgarh(UP) etc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDB7wMI8jbw

Pune is a civilian enclave inside IAF station Lohegaon, just like Prayagraj is a civilian enclave inside IAF station Bamrauli, another dump that I flew through in 2015 and is being refurbished in preparation for Kumbh Mela in January 2025. Bamrauli is HQ of Central Command which will play an important role as 18 Corps is being raised. For Pune there is talk of a greenfield airport.

[chetak]

IR has started to name their locomotives after martyrs. This is a very thoughtful gesture.

[Cyrano]

Isn't there a better word than martyr or Shaheed? Both have inappropriate meaning in the Indic context.

[chetak]

Isn't there a better word than martyr or Shaheed? Both have inappropriate meaning in the Indic context.

veergati maybe, Cyrano ji

[Atmavik]

Forged wheels factory construction has started in TN. These wheels will be for VB and the factory has a target of 50 % export. It’s JV between Titaghar and Ram Krishna Forging