Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

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Re: Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

Post by vsunder »

The first station on the new Rishikesh to Karnaprayag railway line is ready but commissioning was delayed due to the virus. This station at Rishikesh is called Yog Nagari station and is the start of the line climbing up into the Himalayas. Right next to the station is the first major bridge the line encounters, over the Chandrabhaga river. A video I have linked shows that the bridge is almost done. Tunneling work is going on along this line using machines supplied by Sandvik of Finland. These machines are state of the art. Work that would take 5 hours using drills of older machines is accomplished in 3 hours or less. Feedback is continuously supplied to the operator and data is also collected in the process for the strata ahead. Explosive charges can then be placed in the drilled holes. The DT922i is the model at work and employed by RVNL on the Rishikesh to Karnaprayag line.

https://www.rocktechnology.sandvik/en/p ... ing-jumbo/

A view of Yog Nagari station(the old Rishikesh station will not be shut down, but will be a terminus for trains from Hardwar---Raiwala Jn----Rishikesh. At Virbhadra where the old station was demolished and re-built between Raiwala and Rishikesh, this line splits off and goes to Yog Nagari and onwards to Karnaprayag and eventually to Joshimath near Badrinath and China border further on beyond Mana).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwrMDu116dg

Bridge on the Chandrabhaga river:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ON131QLSGg
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Re: Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

Post by vsunder »

Phase I of the Nadikudi to Sri Kalahasti Line commissioned by SCR

This new line is 308 km long.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nadikudi% ... ti_section

It is being built for multiple reasons.

(a) It runs in the interior of Rayalseema and provides an alternate route between Chennai and Howrah and Chennai to Delhi.

(b) The current line between Chennaia and Howrah and Chennai and Howrah runs on the coast and has been subject to disruption due to frequent cyclones in the Bay of Bengal. By using an interior route which has a severe paucity of railways also, connectivity will be maintained and also congestion issues on the existing track addressed. Interior regions of Guntur, Nellore and Prakasam districts will be connected by this line in AP.

(c) Provides a direct link between, Guntur, Tenali, Vijayawada and the pilgrim towns of Sri Kalahasti and Tirupati.


(d) Allows a connection with Krishnapatnam port with a junction at Rapuru.

(e) Allows for the evacuation by railway of various ores in this ore rich region, mica and various other ores.

(f) A long standing demand for better connectivity of the people of this region is finally being met.

Phase I that has been commissioned by SCR is 46 km long between Piduguralla and Sayalapuram and this part only provides direct connectivity between Secunderabad and Dhone shortening the distance by 96 km. Initial authorization is for 80kmph speed on this line till the new track settles when MPS of 110 will be authorized. Current track is non-electrified and single line.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hy ... 974069.ece
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Re: Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

Post by Dumal »

Hearing about heavy rains in Mumbai reminded me of the frequent disruption to local services due to water logging of the tracks during the monsoon months. Any news on the railways using the lockdown time to improve the drainage under the tracks so that disruption are minimised in the future?
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Re: Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

Post by chetak »

Dumal wrote:Hearing about heavy rains in Mumbai reminded me of the frequent disruption to local services due to water logging of the tracks during the monsoon months. Any news on the railways using the lockdown time to improve the drainage under the tracks so that disruption are minimised in the future?
during monsoons, the drainage of water in bombay is very heavily dependant on the tide.

There are no easy solutions to this natural phenomenon.
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Re: Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

Post by SBajwa »

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Re: Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

Post by A Nandy »

https://www.businesstoday.in/current/ec ... 09173.html
Railways has begun the formal process to allow private companies to run 151 modern passenger trains on 109 pairs of routes across the country. According to Yadav, private entities will only run 5 per cent of the trains while the 95 per cent will be run by the Railways. The private trains will operate in 12 clusters, including Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Delhi, Mumbai, Patna, Prayagraj, Secunderabad, Howrah, Chennai.

According to the Railways, it will provide non-discriminatory access to the trains operated by the private entities with no new similar scheduled train departing between the same stations within 60 minutes. Each train shall have a minimum of 16 coaches. The passenger trains shall be designed to operate at a maximum service speed of 160 kmph, according to the RFQ.
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Re: Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

Post by vsunder »

This is a thoughtful article by Philip Zerillo on how V. K. Yadav during his tenure as GM of South Central Railways (SCR) introduced many reforms that transformed that railway zone. Arguably it is the one of the best run railway zones in IR. Zones like CR are simply pathetic with poor resources utilization, no foresight and the inability to marshal resurces during the lockdown to effect transformational changes in the zone. It is no wonder that V. K. Yadav was picked to be the Chairman of the Railway Board currently from where he is carrying out his program on an All India scale.

https://cmp.smu.edu.sg/ami/article/2020 ... sformation


https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/ami/136/

https://store.hbr.org/product/indian-ra ... e-a/ISB197


View of the new retiring rooms part of the renovation of Trichinopoly railway station

https://www.financialexpress.com/infras ... s/2014381/

In the old days such retiring rooms were the places to stay in small town India where hotel facilities were absent.
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Re: Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

Post by nachiket »

A bureaucrat being elevated to the top job based on personal performance and achievement is a small miracle in itself. Hope Yadav ji can do for the whole of IR what he did for SCR.
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Re: Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

Post by A Nandy »

Railways keeping the wheels turning :D . Production going up despite pandemic.

https://twitter.com/RailMinIndia/status ... 4564086784
Despite prevailing situation of COVID-19 pandemic, Rail Wheel Factory manufactured 15582 wheels & 6480 axles in June’20, higher than 15295 wheels and 5020 axles of the same period last year.
Image
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Re: Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

Post by chetak »

Chinese JV In The Race To Bag Vande Bharat Contract Likely To Be Dropped https://swarajyamag.com/news-brief/chin ... be-dropped via swarajyamag
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Re: Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

Post by hanumadu »

Six bidders for 44 Vande Bharat trainsets. 5 Indian, 1 chinese. Surprising none of the European vendors showed any interest. If there was a foreign lobby in delaying the project, it is not european or american. It is chinese.

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Re: Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

Post by SBajwa »

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Re: Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

Post by vsunder »

Gooty yard of SCR has been re-modeled and has a new electronic interlocking system with added safety. This is an extremely busy yard with traffic to Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai and Hyderabad. With this legacy interlocking systems remain at Secunderabad, Kazipet, and Vijayawada among the major stations on the SCR with heavy traffic.

https://www.railpost.in/gooty-gets-larg ... l-railway/

Kanpur yard has also seen re-modeling and increase of capacity by tweaking the existing electronic interlocking system. Kanpur yard sees heavy traffic towards Lucknow and Howrah, Jhansi and Delhi. Simultaneous arrivals and departures towards these points is now possible. Diamond crossings have been eliminated. In related gup-shup there is talk of voiding the contract for doubling of the 49km section package -3 between Kanpur and Usargaon on the Kanpur-Jhansi section with a Chinese company which anyhow was not doing much. It was a JV with a Hyderbad company Srinivas construction. There are no major issues in package 3 and the bridge on River Yamuna at Kalpi is complete, as a Kanpur newspaper puts it Cheen ko jhatka lagega

https://twitter.com/drmncrald/status/12 ... 40/photo/2

So now boys and girls do you know of the sapphire blue tarantulas that Gooty is famous for: (the stuff this vsunder guy comes up with disgusting)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poeciloth ... e_male.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poecilotheria_metallica

They are prized as pets in the US.

On another note Gooty and Guntakal are 35 km apart and have the unique distinction of each having a Diesel loco shed which is unique over all of IR, two loco sheds so close together. This will go as the lines surrounding are almost electrified.
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Re: Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

Post by vsunder »

An interview with DRM Guntakal Alok Tiwari, focusing on the measures taken by Guntakal division over the 560km Tkms to increase the speed to 130kmph over its jurisdiction on the Chennai-Mumbai route. CRS has conducted a trial in the last days running 24 coach rakes and conducting oscillation measurements and measuring several ride comfort parameters at high speeds. It has been found that at over 80% of the track, speeds higher than 130kmph is possible with a concomitant saving of 30-45mins on the Chennai-Mumbai route simply over Guntakal division. ^^^ Gooty that I mentioned above comes under Guntakal division. I have said time and again SCR is one of the best run zones in IR and this report by one of its divisions at Guntakal an important one is therefore no surprise.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ya22VthQ8-Q

DRM goes over many items that need to be resolved to attain higher sectional speeds. Straightening curves, fresh ballast and packing using Duomatic machines thereafter, installing thick web switches etc. Closing manned LC's by building limited height RUBs. Improved signalling and yard modification like at Gooty. Replacing aging bridges by replacing girders by PSC spans. Double distancing signals, that is increasing the distance out for placing a signal so that at caution a train has ample distance to apply brakes and come to a halt and many others like constructing boundary walls at places to prevent trespassing by humans and animals.

Another interview with S. K. Lohia chairman of IRSDC(Indian Railways Station Redevelopment Corporation) on station development on IR with a focus on two flagship developments at Gandhinagar(Ahmedabad) with its hotel and Habibganj(Bhopal). Interview covers many other aspects. Future station development plans, monetization of realty and the effect of Coronavirus in the construction schedule and lack of skilled labor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZQVnXb_gUc
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Re: Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

Post by nandakumar »

Metro rail systems are constructed on ballastless tracks. At least the ones that I have seen in Chennai. I broadly understand that Metro rail systems are high frequency operation with practically no time available for track maintenance. A ballastless track reduces maintenance as against system where the track is laid on ballast bed. With many sections on IR so dense in traffic does it make sense economically, to switch over to ballastless tracks?
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Re: Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

Post by Suraj »

As far as I understand, it's a tradeoff between lower initial cost but higher lifetime maintenance cost of ballasted track, vs much higher initial cost and lower long term cost of ballastless track. The latter has to be constructed to higher tolerances and probably requires specialized equipment. HSR lines for example would be entirely ballastless laser-aligned tracks, and that is part of why they're expensive.
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Re: Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

Post by vsunder »

The purpose of ballast is manifold. It provides drainage and prevents the growth of vegetation along the track. It damps out vibrations and prevents lateral movement of the track. For semi high speed traffic it is recommended that a ballast layer of 300mm+ be applied and there should be at least a shoulder of 6 inches on each side to take care of lateral movement. You can hear in that interview of DRM Guntakal that I linked that they have used 350mm ballast base. So pay attention to that interview. Faltu ka post nahi hai wo At higher speeds there is the danger of what is called ballast fly where ballast can fly off the track and damage rolling stock.
When laying down ballastless track due to the nature that it will be concrete, no changes of track geometry can be done later and so as Suraj has pointed out, the tolerances have to be very small and there has to be precision. This sort of track has superior drainage and low maintenance. However the elastic properties that ballast allows in damping out vibrations is now lost with ballastless track and care has to be taken as the vibrations if not damped out will pass to the concrete and eventually weaken it with corresponding cracks in the structure and large repair costs. Rubberized bushings are sometimes used in ballastless tracks to dampen vibrations in HSR operations. There is evidence that the noise is higher on ballastless track, but the ride is smoother.

Ballast has to be irregular and sharp so that the ballast can interlock with each other and give strength. Rounded and smooth stones as ballast is no good. Over time by wearing by nature or other factors the ballast will get worn down to smooth stones at which point the ballast has to be replaced. In a country like India, labor is cheap and ballast plentiful so it is simply economical to use ballasted tracks upto semi-HSR range and that is 180kmph. Beyond 200 kmph ballastless track will be a necessity. Worn out ballast can be recycled by crushing further and then used as a sub-base on softer clays where track subsidence is an issue. This sort of blanketing work is also useful to run high axle loads on sectors that see heavy freight traffic. Ballast can then be applied on top of earthwork that has been suitably blanketed to provide the correct foundation for laying the track.

Given that ballast has to be sharp and irregular for optimal performance, it is all the more important that you do not walk on railway tracks singing your favorite film song with your friends.
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Re: Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

Post by SBajwa »

Thank you Vsunder! Your inputs are most appreciated!

Best Regards,
Sandeep
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Re: Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

Post by nandakumar »

Thanks Duraj and vsunder. That helps clarify things. Ballast track seems to be the appropriate technology in the Indian context.
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Re: Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

Post by vsunder »

There is a curious story about IR. About 100 years ago a forerunner of IR re-gauged 141 km of track from Meter Gauge to Broad Gauge in just 5 hours. Strange but true and I am not suffering from delusion. This happened on the Erode to Trichinopoly section in 1929. Originally the line was built by Carnatic Railways incorporated in 1870 that ran a tramway between Arrakonam and Conjeevaram. They had built the Erode to Trichy line as BG with wide enough bridges and earthwork. But the Carnatic Railway company was bought and absorbed by the Great Southern Indian Railway by 1872. Everything was Great, like the Great Indian Peninsular Railway (GIPR) forerunner to Central Railway. Paarangis or firaangis depending on which side of the Vindhyas you are from, chaps like me who are from both sides know both, had this habit of putting Great on anything and putting the fear of God into the locals. Coming back to the story, the Great Southern Indian Railway(GSIR) finished the track between Erode and Trichy( and even on to Nagapattinam) as a MG track but which had earthworks and bridges suitable for BG. One fine day in September 1929, GSIR decided to convert the Erode to Trichy track back to BG. So they stationed crews along the entire 141 km and in 5 hours converted the entire MG track to BG, just like that. Cannot do magic like that nowadays maybe with a gazzillion NTC machines possibly. The BG train reached Trichy exactly 5 hours after the last MG train!!!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erode%E2% ... palli_line

And after all this I suppose the company directors lit up their Trichinopoly cheroots.
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Re: Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

Post by Rishi_Tri »

vsunder wrote:
Given that ballast has to be sharp and irregular for optimal performance, it is all the more important that you do not walk on railway tracks singing your favorite film song with your friends.
:D :D
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Re: Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

Post by Aditya_V »

vsunder wrote:There is a curious story about IR. About 100 years ago a forerunner of IR re-gauged 141 km of track from Meter Gauge to Broad Gauge in just 5 hours. Strange but true and I am not suffering from delusion. This happened on the Erode to Trichinopoly section in 1929. Originally the line was built by Carnatic Railways incorporated in 1870 that ran a tramway between Arrakonam and Conjeevaram. They had built the Erode to Trichy line as BG with wide enough bridges and earthwork. But the Carnatic Railway company was bought and absorbed by the Great Southern Indian Railway by 1872. Everything was Great, like the Great Indian Peninsular Railway (GIPR) forerunner to Central Railway. Paarangis or firaangis depending on which side of the Vindhyas you are from, chaps like me who are from both sides know both, had this habit of putting Great on anything and putting the fear of God into the locals. Coming back to the story, the Great Southern Indian Railway(GSIR) finished the track between Erode and Trichy( and even on to Nagapattinam) as a MG track but which had earthworks and bridges suitable for BG. One fine day in September 1929, GSIR decided to convert the Erode to Trichy track back to BG. So they stationed crews along the entire 141 km and in 5 hours converted the entire MG track to BG, just like that. Cannot do magic like that nowadays maybe with a gazzillion NTC machines possibly. The BG train reached Trichy exactly 5 hours after the last MG train!!!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erode%E2% ... palli_line

And after all this I suppose the company directors lit up their Trichinopoly cheroots.
I guess anything is possible - it called rewriting history with fiction.
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Re: Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

Post by vsunder »

A very detailed presentation with slides of the ongoing projects in the Northeast by chairman railway board V. K. Yadav. The presentation also offers capex pumped in comparisons over the years to projects in the northeast and also offers a deadline for each individual project.

@ Arshyam Rangpo-Sivok line to Sikkim that is supposed to be complete Dec 2022 is discussed. We talked about it earlier. Rangpo is 38km from Gangtok and 21km from the new airport at Pakyong. Sevok is on that loop line passing through Hashimara where IAF station is.

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

On July 14-15 130 route kms of electrified track was commissioned in Punjab, filling critical gaps there. CRS inspection was done over two days on 14-15 and certificate was issued by evening to DRM Ambala which is rare as certificates are issued after 3-4 days with various caveats.
The newly electrified lines between Dhuri and Bathinda and Dhuri and Jakhal will be very useful on several counts

1. Movement of foodgrains and petroleum products from the Bathinda refinery. Bathinda is also being connected by a new greenfield 6-lane highway with Jamnagar(RIL has its refinery here) through Barmer(where another refinery is coming up). Bathinda also has a IA strike corp. This greenfield road parallels the Pak border.

2. Movement by elocos from Rewari(on the WDFC) to Ludhiana without change of traction. Ludhiana is on the EDFC. Rewari--Jakhal--Dhuri--Ludhiana. Much shorter path for pilgrims from Mumbai to travel to Jammu and Vaishno Devi with savings in time as no change in traction is needed. Same for pilgrims from Kota, Jaipur etc.

3. E-loco can travel with no change in traction, Bathinda---Dhuri---Patiala---Nabha---Rajpura on the EDFC.

These newly electrified sections will be feeder lines to both DFCs.

Another presentation by Chairman Railway Board on the strategic Bilaspur---Manali---Leh line scheduled for completion 2025.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NpMfr_kLb4
Last edited by vsunder on 19 Jul 2020 02:37, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

Post by Vips »

vsundarji, given that the Bilaspur Leh railway line is even more challenging to build then he Kashmir line what is the likely practical and realistic time line that this line would be operational? This is assuming that the work on it starts and is carried on non stop after it is declared as a National project.
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Re: Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

Post by vsunder »

The time lines offered is too optimistic. As chairman Railway board acknowledges LA has not been done beyond Bilaspur and even to Bilaspur it is not complete. But work is indeed going on between Bhanupali and Bilaspur 43km. The lines that have a good chance of making the deadline is the line in Mizoram and Manipur and possibly the Sikkim line. Mizoram line has all its bridges built except 1 and very little tunneling left. This is a wide ranging interview with MoS Railways Suresh Angadi. Leh-Manali, Bullet train, DFC, Coronavirus, privately run trains are some of the topics discussed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HScnnpu ... e=youtu.be
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Re: Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

Post by Y I Patel »

In the statement by the chairman of the railway board, he mentions 2025 as the deadline for the line up to Bilaspur. He then states that sanction has not been given for the line beyond that point.

Regarding this line, I am hoping that at least the line from Bilaspur gets extended to Mandi and then to Jogindar Nagar. There is a meter gauge line from Joginder Nagar to Pathankot which should be converted to broad gauge. This is important because 35 Div which is probably you know where right now is based in Yol, which is a short distance from the Pathankot - Joginadar Nagar line. This will mean 35 Div can be rail transported to Mandi, from where a 4 lane expressway is being built to Kulu. Kulu onwards is a much improved NHDL standard highway to Rohtang Tunnel. Huge military implications for rapid mobilization.

Also close by to Yol is the Gaggal air field which is strategically located against both Pak and China, and affords IAF a concealed pathway from radar observation in either direction. Mountains are great allies for an offensive minded IAF
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Re: Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

Post by vsunder »

Y I Patel wrote:In the statement by the chairman of the railway board, he mentions 2025 as the deadline for the line up to Bilaspur. He then states that sanction has not been given for the line beyond that point.

Regarding this line, I am hoping that at least the line from Bilaspur gets extended to Mandi and then to Jogindar Nagar. There is a meter gauge line from Joginder Nagar to Pathankot which should be converted to broad gauge. This is important because 35 Div which is probably you know where right now is based in Yol, which is a short distance from the Pathankot - Joginadar Nagar line. This will mean 35 Div can be rail transported to Mandi, from where a 4 lane expressway is being built to Kulu. Kulu onwards is a much improved NHDL standard highway to Rohtang Tunnel. Huge military implications for rapid mobilization.

Also close by to Yol is the Gaggal air field which is strategically located against both Pak and China, and affords IAF a concealed pathway from radar observation in either direction. Mountains are great allies for an offensive minded IAF
It is unlikely that the Kangra Valley line, the one to Joginder nagar will be gauge converted, as there is a move by GoI to ask UNESCO to declare it as a world heritage line as they did with the other hill railways, Kalka-Shimla, Nilgiri and Darjeeling railway. If you listen to the second interview I linked above with MoS Suresh Angadi, he says that a DPR is being prepared for the Leh-Manali line and various clearances have to be obtained from MoD and others. A preliminary engineering analysis and route survey of the Leh-Manali line is already out there. A final report by IR was to be submitted to MoD and GoI by 2020.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xe_M9euFdok

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIf-MtCC-mE

Siddharth Tiwari had a youtube video of this preliminary survey with all the gradients and tunnels like in the first video above. I cannot find this on his channel.
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Re: Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

Post by vsunder »

Both the lines ^^^ the metre gauge one from Pathankot to Jogindernagar and the Nangal Dam--_Bhanupalli--Amb Andaura line from where the Bilaspur---Manali---Leh line branches off at Bhanupali are heavily frequented by pilgrims visiting two important shakti peethas in close proximity in HP. Jwalamukhi on the Jogindernagar line is serviced by Jwalamukhi Road station and Chintapurni is serviced by Amb Andaura and Una(HP) stations on the BG Nangal Dam---- Andaura line. The current BG line is to be continued past Andaura and linked to the Jammu line to facilitate those pilgrims who wish to complete a circuit of Vaishno Devi, Jwalamukhi and Chintapurni.

A feature of the Jwalamukhi shrine is the absence of an idol to the best of my knowledge. Instead there is a bright flame possibly kept alive by a natural gas source. The flame hisses and rises in brilliance when offerings are made to it. The two shrines are listed in the 51 or 108 shakti peethas on the Indian sub-continent depending on whose count one follows. Perhaps the 108th one is in heaven analogous to the 108 Divya Desams in the Vaishnavite Alwar tradition of Tamil Nadu. Kangra and Kulu valley have a long tradition of Shakta worship from time immemorial, so people from Bengal who think they have a monopoly on Shakta worhsip, think again, Ramprasad was not the only Shakta poet, many from this area and Kashmir too.

@ YI Patel: The railways and MoD is perfectly aware of the need to interconnect and as I stated above the goal is to connect Amb Andaura with the Pathankot to Jalandhar line. This is being done and the terrain involved is in the Shivaliks and so a little more forgiving. In this connection here is a link that specifically addresses your question Pathankot to Leh.

https://www.railpost.in/amb-andaura-dau ... augurated/

Himachal Express is running on this section which goes through Bhanupalli mentioned above. So what remains is Daulatpur Chowk---Talwara----Mukerian (36km) on the Jalandhar---Jammu---Srinagar line which of course goes through Pathankot. All of this is electrified. So no need to convert Pathankot to Jogindernagar, 100kmph speeds are being used on whatever new line has been set down.
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Re: Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

Post by Y I Patel »

Thank you for pointing that out! I started noticing the correlation between positioning of newly raised IA divisions in the NE and major lines of communication, and I was hoping to see something similar for 39 Div based in Yol which is going to need as rapid a deployment as possible from now on

The big thing your link brings out is the possibility of rapid deployment eastwards as well as westwards
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Re: Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

Post by arshyam »

vsunder wrote:@ Arshyam Rangpo-Sivok line to Sikkim that is supposed to be complete Dec 2022 is discussed. We talked about it earlier. Rangpo is 38km from Gangtok and 21km from the new airport at Pakyong. Sevok is on that loop line passing through Hashimara where IAF station is.
Thank you sir, this is very useful. So will the line follow the Teesta river valley? Looks difficult requiring a lot of tunnels..

[Added l8r] Per wiki, it will have 28 bridges and 14 tunnels, within 45km. Apparently, 38 out of these 45 km will be inside tunnels! But it does not make sense - 28 bridges would be within 7km? Will need to find a better source than wiki.
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Re: Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

Post by vsunder »

arshyam wrote: Thank you sir, this is very useful. So will the line follow the Teesta river valley? Looks difficult requiring a lot of tunnels..

[Added l8r] Per wiki, it will have 28 bridges and 14 tunnels, within 45km. Apparently, 38 out of these 45 km will be inside tunnels! But it does not make sense - 28 bridges would be within 7km? Will need to find a better source than wiki.
Yes, the alignment is in the Teesta valley. Both Sivok and Rangpo are on the west bank of the Teesta. There will be stations at Reang, Teesta Bazaar and Melli en route. One unique feature will be that the station at Teesta Bazaar will be underground in a tunnel. The train will cross from WB into Sikkim at Teesta Bazaar. I think wiki is correct, trains will exit a tunnel onto a bridge and then immediately enter a tunnel. There is a reason for this. Currently the way to enter Sikkim is on NH-10 that follows the Teesta. This road which is of strategic importance to move soldiers and materiel to Nathu La is frequently blocked by landslides and rock falls esp. in monsoons. By keeping tracks almost inside tunnels and bridges, one isolates the tracks from Rock falls and landslides. the smallest tunnel will be 580m and the longest about 5.8km. The idea seems to be never to make the track go next to a rock face. This will be hard anyhow, as NH-10 follows the Teesta with rock face on one side and so the problem of the road getting blocked all the time. IR has done projects like this before, I have pointed out the DBK Railway project done in the 1960s where the number of tunnels was more and the equipment cruder and geospatial mapping unknown. The project was completed below cost and much before the deadline. It has not been repeated since. DBK railway was the highest BG railway ever till Kashmir Railway. Oh this project can be done. Just need smart people.
Sivok-Rangpo has already started and there has been the usual pushback by NGOs as the track passes through a national forest and several forest ranges. However the track is underground in all these areas, so there is no contact with wildlife. Now they are bringing various individuals on TV who then show the cracked walls of their houses due to 'explosive charges" being set off by the construction company. IRCON is managing the project. Also there have been gloom and doom articles about this project that I rather not link. Claims too that slurry is finding its way into villages, rivers, and schools. Ditto for the projects in Mizoram and Nagaland.
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Re: Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

Post by A Nandy »

https://swarajyamag.com/news-brief/indi ... unk-routes
In order to expand the capacity, work for electrification and doubling the routes are underway on the high-density path.

According to the timeline, the high-density routes would be ready for running 130 KMPH speed by July 2023 which would be increased to 160 KMPH by 2025.

Increasing the maximum speed will also give further impetus to semi-high speed trains like the Vande Bharata Express. It will allow such trains to unlock their full potential and travel at a speed of 160 KMPH, to ensure passengers have best in class speed and service.

In addition, it has been found that the safer LHB (Linke Hofmann Busch) coaches too can be made fit for this speed.

The scope of the project includes fencing, automatic train protection system (ETCS 2/TPWS), mobile train radio communication, and automated and mechanised diagnostic systems, which will considerably enhance safety and reliability. Besides, the policy also requires removal of all level crossings, which are being eliminated otherwise under a separate plan.
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Re: Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

Post by arshyam »

vsunder wrote:Yes, the alignment is in the Teesta valley. Both Sivok and Rangpo are on the west bank of the Teesta. There will be stations at Reang, Teesta Bazaar and Melli en route. One unique feature will be that the station at Teesta Bazaar will be underground in a tunnel. The train will cross from WB into Sikkim at Teesta Bazaar. I think wiki is correct, trains will exit a tunnel onto a bridge and then immediately enter a tunnel. There is a reason for this. Currently the way to enter Sikkim is on NH-10 that follows the Teesta. This road which is of strategic importance to move soldiers and materiel to Nathu La is frequently blocked by landslides and rock falls esp. in monsoons. By keeping tracks almost inside tunnels and bridges, one isolates the tracks from Rock falls and landslides. the smallest tunnel will be 580m and the longest about 5.8km. The idea seems to be never to make the track go next to a rock face. This will be hard anyhow, as NH-10 follows the Teesta with rock face on one side and so the problem of the road getting blocked all the time.
Thanks for the clarification. This would be an engineering marvel, for sure.
vsunder wrote:Sivok-Rangpo has already started and there has been the usual pushback by NGOs as the track passes through a national forest and several forest ranges. However the track is underground in all these areas, so there is no contact with wildlife. Now they are bringing various individuals on TV who then show the cracked walls of their houses due to 'explosive charges" being set off by the construction company. IRCON is managing the project. Also there have been gloom and doom articles about this project that I rather not link. Claims too that slurry is finding its way into villages, rivers, and schools. Ditto for the projects in Mizoram and Nagaland.
Tell me about it. When I was searching for details about this line, 2-3 links showed up prominently on the results page highlighting environmental and other problems with these lines. True to form, the charge was led by the liar, oops wire, quint, etc. Usual suspects, as usual.
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Re: Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

Post by vsunder »

Final blast on WDFC tunnel 1 km at Sohna in Haryana, between Faridabad and Rewari under Arravalli hill. Jubilant workers celebrate at completion of the tunnel. Happened today. This is a double line tunnel which will also enable movement of double stacked container traffic with electrified tracks between Dadri and JNPT. Now two more smaller tunnels have to be done at Vasai(Bassein) near Mumbai. The two tunnels will be for the up and down lines of WDFC and each of them enabled for double stacked containers. Vasai tunnels 320m and 430m.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngCyk-T ... WnRo9yAUSM


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gq96qT3BwzQ

Important milestones on WDFC: Sohna tunnel(done), Narmada Bridge(Bharuch) span launching going on, Sabarmati bridge south of Ahmedabad(done), Tapi River bridge (Surat), don't know latest, only pics from 2017 of wells and concrete being poured for pier foundations, Vasai twin tunnels (don't know), completion of LA in Mumbai area in some bureaucratic tangle courtesy UThakre. Rest is all under control.

You can see in the videos^^^ tunnels are lined with shotcrete, which is tiny steel pieces mixed with concrete. This is enough to give stability to this tunnel as Aravallis are mostly quartzite and very hard, it is an ancient geological structure. Himalayan tunneling consists of sedimentary rock and young and so tunneling is difficult and the tunnel has to be stabilized far more efficiently.
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Re: Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

Post by Mollick.R »

Wish DFC had a dashboard & updated it at least on monthly basis for work progress for both EDFC & WDFC in their website.

A dashboard giving complete granular data like :-

Land Acquisition Status ( I believe more then 90% done , but still fe arbitration/court cases are going on for some small KM o routes)

Physical Progress parameters like earthwork, boulder work, concrete cum, reinforcement steel ton, slippers, track laid, OHE work etc etc,

Project management data like total number of packages, Tenders floated, LOI awarded etc etc

& Financial Progress parameters like Budgeted Estimated Rs Cr/ vs Actual Work Achieved.

But no, too much to expect such things from them :(( :((
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Re: Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

Post by Vamsee »

Indian Railways prepares new zero-based timetable for trains! Over 6,000 ‘unremunerative’ stoppages to go
A scientific manner of running train services, the zero-based timetable allows creating more elbow room for goods and passenger carriers, resulting in better speed and efficiency. During the lockdown period, the national transporter completed the work of making the timetable with help from IIT-Mumbai, according to an IE report. The introduction of every train, as well as every stoppage into the zero-based timetable, is justified by operational need on a clean slate, hence zero-based.
For keeping a stoppage, the criterion is that it should result in a minimum of 50 people embarking and disembarking in a day. According to the sources quoted in the report, on the basis of that, more than 6,000 “unremunerative” stoppages may be removed, in order to make way for efficient running of trains.
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Re: Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

Post by Vips »

Signal achievement: The Indian Railways is replacing its outdated signalling system with the latest automated train protection technologies.

The Indian Railways is all set to overhaul its age-old signalling system by moving towards Automatic Train Protection (ATP) systems. This is a huge revamp, because, for the last 167 years, the Railways’ signalling system has largely been the red and green signalling codes along the tracks.

On the cards is the roll-out of two ATP systems — European Train Control System (ETCS) and Train Collision Avoidance System (TCAS). Under the National Rail Plan, an investment of ~50,000 crore has been earmarked for the modernisation of railways' signalling and telecom systems over the next five years.

ATP is a safety system which looks at preventing accidents due to collision, jumping of signals (SPAD, or signal passing at danger, in railway parlance) and over-speeding. The system continuously checks the speed of a train against the permitted speed. In case of any deviation, it activates an emergency brake to ensure that the train stops before the signal.

The anti-collision technology, which is a core element of the ATP system, primarily relies on GPS data obtained from satellites for position updates. The speeding information is obtained from IOT devices fitted on the railway tracks and the train, and is transmitted through radio frequency to ATP controlling units to automatically apply the brake and prevent collision.

Both TCAS and ETCS are meant to keep tabs on over-speeding and signal pass. ETCS is based on specifications developed by the Union Internationale des Chemins de fer, (International Union of Railways). All EU countries have adopted this technology.

However, given the high cost involved in procuring the ETCS technology, for the past few years, Indian Railways has been developing its own ATP system. Developed indigenously by the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) and some Indian vendors, the Train Collision Avoidance System aims to prevent train accidents caused due to the non-observance of speed restrictions by train drivers as well as non-observance of rules in manual operations.

The system hinges on standard trackside equipment or sensors (IOT devices) and unified controlling equipment located within the train cab. All the line side information is passed on to the driver wirelessly, so there is no need for him to watch the line-side signals.

“We have been trying to adapt the automatic train protection system for the last five years. Railways (is now) able to prove its own protection system — TCAS,” said V K Yadav, chairman of the Railway Board.

While the Train Protection and Warning System (TPWS), based on ETCS Level-1 (wherein radio waves are used to help in train spacing), has been deployed on about 345 route km, TCAS has been implemented across 250 route km. An additional 1,200 route km is being brought under TCAS by the South Central Railway. (A route km is the distance between two points by train on a railway network.)

“The TCAS has been tested for speeds of up to 160 kmph. The system can also help in increasing line capacity, as its upgradation to work with Automatic Block Signalling sections has already been field-tested,” a Railways official said.

“We have decided to go for Indian technology and have already lined up plans to implement it across 30,000 km. We want to improve TCAS by bringing it on a par with the ETCS,” the official added.

The Railways needs 5 MHZ of spectrum in the prime 700 MHZ band for both TCAS and allied services under ETCS. The Department of Telecommunications is in the final stages of allotting it the 5 MHZ premium spectrum that may come at a base price of ~35,000-40,000 crore.

To begin with, the Railways is looking at implementing TCAS on the Delhi-mumbai and Delhi-kolkata route, where it plans to increase the speed to 160 kmph. ATP technology is mandatory for trains plying at 160 kmph.

What’s more, about 30,000 route km of the Railways’ High Density Network (HDN) and Highly Utilised Network (HUN), which are major freight routes, will be brought under the TCAS in a phased manner. The HDN and HUN routes consist of 50 per cent of the Indian Railways network and handle 96 per cent of its traffic.

According to the plan, the maximum speed on HDN routes (11,000 km and comprising 60 per cent of rail traffic) will be increased to 130 kmph by July 2021 and to 160 kmph by March 2025. HUN, on the other hand, consists of 23,000 km and carries 36 per cent of railway traffic, which makes the implementation of the new signalling system in these areas even more important.

If everything goes according to plan, over 50 per cent of India’s railway tracks will get a revamped signalling system by 2025.

The Train Collision Avoidance System aims to prevent train accidents caused due to the non-observance of speed restrictions by drivers as well as non-observance of rules in manual operations.
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Re: Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

Post by Vips »

Indian Railways network boost in Andhra Pradesh! New Piduguralla-Savalyapuram line ready for train operations.

The new 46 Km long railway line is a part of the Nadikudi – Srikalahasti railway line project in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
Indian Railways’ New Piduguralla–Savalyapuram rail line: The new Indian Railways’ line between New Piduguralla and Savalyapuram has been completed and commissioned for train movement. The new 46 Km long railway line is a part of the Nadikudi – Srikalahasti railway line project in the state of Andhra Pradesh, according to the South Central Railway zone. The new railway line will facilitate direct traffic movement from Secunderabad to Dhone via New Piduguralla bypassing Nallapadu, reducing travel time for passengers by 96 kilometres. According to the zonal railways, the maximum permissible speed with which train services can be run on this new non-electrified railway line is at 80 Km per hour.

According to the South Central Railway zone, the Nadikudi – Srikalahasti new railway line project is one of the prestigious and important projects taken up by the zone in Andhra Pradesh, linking interior regions of Prakasham, Nellore, Guntur districts on the Indian Railways map. The zonal railways said that the new rail line project was sanctioned in the year 2011-12 for a total distance of 309 Kms. The project is being developed at an estimated cost of Rs 2,289 crore, under 50 per cent cost-sharing basis between the national transporter and the state government of Andhra Pradesh along with the provision of required land free of cost by the Andhra Pradesh government.

The new rail line project is being executed in five phases:

Phase I: 47 km long Piduguralla – Savalyapuram stretch
Phase II: 27 km long Gundlakamma – Darsi stretch
Phase III: 52 km long Darsi – Kanigiri stretch and 15 km long Venkatagiri – Alturipadu stretch
Phase IV: 35 km long Kanigiri – Pamuru stretch and 43 km long Atluripadu – Venkatapuram stretch
Phase V: 90 km long Pamuru – Obulayapalle – Venkatapuram stretch

The project has been conceptualized as an alternate railway route to the existing Coastal Railway line between Vijayawada and Chennai. The current railway route is saturated and sometimes serious rail traffic disruptions occur due to floods and cyclones. In this mineral-rich belt, the new proposed railway line will also facilitate freight transport as well as offer scope for substantial passenger traffic. Once completed, the new line project will serve as the shortest route between Guntur and Tirupati.
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Re: Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

Post by Mollick.R »

Delhi-Varanasi high-speed rail (HSR) corridor plan rolled out, aims to reduce travel time to 4.5 hours
By Aman Sharma, ET Bureau Last Updated: Jul 25, 2020, 10:15 AM IST

New Delhi: Work on a detailed project report for the proposed Delhi-Varanasi high-speed rail (HSR) corridor has begun on the instructions of the central government, a senior official said.

The 865-km-long corridor is one of the eight HSR passageways that have been proposed to optimise high-speed rail connectivity between major cities and give an impetus to the industrial sector. Work has already started on the 508-km-long Ahmedabad-Mumbai corridor that will see bullet trains running at 320 km per hour.

Once the Delhi-Varanasi corridor is ready, a bullet train could reduce travel time between the two cities to about four-and-a-half hours.
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“The National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) has been entrusted by the ministry of railways to prepare detailed project reports (DPR) for seven new HSR corridors in India--namely Delhi-Varanasi, Varanasi-Howrah, Mumbai-Nagpur, Delhi-Ahmedabad, Chennai-Mysore, Delhi-Amritsar, and Mumbai-Hyderabad,” Sushma Gaur, additional general manager (corporate communication) at NHSRCL, told ET.

The proposed link between Varanasi and Howrah is the latest addition to the government’s HSR corridor plan. Earlier his month, NHSRCL had invited four bids related to data collection, preliminary designs, and survey work for the preparation of the detailed project report of the Delhi-Varanasi HSR corridor.
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The bids invited by the NHSRCL for the Delhi-Varanasi corridor include carrying out an environmental impact assessment study and preparation of an environment impact assessment report and environment management plan, data collection and associated survey work, final alignment design, including an aerial LIDAR survey.


Economic Times Link//

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/ne ... content=23
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