Indian Railways Thread

Sriman · Post by **Sriman** » 07 Feb 2012 11:45

http://business-standard.com/india/news ... r-/463928/

Pitroda panel wants Railways to invest Rs 56,000 cr

To help the railways overcome capacity constraints, an expert committee headed by Sam Pitroda is likely to propose investment of Rs 56,000 crore by the ministry of railways, to be implemented over five years. Of the amount, the panel has suggested Rs 11,000 crore be invested in 2012-13. The plan would coincide with the 12th Five-Year Plan.

The Pitroda panel is likely to give its report next week. The panel has estimated a total investment of Rs 358,315 crore in public-private partnership (PPP) initiatives of the railways, in which Rs 302,315 crore would be invested by private players. The PPP projects, excluding dedicated freight corridors and modernisation of stations, require an investment of Rs 97,000 crore.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 08 Feb 2012 11:33

To add to what is posted above, panel recommends cab-signalling system

A cab signalling system similar to the European Train Control System and conversion of mechanical system to electronic interlocking in about 5,000 stations are among the measures proposed by the Sam Pitroda committee on modernisation of railways.

Cab signalling system, the most advanced system prevalent in Europe, enables the loco pilot to see the incoming signal in his cabin.

Besides, the panel has sought to expedite the installation of Train Protection Warning System on busy lines to prevent accidents.

Christopher Sidor · Post by **Christopher Sidor** » 08 Feb 2012 22:00

dinakar wrote:A very good website to get a idea about locomotives used in different divisions.. clicky

Clicky Line haul cost Coaching
Clicky Line haul cost of freight
Clicky Details of energy charges

Inspite of the facts, which clearly show that is more cost effective to have electric traction, we still persist with diesel traction. What a waste.

Theo_Fidel · Post by **Theo_Fidel** » 09 Feb 2012 00:02

Vasu wrote:Its not that we don't have solutions, but most times, we dont have the scale.

Actually money is large part of the problem. Try locating the Rs 100,000 crore needed and the problem becomes obvious. Or even the 56,000 crore suggested.

member_20617 · Post by **member_20617** » 13 Feb 2012 21:06

I know that money is tight and we cannot improve everything in one go.

In the first stage, we need to concentrate on improving all the railway stations of the main 4 cities of India – Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkatta. This can be accomplished in 3 years.

In the second stage, improve railway stations of the state capitals – Amdavad, Jaipur etc. This can be accomplished in 3 years.

In the third stage, improve railway stations at major tourist centres like Agra. There are 3 railway stations in Agra and all of them are filthy and lack decent facilities. This can be accomplished in 3 years.

Improving railway stations could be undertaken by Public-Private partnership. This could involve leasing of station for, say 25 years. The partnership can charge all passengers and visitors a nominal sum for use of railway station. The partnership could also make reasonable profit by sub-letting cafeterias, newsagents’ kiosks, rest rooms (may be Japanese style small capsule hotels), advertising spaces/electronic billboards. Passengers must pay to use toilet facilities. Cleaners have to be employed to maintain its cleanliness.

Within a decade or less, we could make all our major railway stations world class.

Simultaneously, we need to modernise our railway stock including cab signalling system. We can get help from Japanese and French. After some initial help, we can start manufacturing these items ourselves through ToT.

Theo_Fidel · Post by **Theo_Fidel** » 14 Feb 2012 00:49

It is not that simple. Back in the 80's & 90's I was part of a group that did extensive studies on renovating Central and Egmore stations in Chennai.I'm only familiar with these two stations. Our report had to deal with the fact that both were Heritage buildings and had to stay 100% operational at all times. We estimated a 15 year timeline for complete renovation, including new parking, sewer system, renovation of drainage canals, new circulation, multiple new entrances, expansion to 3 times present sizes, modern concourse equipment, complete demolition of existing platforms, equipment to handle uncontrolled toilet discharge, repair of existing structure, earthquake retrofits, replace corroded cast iron members,etc. I could go on and on. Just parking, new entrances & circulation, both underground and overground, was a 10 year project. We estimated Chennai central had a need for 8,000 parking spaces by 2020 against about 1,200 available. There were 3 underground parking levels and 2 new underground levels to Central itself. Arrival and departure access was in two separate levels similar to Airport.

Our cost estimate way back then was in the Rs 4,000 crore range for both. More like Rs 15,000 crore right now. Or the entire cost of Chennai metro Phase 1. People don't appreciate the scale of the Central complex or the monumental costs and effort needed for such an effort. We had to renovate roughly 230 acres of land. Also there is no hope of paying for this through toilet ticketing and advertisements. It is a question of cash priority.

Our recommendation also was not to do anything cheap and half-a$$ed. Wait till you have the time and money to do a proper renovation. Till then some cosmetic improvements can be done.

My best estimate comparison would be the Renovation of St. Pancras station in London. This was not a complete renovation. For instance the concourse and the railway traffic was not reworked. The station was also completely shut down during renovation. Traffic is roughly 1/12th that at Chennai Central. Still the final cost was roughly $1.3 Billion estimated in 1995. Probably about 2.5 Billion now or about Rs12,000 crore. Work started in 1992 and final pieces were finished in 1999. World class is not cheap.

That Rs 12,000 Crore could pay for an entire Phase 2 of Metro adding about 60-80 km of overhead lines.

St. Pancras

Vasu · Post by **Vasu** » 14 Feb 2012 13:56

thanks for sharing that Theo. Yep, its not easy and you are right, money is a big factor.

Oh I was just watching the renovation of St. Pancras on National Geographic yesterday! It was amazing to watch these people work on this historic station and turn it into a mafnificent structure capable of hosting the High Speed 1.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 15 Feb 2012 05:48

RPF Women Constables Trained in Handling AK-47

Tiruchi: A six-day specialised training for women constables of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) in handling AK-47 assault rifle got underway at the RPF Zonal Training Centre here on Monday.

The participants– constables and head constables–will undergo hands-on training over the next few days in stripping and assembling of the assault rifle and rectifying faults.

The constables serving in various railway divisions falling within the Southern Railway Zone would carry out firing practice using the AK-47 rifle as part of the training programme that concludes on February 18.

Instructors of the Zonal Training Centre would explain the features of the advanced weapon and its functioning through an audio-visual presentation during the course of the specialised training.

This is the first time that women constables of the RPF were being trained in handling the AK-47 rifle, a senior RPF officer attached to the training centre said.

The constables were already trained in handling the INSAS rifle (Indian Small Arms System), Self Loading Rifle, 9 mm pistol, carbine and .303 rifle.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 15 Feb 2012 06:48

Japan keen on high-speed freight train between Bengaluru and Ennore

Japan will soon undertake a feasibility of the Chennai-Bangalore industrial corridor project, as agreed by the Prime Ministers of India and Japan last year.

Japan, however, is quite keen on facilitating a dedicated high-speed freight train linkage between Bangalore and Ennore Port, 25 km north of Chennai, Mr Shinya Fujii, Director General, Japan External Trade Organisation, Chennai (JETRO), said on Tuesday.

Delegation visit

Talking to journalists on the sidelines of a meeting of a visiting Japanese delegation and the members of the Confederation of Indian Industry here, Mr Fujii said that while the State Governments of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka were keen on passenger (bullet) train connection between Chennai and Bangalore, Japan, however, is more keen on two projects – the dedicated high speed freight line and a highway.

Feasibility study

A detailed feasibility study, which will begin in April, he said.

This is the first time that an idea of connecting Bangalore to Ennore Port directly is being made public.

Earlier, talks were revolving around an industrial corridor between Chennai and Bangalore, but not to the Ennore Port directly.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 15 Feb 2012 07:38

Final Survey on Akhaura-Agartala Rail Link after Budget

Agartala: India will soon start the final survey to lay the rail link between Akhaura in Bangladesh and Agartala, a project which New Delhi plans to implement within two years, a top railway official said on Monday.

The Chief Administrative Officer (Construction) of Northeast Frontier Railway, Mr Mohan Lal, said the survey for the 11.5 km line would start immediately after allocation of funds in the coming Budget.

“Just after allocation of funds in the Budget the final survey will start. The Government of India has sanctioned Rs 2.52 crore for laying the railway track between Akhaura and Agartala,” Mr Lal told reporters at the civil secretariat here. New Delhi is keen to establish the rail link as it would connect West Bengal and Tripura through Bangladesh. He said the railway line will reach Udaipur in Gomati district, about 50 km from here by June this year and Sabroom, about 110 km by March 2014.

During Bangladesh Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina's visit to New Delhi in January 2010, India and Bangladesh had agreed to lay the tracks between Akhaura and Agartala.

There would be survey on extending the rail link to Sabroom in Southern Tripura. Sabroom is also very close to the India-Bangladesh border and just about 70 km from Chittagong Port.

rahulm · Post by **rahulm** » 15 Feb 2012 13:19

X-post from Indian railways thread

I travelled BSB-LKO and return in a span of 4 days.

The UP police cadre are usurping all reserved II Sleeper coaches on all trains to travel for election duty. It is complete goondaism by the police forces. Legitimate reservation ticket holding passengers including women and babies are being denied their berths by the .303 toting force. The police simply refuse to budge once they have occupied the seats.

One police worthy threatened to shoot a passenger who was quite forceful and persistent in his demand that the constable vacate his berth.

My berth was also usurped. TTE's are unwilling to help.

Many are in various states of inebriation. Some are spitting gobfuls of pan spit in the compartment itself. Many are smoking beedis with their disgusting smell all night long.

One constable told me the government has made transport arrangements but only by bus which the police are unwilling to use.

This is not an isolated instance but am told will continue until the 4th of March. All in all, shameful behaviour by the UP police force.

anishns · Post by **anishns** » 15 Feb 2012 19:47

^^^ Goonda's in uniform. Sadly the press will never publish such stories but, a wardrobe malfunction of a C-grade star will be headline news. Shameful!

rahulm wrote:X-post from Indian railways thread

I travelled BSB-LKO and return in a span of 4 days.

The UP police cadre are usurping all reserved II Sleeper coaches on all trains to travel for election duty. It is complete goondaism by the police forces. Legitimate reservation ticket holding passengers including women and babies are being denied their berths by the .303 toting force. The police simply refuse to budge once they have occupied the seats.

One police worthy threatened to shoot a passenger who was quite forceful and persistent in his demand that the constable vacate his berth.

My berth was also usurped. TTE's are unwilling to help.

Many are in various states of inebriation. Some are spitting gobfuls of pan spit in the compartment itself. Many are smoking beedis with their disgusting smell all night long.

One constable told me the government has made transport arrangements but only by bus which the police are unwilling to use.

This is not an isolated instance but am told will continue until the 4th of March. All in all, shameful behaviour by the UP police force.

Sachin · Post by **Sachin** » 16 Feb 2012 14:07

anishns wrote:^^^ Goonda's in uniform. Sadly the press will never publish such stories but, a wardrobe malfunction of a C-grade star will be headline news. Shameful!

Hmm.. Can you confirm that in UP only police men do this? My relatives who travelled to Delhi had another story to tell. The entire reserved coaches were forcefully occupied by Kar Sevaks from UP and MP who were on their way to Delhi. Again it was pure and simple "goonda-ism" from these folks (who by no chance are part of any uniformed force).

krishnan · Post by **krishnan** » 16 Feb 2012 15:11

You can say the same thing about common people...buying open tickets and getting into reserved compartments and creating all sorts of issues

anishns · Post by **anishns** » 16 Feb 2012 20:26

Sachin, although I have never faced this personally but, a lot of my relatives from the state of UP regularly talk about this. It's true its not only the police but rampant goondagiri by anyone who can form a large enough group. The railway authorities are reluctant to even get involved let alone solve the matter. Same thing happens on Ambedkar Jayanti when a lot of folks from the hinterland come to Shivaji Park, Mumbai.

It seems Railways is apne baap ka maal. So long as you can assemble a sizable number of people, you are free to do whatever you can to harass bonafide passengers.

Sachin wrote:
anishns wrote:^^^ Goonda's in uniform. Sadly the press will never publish such stories but, a wardrobe malfunction of a C-grade star will be headline news. Shameful!
Hmm.. Can you confirm that in UP only police men do this? My relatives who travelled to Delhi had another story to tell. The entire reserved coaches were forcefully occupied by Kar Sevaks from UP and MP who were on their way to Delhi. Again it was pure and simple "goonda-ism" from these folks (who by no chance are part of any uniformed force).

bahdada · Post by **bahdada** » 16 Feb 2012 23:35

I've heard the same stories about Bihari's.

Vipul · Post by **Vipul** » 17 Feb 2012 01:01

Cabinet approves rail coach factory in Palakkad.

The Cabinet on Thursday approved the setting up of a new Rail Coach Manufacturing unit at Palakkad in Kerala to manufacture 400 coaches annually at an estimated cost of Rs 550 crore (excluding the cost of land). This is to be a joint venture in which the Railways shall contribute 26 per cent of the equity, an official statement issued said.

The Railways will purchase about 239 acres from the State Government for setting up of the new coach building plant. The setting up of the plant will help the Railways in ensuring timely availability of passenger coaches to meet the increasing demands of passenger transportation. It shall also ensure induction of hi-tech aluminium coaches on Indian Railways.

The work on this project will start during 2012-13 and will be completed within a period of 36 months.

member_20617 · Post by **member_20617** » 17 Feb 2012 14:59

Theoji,

I understand that improvements do take time and cost money but if you look at our airport development in recent years then one can conclude that the current government is only interested in looking after the elite class of our society who only travel by plane. A staggering amount of money has been spent on airport development and this improvement has been achieved within a reasonable time period.

Majority of the Indians do not travel by plane but use train. However, the Indian government has been very slow in improving our railway stations and trains. Thousands of Indians have died in train accidents over several years but very little, if any, improvement has been carried out in terms of passenger safety. Can you imagine what the government would do if there were so many deaths in air travel?

Theo_Fidel · Post by **Theo_Fidel** » 17 Feb 2012 20:19

I agree it looks bad.

The Airport improvements however were made by specific charges on users and airlines. Every pax thru T-3 pays a user charge of Rs 300 or so when everything is totaled. There are proposals to raise it to above Rs 1000 in coming years.

IR does not function on that sort of financial structure. It is cattle class and keeps fares low with no-frills service. If we spend T-3 type money to upgrade Chennai Central, and that is what it will take, then every common II class pax will see his ticket cost double from about Rs300 to Rs 600 just for using the station. This is not counting costs for controlled discharge toilets, high speed improvements, better coaches, A/C, etc.

I don't question the need to fully renovate these stations, it is the question of priorities that stump me. Right now my priority would be to increase capacity and build new lines with every Rupee invested.

Yogi_G · Post by **Yogi_G** » 18 Feb 2012 11:32

My Mother was literally thrown off a train when she boarded a Bihar bound train at Coimbatore. Was a third AC compartment and the entire compartment was taken over by a gang of Biharis (any gang irrespective of state wud do the same, no generalizations of any one particular state people). She had to get to Chennai for an emergency and she limped across to the TTE who was like a Kayani expressing helplessness. My Mom eventually caught a bus and reached Chennai and the limp got worse :-(. As Amitabh says in the force SUV ad, in India bas Force hi chalta hai.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 28 Feb 2012 20:19

Warning System Not Suited for Indian Railway

Gaurav_S · Post by **Gaurav_S** » 09 Mar 2012 05:14

AP gets first woman loco pilot

The Secunderabad railway station wore a festive look on the eve of Women’s Day, surprisingly, not because of an inaugural of any new train by some VIP but because a lady loco pilot was to drive the poor man’s Metro i.e. MMTS (Multi-Modal Transport System) train for the very first time.

Satyavathi became the first woman loco pilot in Andhra Pradesh by driving the Mathrubhoomi Ladies Special MMTS train on the occasion of World Women’s day from Falaknuma to Lingampalli. Sathyavathi who joined the hall of fame of “woman loco pilots” in Indian Railways joined the Railways as Assistant Loco Pilot in 1999 at Bengaluru. She was later transferred to the Secunderabad division. She was promoted as Loco Pilot (goods) on September 2005 and had been shuttling goods trains in and around Hyderabad before her present promotion.

Satyavathi, after successfully clearing her MMTS training in January this year, was exposed to live handling and requisite track learning and was subsequently found fit to run MMTS trains in suburban sections of the twin cities. But, for her the biggest achievement is that she will be single-handedly managing and working MMTS trains, without the help of any assistant loco pilot.

Satyavathi has also undergone track learning in the Hyderabad--Tandur section and wants to run main line passenger trains too.

“I am honoured as MMTS today has become the life line of the poor and middle class people living in the sub urban areas,” she said.

Moreover, Secunderabad division of the Railways has four more women assistant loco pilots being groomed to be loco pilots in future.

Congratulations..good move.

Sachin · Post by **Sachin** » 09 Mar 2012 21:47

Gaurav_S wrote:Congratulations..good move.

Perhaps some thing for the first time in AP. But Mumbai and parts of Southern Railways had women in various positions right from late 1990s. There are engine drivers and station masters for pretty much a long time now. Another common role I have seen them playing is that of the "porter", i.e the person who shows the green flag from the adjacent platform (on the main platform, the SM would be out there with the flag himself/herself). And the ladies too share the same work load like the men. Nothing like NOT working on night shifts etc.

Gaurav_S · Post by **Gaurav_S** » 13 Mar 2012 02:41

Mumbai to Ahmedabad in four hours? Bullet train likely

In what could be a first for the Indian Railways, a high-speed corridor for long distance passenger trains has been proposed between Mumbai and Ahmedabad. An announcement to this effect is likely to be made on March 14 by Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi.

The 500-kilometer-long Mumbai-Ahmedabad route, which currently takes seven hours on the fastest train the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Duronto Express, is lined up for the introduction of bullet trains.

"Initially trains will run at 200 km/h, but gradually, after significant improvements and upgradation of crucial signalling and telecommunication systems, the trains will run at speeds in excess of 350 km/h," said a senior railway official, on condition of anonymity.

This is a need of hour. Sooner we start, better we are.

nachiket · Post by **nachiket** » 13 Mar 2012 03:08

Gaurav_S wrote: This is a need of hour. Sooner we start, better we are.

No it's not. Railways is cash-strapped and there are far more pressing improvements in regular services needed. Better signalling systems, toilets, upgrading railway stations, upgrading tracks, etc. The bullet train project is likely to end up as a white elephant, if it ever gets completed in the first place.

SRoy · Post by **SRoy** » 14 Mar 2012 12:47

nachiket wrote:
Gaurav_S wrote: This is a need of hour. Sooner we start, better we are.
No it's not. Railways is cash-strapped and there are far more pressing improvements in regular services needed. Better signalling systems, toilets, upgrading railway stations, upgrading tracks, etc. The bullet train project is likely to end up as a white elephant, if it ever gets completed in the first place.

Railways have got their priorities mixed. Social service versus providing enjoyable tavel experience.

Railways should try segregating stations and trains catering to various needs.

I did a trip last month on a superfast train in 2AC. The entire coach was like an oversized, filthy garbage can, despite having waste disposal containers near both the vestibules. No matter how much the railway spends, whats there to prevent uncouth sub-humans from spoliling your travel experience?

A single measure that is gauranteed to transform the looks of the platforms - throw out all eateries, food stalls, (and similar) whether illegal or railway licensed.

There are people that suddenly develop the urge to eat, pee, excrete and simply spread themselves over the length and breadth of the platforms the moment they enter a railway station. In this age of political correcteness, its not polite to identify by class or creed but if the railways are able to contain them in specially designated stations, the railways as a whole will get a facelift without spending a penny.

Arav · Post by **Arav** » 14 Mar 2012 13:55

Some important highlights of Railway Budget 2012

1) One Lakh persons to be recruited
2) Safety Primary focus
3) 96 New Trains
4) Amenies to get boost with focus on regional cuisine
5) Focus on five critical areas tracks, bridges, signals, rolling stocks & stations
6) Total outlay 60,100 Crore
7) Aim to cut down costs
8 ) Platform ticket hiked from Rs. 3 to Rs. 5
9) Increase of Rs. 2 to .30 Paise/km in railway fare
10) Rs. 12 hikes in fares above 300 kms

Sriman · Post by **Sriman** » 14 Mar 2012 15:39

Oh well

Railway fare hike: Mamata Banerjee forcing Trivedi to roll back

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_ra ... ck_1662258

A leading Television on Wednesday said that Mamata Banerjee has warned Dinesh Trivedi to either roll back the hike in fares or resign.

nawabs · Post by **nawabs** » 14 Mar 2012 15:45

Sriman wrote:Oh well

Railway fare hike: Mamata Banerjee forcing Trivedi to roll back

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_ra ... ck_1662258

A leading Television on Wednesday said that Mamata Banerjee has warned Dinesh Trivedi to either roll back the hike in fares or resign.

Has she gone nuts?

Marut · Post by **Marut** » 14 Mar 2012 15:49

Maybe Mamata hasn't realized yet that Dinesh Trivedi is her party man onlee! Can't think of anything else to justify this volte-face. Why do politicos with absolute majority behaving in such deranged & despicable manner? Or is it that "Power corrupts, but Absolute power corrupts absolutely"... Day by day the WTFness of Mamata's antics going off the charts

vina · Post by **vina** » 14 Mar 2012 16:24

This Mamta women is absolutely nuts. She and Laloo ran the railways into the ground, her party man comes and does his job and duty (He said it. I had to do what needed to be done, a true Karmayogi, he has my respects) and instead of claiming "victory" and hailing the very minimal 2 paise hike (ie a 1000km trip will set you back by all or Rs 20 onree) , she goes bonkers and basically is forcing her minister to resign .

Oh well, I dont know what he game is. Mamta is trying to be more "left" than the CPI-M and is asking Govt of India to send large sums of money her way in a totally stressed fiscal situation to simply blow it on hare brained idiocies.

No reform, cannot okay employment creation via Infy /Wipro etc because of "ideological reasons" (wonder if Infy and Wipro show her the birdy and walk away)!

Feel sorry for the people of Bengal. They are stuck between this nutcase and the CPI-M lunatics with no hope of any redemption and renewal whatsoever. In another 2 decades, UP and Bihar and Odisha will simply race ahead if Nitish and Akilesh deliver and Bengal will be stuck in the idiotic competitive politics of commie CPI-M and even more commie Mamata.

rajkumar · Post by **rajkumar** » 14 Mar 2012 16:50

vina wrote:
Feel sorry for the people of Bengal. They are stuck between this nutcase and the CPI-M lunatics with no hope of any redemption and renewal whatsoever. In another 2 decades, UP and Bihar and Odisha will simply race ahead if Nitish and Akilesh deliver and Bengal will be stuck in the idiotic competitive politics of commie CPI-M and even more commie Mamata.

Inshallah!! AOA

sugriva · Post by **sugriva** » 14 Mar 2012 17:00

MB never wanted DT to be the Rly Min. Her choice was Mukul Roy. However DT chose to play ball with the Congressis and through a series of shenanigans become Rly Min much against the wishes of MB. It may also be the case that the too clever by half Congress tried to play off DT against MB. Nevertheless this fare hike is a good excuse for MB to get rid of DT from the Rly Min and get one of her own people as the minister. Politics, plain and simple here.

Sriman · Post by **Sriman** » 14 Mar 2012 17:07

Why is she so fixated with Railways though? Is it because of opportunity to dole out jobs? Surely there are more lucrative ministries for someone with that much power in the coalition?

Marut · Post by **Marut** » 14 Mar 2012 17:34

^Rail network is the only thing worth talking about for transportation of masses in the Eastern & NE regions of India. Roads are no where close to match the reach and capacity of trains. TMC is looking to increase their footprint in this region, so no wonder Rail ministry is such a coveted one given the ability to dole out largesse upon largesse for this region. Also it is run more by Railway Boards than the Mantris, so more free time for political work. Almost every politico from the North & East covets it for the same reason. When was the last time a southie was given the job, nope Jaffer Sharief doesn't count. South has better roads & bus transport system and hence railways isn't seen as a 'useful' political tool. They will rather go after IT, Telecom & other such hi-tech ministries.

gunjur · Post by **gunjur** » 14 Mar 2012 18:12

Marut wrote:When was the last time a southie was given the job, nope Jaffer Sharief doesn't count. South has better roads & bus transport system and hence railways isn't seen as a 'useful' political tool. They will rather go after IT, Telecom & other such hi-tech ministries.

how does Jaffer sharief can not be counted as a southie?

Though road connectivity is better in south, but roads can not compete with rail when it comes mass transport of people or goods. Railways is coveted but i feel east indian politicians have been able to lobby successfully for railways compared to their southern peers in ths age of coalitions.

Marut · Post by **Marut** » 14 Mar 2012 19:14

Jaffer Sharief doesn't count since he wasn't any heavyweight nor did he covet the post, unlike his predecessors or followers.

Of course, roads don't compare to rail in the throughput of people or cargo. But you miss my point. South has/had one of the densest road networks and bus transport systems which helped last mile connectivity. Hence the attraction towards rail among the masses was less. So becoming rail mantri didn't get you greater visibility with your constituents. So why would you become one, when most of the work is to be done in the naarth without any benefit of publicity in your home state? Hence the clamour from politicos of East to get this ministry, it helps further their political aims.

Of course, std disclaimers, tin foil hat, etc all apply!

member_20036 · Post by **member_20036** » 14 Mar 2012 19:59

Railway Budget 2012: Dinesh Trivedi defies Mamata, says country comes first, not party

Unfazed by the attack on him by his own party for raising rail fares, Railway minister Dinesh Trivedi today justified the move saying it was a "conscious decision" in the best interest of the Railways.

Talking to Times Now, Trivedi said that nation comes first, family second and party third. When asked whether he would quit as railway minister, he said, "No comments." His party Trinamool Congress was upset with the fare hike proposal and demanded a rollback.

Earlier, in a press conference after the presenting the Railway Budget, he said the party leadership was not aware of the provisions made in the Railway Budget.

"It is a very big misconception that the Railways is run from the Writer's Building (headquarters of West Bengal government). She (Banerjee) did not know anything at all and there was no interference by her in any aspect of the budget," Trivedi said in reply to a volley of questions after he presented his maiden Railway Budget in Parliament.

Asked about Trinamool Congress leader Sudip Bandopadhyay's demand for a rollback of the fare hike, he said, "Political parties have a right to their philosophy. There is nothing wrong in it."

"Whatever decisions we have taken are conscious decisions, which we have taken with full responsibility in the interests of the Indian Railways and the country." He said Mamata Banerjee only spoke as chief minister of a state about projects relating to Bengal, like any other chief minister.

Trivedi dodged when asked whether he agreed with his party's policies. He said, "I don't want to get into politics. This press conference is only about the railway budget". Asked whether the hike was "necessary", he said, "You also know whether it was necessary ... without raising resources, no modernisation or safety or other works could be carried out."

gunjur · Post by **gunjur** » 14 Mar 2012 20:19

Marut wrote:Jaffer Sharief doesn't count since he wasn't any heavyweight

Am not sure how big a heavyweight he was, but he certainly wasn't a light weight also. He was close to indira gandhi (as he played a part in making political heavyweights of karnataka politics like devraj urs irrelevant. As any popular non-family leader's wings had to be clipped as per congress conventions) and also he being from 'minority' community would play a role. Also since railways has budget of it's own, usually unknown faces were certainly not given ministership.

Marut wrote:So why would you become one, when most of the work is to be done in the naarth without any benefit of publicity in your home state?

George fernandes was appreciated for starting konkan railway in karnataka (that too especially in his native coastal karnataka). It didn't help him as he shifted base to north soon afterwards. Also compared to top 10 states (both population and area wise), karnataka has least 'within state railway connectivity'. In last year railway budget when many projects/new trains were announced for karnataka, the kannada press was very appreciative of Muniyappa (current railway MoS). But sadly the "report card" which came in various kannada papers last week showed that most of these projects were still on paper. Have to see what is there in this years budget. Though i heard that a new railway factory or something similar would be opened in his home constituency(which might earn him his 7th consecutive LS seat).

Marut wrote:Of course, std disclaimers, tin foil hat, etc all apply!

sorry, really didn't get it. i am not much acquainted with BR jargons

nawabs · Post by **nawabs** » 14 Mar 2012 23:03

Mamata Banerjee writes to Manmohan Singh, asks him to sack railway minister Dinesh Trivedi

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/busi ... 266416.cms

Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, upset with railway minister Dinesh Trivedi's Railway Budget proposal hiking passenger fares, wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday asking him to sack Trivedi. She also wrote to the PM asking him to replace Trivedi with another TMC party member Mukul Roy.

"Yes, I have written to the Prime Minister seeking his replacement with Mukul Roy, another union minister," Banerjee told news agency PTI.

Earlier, Mamata Banerjee had rejected the proposed hike in railway fares as anti-poor, anti-people and asked the railway minister to rollback the fare hike immediately. However, in interviews later in the afternoon and evening, Dinesh Trivedi showed defiance to his own party's wishes and put his 'country before the party'.

The suave, US-educated Trivedi, 61, found himself in a piquant situation immediately after he presented his maiden Railway budget in which he proposed an across-the-board hike in passenger fares to mop up an additional Rs 4,000 crore for spending on railway safety. On a cue Mamata Banerjee party MPs attacked the hike and demanded a rollback in keeping with her populist politics which has resulted in repeated trouble for the UPA government over issues such as FDI in retail and petrol price hike.

Mamata followed up with a public declaration that she will not not allow the fare hike. She complained she had not not been consulted by Trivedi, which he confirmed. It appeared for some time that the minister may work out a compromise with his party by rolling back the hike in lower class fares while leaving the upper class fare increase untouched.