Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

Prasad · Post by **Prasad** » 06 Jan 2017 10:41

The total cost of the bullet trains is Rs 99,000 crore and a quarter of the burden will be borne by Maharashtra and Gujarat each. The remaining 50 percent will be the Central government's responsibility. As far as the Maharashtra government is concerned, it will have to pay Rs 25,000 and the MMRDA will foot the entire bill, said the source.

Eh what?

JTull · Post by **JTull** » 06 Jan 2017 17:27

Supratik wrote:It seems to me that there has been a rise in railway accidents during Suresh Prabhu's tenure. Needs serious pull up from PMO. And they are planning to run Semi-high speed trains on these tracks. Shudder to think of it.

IMHO there is a clear push to improve capacity utilisation. More trains, longer trains, faster trains, etc. Electrification, broad-gauging, doubling/tripling, DDFC, Port connectivity, digital signalling, eliminating railway crossings (with bridges or under-passes), Border connectivity, etc.

Plus there's a big push on improving the train journey experience, viz, cleanliness, bio-toilets, wifi, Re 1 insurance cover, etc.

With so much going on, it's no surprise that the weakest link will start buckling. But the above list includes several measures that will bring about once in a life-time transformation. I'd say, we'll only be able to judge in 2025.

Rishi Verma · Post by **Rishi Verma** » 06 Jan 2017 17:48

I think more than anything we need capacity enhancement ideas. Serious out of the box thinking needed. I was thinking very long trains but then thought shorter trains with 5x improvement in frequency. But it could be a different solution for different areas. Double or triple decks, eliminating "sleeper" coaches, train-bus synchronization, computerized coach swapping at central locations like Nagpur etc based on queing theory (done by FedEx).

Higher speed always helps if it's based on existing infra.

JTull · Post by **JTull** » 06 Jan 2017 18:44

Financing all the initiatives is the biggest challenge faced by Indian Railways which is why budgetary de-linking was so important. You just have to see what stopped Mumbai suburban railway from transforming into a modern metro network.

Taking cues from metro expansion and developments in the telecom space, I'd split all regions into separate operating entities with all infrastructure into other set of infrastructure companies. The operating cos focus on customer experience, while infrastructure cos focus on investment. Worldover infrastructure companies are a big draw for pension funds and private equity/debt players.

Freight network implementation under DFCC and Sagarmala are already reaping the benefits from decentralisation. First two DFCCs are being supported by World Bank and Japan, while Sagarmala port-rail connectivity (IPRCL) will use PPP model.

darshhan · Post by **darshhan** » 06 Jan 2017 22:29

nukavarapu wrote:As been clarified many times on this forum that entire bill is being taken care by JICA funding and the tax payers do not worry, how come the article is saying 25% each has to be funded by Maharashtra and Gujurat and the rest 50% by center?

I will wait for Disha & Suraj's responses.

Suraj -- I am not trying to be sarcastic and I am genuinely confused by the article.

I guess this alludes to the share of loan repayment.

disha · Post by **disha** » 07 Jan 2017 00:11

Rishi Verma wrote:I think more than anything we need capacity enhancement ideas. Serious out of the box thinking needed. I was thinking very long trains but then thought shorter trains with 5x improvement in frequency. But it could be a different solution for different areas. Double or triple decks, eliminating "sleeper" coaches, train-bus synchronization, computerized coach swapping at central locations like Nagpur etc based on queing theory (done by FedEx).

Higher speed always helps if it's based on existing infra.

Did you sir really think through each of the options you listed? Triple Decks? How will a disabled/old/infirm climb up second & third deck? Long trains? How will it fit in existing platforms?

Eliminating "sleeper" coaches? I guess you did not travel on Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor at all! Please first travel there and then posit about eliminating sleeper coaches and double deckers. It has already been eliminated.

On the last one., higher speed on aircraft always helps if it is based on existing engines. Which airline will not love to fly supersonic on existing jets?

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 07 Jan 2017 00:24

nukavarapu wrote:As been clarified many times on this forum that entire bill is being taken care by JICA funding and the tax payers do not worry, how come the article is saying 25% each has to be funded by Maharashtra and Gujurat and the rest 50% by center?

I will wait for Disha & Suraj's responses.

Suraj -- I am not trying to be sarcastic and I am genuinely confused by the article.

The numbers in that article are wrong. Rs.99,000 cr, or $16 billion, is the total cost of the project. This is quite sensible, because HSR construction cost is approx $30 million/km, and the length of Mum-Ahd is 510km, and the calculation gives you approx $31 million/km cost here. If the 20% investor is spending Rs.100K crore, that suggests the cost is Rs.500K crore, which is nonsense, unless they decided overnight to build gold plated tracks and trains at 5x the standard worldwide cost.

JICA is funding 81% of the cost through a 50 year 0.1% loan with a 15 year repayment moratorium, i.e. repayments start after year 15. Why ? Because the construction and subsequent operations need to stabilize first. The remaining 19% of 99K crore is being funded 50% by GoI, and 25% each by GoMH and GoGJ, out of their respective budgets.

The ownership entity is the National High Speed Rail Corporation, a special purpose vehicle that assumes the liabilities of the project, with JICA, GoI, GoMH/GoGJ as investors in the ratios listed above. If the NHSRC goes into receivership, each of the investors work with the bankruptcy/restructuring authority. Someone else buys the ownership stake for a lower cost and repays the current set of investors. IR provides the current operational support. The last railway budget set aside the money that's the central government's contribution.

These are the facts, and they've been unchanged for 2 years. What's the catch ? None. GoI has no stake in JICA's loan. The Japanese contributed this much because they had good experiences working with DMRC and Indian projects in general through ADB. Plus, they wanted to beat out the Chinese. If this project fails, the only issue is GoI will have trouble attracting more foreign investors in HSR, that's all. GoI isn't on the hook for anything more than the money they've already set aside in the last two rail budgets, which is their ~10% stake. It simply makes them the 10% investor.

disha · Post by **disha** » 07 Jan 2017 00:28

nukavarapu wrote:As been clarified many times on this forum that entire bill is being taken care by JICA funding and the tax payers do not worry, how come the article is saying 25% each has to be funded by Maharashtra and Gujurat and the rest 50% by center?

Since when did you start trusting the hacks at MSM? They will not be able to count the digits on their limbs even if their life depended on it.

Here is the original from wiki:

The project is estimated to cost ₹97,636 crore (US$15 billion).[18] Japan has agreed to fund 81% of the total project cost ₹79,165 crore (US$12 billion), through a 50-year loan at an interest rate of 0.1% and a moratorium on repayments up to 15 years. Indian Railways will invest ₹9,800 crore (US$1.5 billion) in the high-speed rail project,[20] and the remaining cost will be borne by the state governments of Maharashtra and Gujarat.[23] 20% of the components used on the corridor will be supplied by Japan, and manufactured in India.[24]

It has been proposed to construct the line on an elevated corridor to avoid land acquisitions and the need to build underpasses.[25] If this proposal is accepted, it would raise the cost for the project by an additional ₹10,000 crore (US$1.5 billion).[26]

So Japan will give 81% of the loan upto Rs. 79k crore. 19% has to be sourced from Indian budgetary sources., so IR will contribute some 9% and the GOM and GOG (govt. of mah & guj) will contribute 5% each.

Now if the IR+GOM+GOG decide to go elevated corridor., the additional 10k crore comes from their kitty. Essentially from GOM+GOG.

Further if GoM wants to put the BKM HSR station underground and put some IFT centre on top., and if there is a cost escalation - it comes from GOM+GOG+Central kitty. Why? Remember, this is a corridor through 2 states and a pride project for the center. So that there is no state fights (Mah getting 4 stations and Guj getting 8 stations for ex. - several people will fight over such mundane issues) - Centre with its 50% fund guarantee gives both the states incentives to behave and invest in building better stations - for example Surat will get funds to develop its station.

And this is what the article alludes. Note that several times it refers to MMRDA.

PS: Please do read Suraj San's post to get a complete picture.

Lilo · Post by **Lilo** » 07 Jan 2017 00:32

^
My only worry is how does one take care of security of the bullet train - from terrorists etc.

imho the security angle alone requires such highspeed trains to be running under ground.

Can a kg of Plastic explosive cause damage enough to the track for train to derail - 100% chance that not a soul will survive a highspeed train crash.

Elevated track means explosive attached to an RC drone triggered on the tracks when the train is in sight.

disha · Post by **disha** » 07 Jan 2017 00:40

^How is the security of current trains handled?

Addendum to my post:

https://www.scoopwhoop.com/Bullet-train ... .16ova0z0q

According top priority to the first of its kind project, railways has formed National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), a special purpose vehicle (SPV), with a paid-up capital of Rs 500 crore.

...

Railways has already allotted Rs 200 crore for the SPV. Maharashtra and Gujarat will have equity of 25 per cent each, while the Railways will have 50 per cent in the SPV.

Buttresses Suraj'san post.

Rishi Verma · Post by **Rishi Verma** » 07 Jan 2017 08:16

UP Train Derailment: Sabotage Suspected

NEW DELHI: Detection of missing fish plates and elastic rail clips on the tracks near Kanpur in poll-bound UP on January 1, a day ahead of PM Narendra Modi's Lucknow rally, has prompted the railways to seek a CBI inquiry into a suspected sabotage bid.

Already rattled by two accidents — the derailment of Indore-Patna Express on November 20 and Sealdah-Ajmer Express on December 28 — in the same section, the railways took no chances when its patrolling staff found that fish plates had been removed between Kalyanpur and Mandhana Railway stations of Farrukhabad-Kanpur Anwarganj section on January 1.

Karthik S · Post by **Karthik S** » 07 Jan 2017 18:41

Mumbai Ahmedabad HSR line to be extended to Pune and Nashik.

The proposed bullet train to run between Mumbai and Ahmedabad will take the longer route to include Pune and Nashik, reported Makarand Gadgil for Mumbai Mirror. This comes as a victory for Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who had attracted criticism from several quarters for accepting a deal that favoured Gujarat more despite both states pooling in the same amount of money. According to the plan, Gujarat had eight stops on the rail while Maharashtra had four. Now, with the inclusion of Pune and Nashik, this arrangement will change.

Sources tell Mumbai Mirror that this change has come about as part of a bargain between Fadnavis and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Until now, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) was opposed to a proposal by the railways to set up a terminus at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC). The MMRDA wanted this plot for an international financial services centre. A proposed underground terminus was also rejected by the MMRDA. The new move is set to end this stand-off and pave the way for a terminus at BKC.

Land acquisition should not be a problem for extending this high-speed rail corridor to Pune and Nashik as ample space is available along the Pune-Mumbai Expressway and the Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway, a section of which covers areas from Nashik district.

http://swarajyamag.com/insta/big-boost- ... and-nashik

rahulm · Post by **rahulm** » 07 Jan 2017 18:53

How exactly do they propose to deal with the western ghats to finalise the alignment to run trains at HSR speed from MKC to Pune?

Will the route be Nasik, Pune, BKC and then onwards to Gujarat. Why is Nagpur left out ?will it be covered in Phase X ?

Will they attach grimy WCAM bankers ?will vada pav sellers be allowed ? Will I get oily cutless?

Tunnel,through the mountains ? The Norwegians are masters at this but the cost will increase exponentially

Where will the Pune HSR station be based ? Will,Dehu Rd or Talegaon become the HSR station for Pune leaving passengers to take the JESSOP/ICF EMU's stopping at all stations to Pune?

Supratik · Post by **Supratik** » 07 Jan 2017 20:21

Nashik will require some deviation from the route. May increase cost. Pune can be phase 2 as I think cost is frozen. In any case a Mumbai-Chennai HSR will pass through Pune.

Karthik S · Post by **Karthik S** » 07 Jan 2017 20:23

If this extension has facilitated in getting GoM's OK for the terminus to be at BKC and satisfy people who complained about 50-50 cost sharing between MH and GJ but the later having more share of the infrastructure, so be it.

Supratik · Post by **Supratik** » 07 Jan 2017 23:21

I think Nashik should have been connected in any case. It is a major city on the Mum-Del route.

disha · Post by **disha** » 08 Jan 2017 00:00

^^ The above news item is a lollypop.

Anybody who thinks that Mah got 4 stations and Guj got 8 stations and hence lets go to jihad., can also be told to move Mumbai down to south further and get 4 more stations. But then there are politicos, the babooze who champion them and the #mediapimps who stoke them to get a mileage out of as silly as they "got 8 stations and we got 4" and hence #Blow2Modi.

Of course once the Mum-Ahmedabad HSR is in place., it has no other option but to expand. It has been posited here before. And positing again.

Gujarat can as well come back and say that we will expand the line to Rajkot. Then Mah will want to expand it to say Jalgaon. Then Guj says lets extend it to Ratlam. MP will jump in and then extend it to Bhopal. Raj will not be left behind and extend it all the way to Agra via Udaipur/Jaipur and throw in Jaisalmer as well!!

And the next set of whine on this board will be why HSR has not been extended to ThootuKudi, Kerala. And we will have another #Blow2Modi round.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 08 Jan 2017 13:29

Hyd - vijaywada - chennai could be a viable semi-HSR gatimaan route ? journey is 13 hrs at present...the alignment is strong, double tracked and electrified....perhaps adding a 3rd track or even minor improvements could permit a gatimaan to complete in 9 hrs - which is a sweet spot for 8am departure and 5pm arrival for day trains.

apart from the oft mentioned mysooru - chennai which current alignment has been ruled out due to hills and twists - it would need to follow new chittor side expressway along old madras highway.

disha · Post by **disha** » 09 Jan 2017 01:50

Chennai-Bengaluru
Vishakhpatnam-Vijayawada-Guntur-Ongole-Nellore-Chennai
Hyderabad-Suryapet-Vijaywada
Bengaluru-Mysore-Erode-Coimbatore-Madurai

The above will complete a grid connecting some 300-400 M people.

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 09 Jan 2017 02:45

A viable HSR shouldn't have more than say, 1 stop per 150km or so. The easiest way to turn an HSR into semi-HSR is to add stops. The incremental cost of maximizing acceleration and speed to make up for the increased stops , grows very quickly. For example, the most legendary HSR line in the world - the Tokaido Shinkansen line between Tokyo and Osaka, is 515km. The fastest train - the Nozomi service - does it in 2h30m, with two stops at Nagoya and Kyoto (I'm ignoring the multiple intra-Tokyo stops - Tokyo Central, Shinagawa, Yokohama). The real meat of that journey is the continuous 275km/h run for more than an hour, from Yokohama station to Nagoya. It you make the train repeatedly stop en route, it will be slower. Better to have a couple of clustered stops, and long continuous run stretches too. Of course, one can have multiple services of full HSR and semi HSR, but this needs track and signaling support to waylay the slower trains and let the fast ones pass.

disha · Post by **disha** » 09 Jan 2017 03:44

Distances in approx.

1. Vishakhpatnam-Vijaywada Distance - 360 Km.
2. Vijayawada/Guntur can be treated as colocated urban conglomeration
3. Guntur-Ongole is 125 Km.
4. Ongole-Nellore is another 120 Km
5. Nellore-Chennai is 175 Km.

The Vishakhpatnam-Vijaywada/Guntur-Ongole-Nellore-Chennai is similar to Mumbai-Surat-Vadodra-Ahmedabad link with Thane-Virar-Valsad-Anand as smaller metros on the link. In the above link - Vishakhpatnam-Vijaywada-Nellore-Chennai are the major nodes.

Hyderabad-Suryapet is 125 Km. And Suryapet-Vijaywada is 140 Km. Of course Hyderabad-Vijayawada direct link is 265 Km. The reason I bring in Suryapet is more like a junction to reach out from Suryapet to Warangal (@110 Km) and thence to Nagpur (@ 450 Km)*

That is one can link Nagpur to Chennai over HSR of 1000 Km length - with Nagpur-Vijayawada-Chennai as a dedicated HSR with in-between semi-HSR! A Duranto takes about 15 hrs (if you are lucky) which with HSR can be covered in some 4 Hrs. From Nagpur., one can go via Bhopal-Jhansi to Delhi.

Hyderabad-Vijaywada-Chennai will become an arc and imagine Hyderabad-Chennai in 4 hours!!

Meanwhile the Mum-Ahmedabad can be extended to Ratlam and thence to Bhopal.

*Of course one can do a Suryapet-Karimnagar spur instead of warangal., but why leave the seat of Kakatiya dynasty out of equation?

nachiket · Post by **nachiket** » 09 Jan 2017 04:16

rahulm wrote:How exactly do they propose to deal with the western ghats to finalise the alignment to run trains at HSR speed from MKC to Pune?

I had the same doubt. This populist last minute change is going to cause a lot of trouble, delays and cost overruns.

prahaar · Post by **prahaar** » 09 Jan 2017 04:47

I really doubt Ahmedabad-Mumbai will go via Nashik. Mumbai-Pune via Nashik is about 400KM (about 3X Mumbai-Pune).This may be a future extension but going through Saputara/Vansda/etc. does not sound cost effective.

Rishirishi · Post by **Rishirishi** » 09 Jan 2017 05:01

Singha wrote:Hyd - vijaywada - chennai could be a viable semi-HSR gatimaan route ? journey is 13 hrs at present...the alignment is strong, double tracked and electrified....perhaps adding a 3rd track or even minor improvements could permit a gatimaan to complete in 9 hrs - which is a sweet spot for 8am departure and 5pm arrival for day trains.

apart from the oft mentioned mysooru - chennai which current alignment has been ruled out due to hills and twists - it would need to follow new chittor side expressway along old madras highway.

No HSR will be economically viable in current conditions. But we expect Indian incomes to grow and several lines will be viable in the future. The Mumbai - Ahemedabad route will get India started. It was the same case with Delhi metro. I spoke of the prospects of investing in flats near the metro, when plans were announced. But no one in Delhi understood the impact it was about to make.

rahulm · Post by **rahulm** » 09 Jan 2017 08:54

India needs HSR. Badly. We do have a tradition of celebrating top speeds not average speeds. Multiple stops will,decrease average speeds.

We have got our priorities all wrong. For HSR to be viable from day 1 the HSR should connect Rameshwaram Madurai tirupati Shirdi Pandharpur Somnath and then non stop to Benares and then to Mathura Vaishno Devi.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 09 Jan 2017 11:26

I think our own funds can go into 3rd and 4th tracks which are vital given all our trunk lines are at 110-130% load daily.

HSR type things funded on soft loans spanning decades are ok.

this indeed is what is happening on the east and west freight corridors. needs to happen in EWNW and GQ mode. and 1000s of old bridges and culverts on existing tracks all over need replacing to take higher speeds and heavier meaty trains 10,000t ton hauled up ganged WDG locos and the new electric and diesel locos were are going to make in bihar plants.

nozomi and other flyers will squeal like rats when compared to the brutish low rpm torque of the mineral hauling trains in the hills. love the growl of the big diesels and the blast of the sooty cooling fans. a man's train, a man's job vs letting some AI system run the shinkansens using touch panels.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 09 Jan 2017 11:31

can anyone post soothing pics of the new model electric and diesel locos which are to be made in Bihar?

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 09 Jan 2017 12:30

Here's how the 12000hp Alstom Prima II electric locos will look
IR Facts twitter pic

The diesel loco order was won by GE, who will supply their 6000hp Evolution series:

The Alstom locos are among the world's most powerful locos, and are from the same Prima platform on which the current leader, the China Railways HXD2 locos are built.

Manish_P · Post by **Manish_P** » 09 Jan 2017 12:31

Have any of you checked out Indian Train Simulator game (by Highbrow Interactive) on Google play store

Quite fun

disha · Post by **disha** » 10 Jan 2017 01:34

Singha wrote:I think our own funds can go into 3rd and 4th tracks which are vital given all our trunk lines are at 110-130% load daily.

HSR type things funded on soft loans spanning decades are ok.

Singha'ji - you have touched upon an important point.

Currently IR does not have the funds to take on new projects like HSR and upgrade of trunk lines.

People do not realize that by 2050., India will have 1.5 Billion population. The India I remember had 700 million population and we were already feeling overcrowded and the services stretched. Imagine now 2x the number and 4x the travel. So how do we move say 12 Billion people over a year by 2050?

Some on this forum may quibble with the number. Some will say that it will be 6 Billion or even 2 Billion by 2050., but the point is we have to prepare for moving billions of people safely over large distances and fast.

IR just does not have the budget to invest in new technologies to do that while its own current infrastructure is creaking and overloaded!

This is where soft loans come into picture. What JICA is doing is starting a seed infrastructure venture. They may come up with not-so-soft loan for other corridors and that will be just fine., since it will lead to creation of a new world-class infrastructure while leaving IR to concentrate on upgrading its current infrastructure.

---

I like the char-dham yatra "bullet train"., over a weekend., one can do all the pilgrimage and come back home. In fact if the HSR is networked properly., one can start a char-dham yatra "package" including stay and meals. Trust me., I will be first on that list

rahulm · Post by **rahulm** » 10 Jan 2017 08:14

It's pleasing that IR is modernising its power and moving forward. It's disappointing that even after all these years, RDSO and one of the largest markets in the world we need to keep importing locos and coach designs.

While we rightly sneer at the state of the tai always in Massa, they still manage to make locos that India wants. After the WAP series, I think we have just given up on Indian design despite having a fairly good history. IR local design going the CDOT way.

Some of our innovation is the retrograde step of removing auto closing safety doors which make travel safer to ICF stnadard doors that remain open, unsafe and a god send for goons who don't like TTE's or who,want to teach girls who resist their advances a lesson by throwing them out of a running train.

Rishi Verma · Post by **Rishi Verma** » 10 Jan 2017 08:41

Relative was supposed to arrive at 2:30pm by "superfast" something, then he called "reaching at 5pm", then "9pm", then arrived at midnight. IR has got the priorities wrong for sure. This is one area where lots of minor improvements, lots of announcements on "future", no visible change on cattle carrier service. Less One says of the atrocious irctc website the better.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 10 Jan 2017 09:11

August 2016:
Railways set March 2017 target to complete work: Doubling of 114-km of Kayamkulam-Kottayam-Ernakulam stretch
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Thi ... 998833.ece

Is this target likely to be met?

disha · Post by **disha** » 10 Jan 2017 09:13

Rishi Verma wrote:Relative was supposed to arrive at 2:30pm by "superfast" something, then he called "reaching at 5pm", then "9pm"...

Tweet it to Suresh Prabhu ...

disha · Post by **disha** » 10 Jan 2017 09:16

A_Gupta wrote:August 2016:
Railways set March 2017 target to complete work: Doubling of 114-km of Kayamkulam-Kottayam-Ernakulam stretch

Is this target likely to be met?

Anything in Kerala - they should have left it at 'March'. It could be 2017/2018 or even 2019/2020. Like "Do not worry we will be done by 'March' (year unspecified)". Did they even figure out the cut for the MLAs and MPs and assorted hanger ons in between?

In jest only.

Lilo · Post by **Lilo** » 10 Jan 2017 13:57

Rishi Verma wrote:Relative was supposed to arrive at 2:30pm by "superfast" something, then he called "reaching at 5pm", then "9pm", then arrived at midnight. IR has got the priorities wrong for sure. This is one area where lots of minor improvements, lots of announcements on "future", no visible change on cattle carrier service. Less One says of the atrocious irctc website the better.

Nothing much can be done when fog delays trains in winter -this is there especially in north india. If we want to ignore fog & run at normal speeds effectively in blind - there should be an automated realtime updating(i.e every minute) track information system & the general security of tracks to match it.

As of the now one can only imagine what such an upgrade entails.

vsunder · Post by **vsunder** » 10 Jan 2017 20:34

disha wrote:
A_Gupta wrote:August 2016:
Railways set March 2017 target to complete work: Doubling of 114-km of Kayamkulam-Kottayam-Ernakulam stretch

Is this target likely to be met?
Anything in Kerala - they should have left it at 'March'. It could be 2017/2018 or even 2019/2020. Like "Do not worry we will be done by 'March' (year unspecified)". Did they even figure out the cut for the MLAs and MPs and assorted hanger ons in between? In jest only.

These are all lies: Video posted Dec 31, 2016 of various sections on this route. Lots and lots of work pending, even earthworks.

Changanaserry to Chingavanam

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNnAwPM ... e=youtu.be

Also the situation Chingavanam-Kottayam is in similar shape.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 11 Jan 2017 09:06

Thanks!
That Changanaserry to Chingavanam youtube is good. I noticed that all culvert work seems to be completed; overpass work is in progress, and of course the track bed is barely ready in most places.

disha · Post by **disha** » 11 Jan 2017 10:33

^^ Indicates that lot of work needs to be done - atleast 8-9 months before it can be called done. They should have just as well said "March, 2018".

Nick_S · Post by **Nick_S** » 11 Jan 2017 13:35

Rishi Verma wrote:Relative was supposed to arrive at 2:30pm by "superfast" something, then he called "reaching at 5pm", then "9pm", then arrived at midnight. IR has got the priorities wrong for sure. This is one area where lots of minor improvements, lots of announcements on "future", no visible change on cattle carrier service. Less One says of the atrocious irctc website the better.