Indian Railways Thread

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 20 Sep 2012 13:06

Russian LNG-powered trains headed to India

Is LNG cheaper to operate compared to diesel engine we operate now ?

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 20 Sep 2012 13:57

And why can't we build em here? Hope the Engines fal like thier boilers.

Jingo wet dream: an offshoot of Kaveri is converted into an LNG Gas Turbine for IR

prashanth · Post by **prashanth** » 20 Sep 2012 15:55

Aditya,

Railways keen on using Kaveri engines developed by DRDO: Parliamentary Committee

vishvak · Post by **vishvak** » 20 Sep 2012 19:20

prashanth wrote:Aditya,

Railways keen on using Kaveri engines developed by DRDO: Parliamentary Committee

This is great. Just that core teams should not divide focus while the made in India core techs is made more and more available for domestic use. The commercial use could provide more impetus for more core tech too.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 20 Sep 2012 20:19

Indian Railways to seek foreign partner for locomotive plants

INDIAN Railways has announced it will invite bids in March 2013 for PPP contracts to establish electric and diesel locomotive production facilities at Madhepura and Marhoura in the state of Bihar.

With an estimated investment of Rs 12.94bn ($US 238m), the Madhepura facility will assemble 8.94MW electric locos. Currently India's only electric manufacturing plant at Chittranjan builds only 4.47MW units. The diesel factory planned at Marhoura will manufacture 3.73MW locomotives.

For the electric facility, four suppliers have been shortlisted by the International Committee on Bidding (ICB): Siemens, Alstom, GE, and EMD.

GE and the EMD have also been short-listed for the diesel factory, which is expected to cost around Rs20.25bn.

It is anticipated that the Madhepura plant will manufacture 800 electric locomotives per year, with performance guarantees based on international best practice. Additionally, the factory will also build 200 8.94MW electric locomotives for the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor, which are being financed through a loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Indian Railways currently operates a fleet of around 5400 diesel and 4300 electric locomotives. Approximately 600 locomotives are rolled out each year by the two existing production units at Varanasi and Chittranjan, but the numbers have remained marginally short of requirements.

Undergoing a huge expansion of its fixed assets, Indian Railways needs to urgently scale up its locomotive manufacturing activities. Indian Railways says it needs to procure 2010 electric and 2000 diesel locomotives over the next five years.

Pratyush · Post by **Pratyush** » 22 Sep 2012 15:54

The IR is asking for almost 12000 HP engine for the electric locomotive. Listed in the above article. Where the current most powerful article is 6250 HP. This almost doubling of engine capacity. The diesel engine is a 5000 HP unit. That is 500 HP less then the Bheem unit.

The total production capability being talked about, if the proposed facility is to operate in addition to Chitaranjan and Varanasi plants, is mind boggling.

pentaiah · Post by **pentaiah** » 22 Sep 2012 20:50

pratush wrote: The IR is asking for almost 12000 HP engine for the electric locomotive. Listed in the above article. Where the current most powerful article is 6250 HP. This almost doubling of engine capacity. The diesel engine is a 5000 HP unit. That is 500 HP less then the Bheem unit.

The total production capability being talked about, if the proposed facility is to operate in addition to Chitaranjan and Varanasi plants, is mind boggling.

We can easily do it ourselves
But because we have politically appointed babu's in leadership potion and don't want to move their butts and do it themselves and also to make money it is easier if you have collabarrators so that ars@&$ hoe$@& can make money.
My blood boils with IITs churning out super duper graduates (or super duper exam takers)
And can't make some 100 yrs old technology concept driven machines

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 23 Sep 2012 09:04

Railways dragged off-course during Trinamool's tenure

The single-minded pursuit of Mamata Banerjee, as it would appear, might just have been to have the Railways under her control, and use its funds and enormous expanse of land for diverse purposes in the State.

Some of her other decisions too proved disastrous or were questionable.

After taking charge as Railway Minister, Ms. Banerjee initiated moves to set up various tiers of medical facilities and colleges and nursing schools, and also schools for children on railway land at various locations, including, of course, West Bengal.

Suffice it to say that the tender for setting up a medical college-cum-hospital, as the first initiative in this direction, in West Bengal, under the PPP mode, didn’t evoke any response from any of the private players in the health sector.

Needless to say, both her successors, Dinesh Trivedi and Mukul Roy, had, with gusto, pursued these projects — though without much success.

Despite the keenness to open schools on railway land, some people pointed to reported action that had been initiated to close some of the schools operated by the Railways during the three years of Trinamool Congress members ruling the roost at the Rail Bhavan.

During Ms. Banerjee’s tenure, the Railways sought to compete with the IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited) by launching its own website to sell passenger tickets.

The portal was launched only to be shut down as quickly, without assigning any reason, raising a few questions in the process.

According to sources in the Railways, the website proved a disaster.

The allegation was that the tickets got sold, but due to some problem in the payment gateway, the money wasn’t routed to the account of the Railways.

It was said that some people enjoyed a free ride and the buzz in the Rail Bhavan corridors was that there was a loss on this account.

Officials refused to quantify the amount.

The Railways then took away the catering job from the IRCTC with the goal of improving services, and the quality of the food served in trains and stations.

The outcome could be gauged from the number of complaints which poured in.

What is Trinamool's gripe against IRCTC ?

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 23 Sep 2012 09:08

may be to provide jobs to TMC lackeys to do the work being done by IRCTC.

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 23 Sep 2012 09:11

vishvak wrote:
prashanth wrote:Aditya,

Railways keen on using Kaveri engines developed by DRDO: Parliamentary Committee
This is great. Just that core teams should not divide focus while the made in India core techs is made more and more available for domestic use. The commercial use could provide more impetus for more core tech too.

Maybe the Kaveri has at last found it's true calling.

Pratyush · Post by **Pratyush** » 23 Sep 2012 14:07

^^^

Use of a Gas turbine for a rail engine is not new. But has not been successful at all. What with airflow requirements and all. When implemented it may easily surpass 12000 HP. But will flame out as well rather regularly.

member_23629 · Post by **member_23629** » 23 Sep 2012 14:15

What is Trinamool's gripe against IRCTC ?

Some politicians are too provincial to be given a national role. They have very narrow mental horizons, are not well-travelled and are obsessed with the sub-cultures of their own tiny societies . They don't have even a national outlook -- forget about a global outlook with an undersanding of India's position in the wider scheme of things. Mamta Banerjee is even more provincial than Mulayam or Lalu.

The US presidential system seems to be much better where a person has to necessarily create a national appeal for himself to become the President since voters are spread throughout the country.

kmc_chacko · Post by **kmc_chacko** » 23 Sep 2012 17:49

any news about Shimoga-Harihar railway project

Pratyush · Post by **Pratyush** » 03 Oct 2012 09:44

Russian LNG-powered trains headed to India

Regarding the Kaveri powering IR locomotives. It seems that even that hope would be defeated. Considering the below mentioned EOI issued by RSDO.

EOI Gas Turbine

maitya · Post by **maitya** » 03 Oct 2012 14:15

Govt in talks to buy bullet trains: Report
Pretty strong words ...

India is in talks to buy its first bullet trains for the nation's creaking and accident-prone network, but the new fleet will run at only a fraction of its top speed, a report said on Wednesday.

... to purchase six new trains, which are capable of running at speeds of up to 325 kilometres (202 miles) per hour

... an anonymous official as saying in its report headlined: "Soon: Bullet trains for tortoise tracks".
India's fastest train, the Bhopal Shatabdi, which carries passengers between the capital Delhi and the central Indian city of Bhopal, runs at a maximum speed of 150 kilometres (93 miles) per hour.

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 03 Oct 2012 20:13

Infrastructure for such a train would cost a Bomb, however, it can be very useful justify the cost of Intra city commute and if way cheaper than Airfares, can be a great boon and improve connectivity benefitting the economy immensily.

But do we have the money and technological skill to develop one, I Hope we don't pour money into the CHinese economy to create such infratructure like importing wagons and trains for the Delhi Metro from Germany.

But good factories need lots of power which we do not have.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 03 Oct 2012 21:33

the JDB funded delhi-mumbai and delhi-kolkata industrial corridors (dedicated freight line, NHDP roads) and the chennai-blr expway sounds like better VFM to me.
both from pov of goods traffic, jobs, traffic throughput, local content.

Pratyush · Post by **Pratyush** » 11 Oct 2012 10:08

Now, 6,500 trains can be tracked real time

vina · Post by **vina** » 11 Oct 2012 11:56

the JDB funded delhi-mumbai and delhi-kolkata industrial corridors (dedicated freight line, NHDP roads) and the chennai-blr expway sounds like better VFM to me.
both from pov of goods traffic, jobs, traffic throughput, local content.

Dilli Dilli .. I just hate that chor dilli apex parasite focused development model.
The southern states should band together and show the finger to the dilli numbskulls and open up a GST normalized Free Trade Zone and build a giant regional infra grid (road, high speed rail, power grid and industrial corridors).

Something like a seamless zone from Vizag to Tuticorin on the east coast, Goa to Kanyakumari on the west coast and including all the IT/Vity and industrial corridors.. Hyd, Vizag, Vijaywaada, Chennai, Bangalore, Mysore /Hubli Dharwad, Salem, Trichur, Kochi, all the way to Trivandrum and the entire east coast from Chennai to Kanyakumari including Pondicherry.

Do that and Maharashtra, bordering that giant free trade region would do anything to get in. Orissa too would want in. That would be the giant industrial and infra zone with the higher than average percapti income and productivity and we can show the Dilli wallas the birdie and tell them to take their theiving ways and sense of entitlement and stuff it.

If such a zone were to come about, the other recalicitrant states along the Indo Gangetic belt, and of course Dilli will come running to join in faster than a Paki who sights Baksheesh.

Bengal of course will be in "splendid isolation" with non stop speeches and shrill rhetoric about "Maanush" from Didi and "Imperialism" by Karat(s), Yechury & Co.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 11 Oct 2012 12:20

well the chennai-blr expway via kolar distt has been funded. the existing NDHP road via krishnagiri to chennai on one side and madurai on another are also very good. blr - tumkur - dharwad is even better designed.
so road wise, much of the stuff is already there.

rail and power with more a dilli hand in it, is another matter.

kerala needs to be better connected by driving some bullish roads direct across the western ghats .

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 11 Oct 2012 12:56

Sad facts on Mumbai Railway accidents

Mumbai’s Local Trains Have A Poor Safety Record

Pratyush · Post by **Pratyush** » 11 Oct 2012 13:20

^^^

With poor infrastructure such poor safety record is inevitable. Having said so, the Local trains are the best way of commuting in Mumbai, when compared to other forms of transportation.

nachiket · Post by **nachiket** » 12 Oct 2012 01:42

Pratyush wrote:^^^

With poor infrastructure such poor safety record is inevitable. Having said so, the Local trains are the best way of commuting in Mumbai, when compared to other forms of transportation.

It's not just poor infrastructure that is to blame unfortunately. People continue to voluntarily cross railway tracks instead of using over-bridges even when they are available (and they usually are at major stations). This is the single biggest problem. Now unless they want escalators for every over-bridge I don't know what else the authorities are supposed to do. Hefty fines for crossing tracks could be a start.

Same thing with electrocution incidents. You can see people sitting on top of the trains even when the coaches themselves have enough space to accommodate them. It has become a thrill seeking experience.

As far as the infrastructure is concerned, the Railways will have to increase ticket prices substantially to fund infrastructure improvements. This might make life miserable for the millions of low-wage workers (already reeling under inflation) who use the trains every day and nobody is willing to take that decision.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 12 Oct 2012 10:56

Singha wrote:rail and power with more a dilli hand in it, is another matter.

A Japanese consortium had already started a feasibility survey for Chennai-Vijayawada-Hyderabad high-speed rail corridor. Another one was surveying for a high-speed freight corridor between Bengaluru & Ennore port. Don't know what happened with the reports or if they have even been submitted. The survey work started in April this year. I am not sure if tenders were issued for the Chennai-Bengaluru-Coimbatore-Thiruvananthapuram high-speed corridor feasibilty survey early this year.

krishnan · Post by **krishnan** » 12 Oct 2012 18:18

When people dont bother to use foot over bridge which is just few feet away what can you expect when it comes to using it in stations...its so irritating to see them doing it on OMR

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 12 Oct 2012 18:21

krishnan wrote:When people dont bother to use foot over bridge which is just few feet away what can you expect when it comes to using it in stations...its so irritating to see them doing it on OMR

Krishnan- Gus has aldready answered why the foot over bridges are not used on OMR, they are not exactly user friendly.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 12 Oct 2012 20:46

Aditya_V wrote:
krishnan wrote:When people dont bother to use foot over bridge which is just few feet away what can you expect when it comes to using it in stations...its so irritating to see them doing it on OMR
Krishnan- Gus has aldready answered why the foot over bridges are not used on OMR, they are not exactly user friendly.

They put Escalators alongside Staircase in Japan , most of the places had those in tokyo. Quite friendly for aged and infirm. Mostly unmanned.

hnair · Post by **hnair** » 13 Oct 2012 01:32

Foot overbridges don't seem to be inviting to some, even with escalators. The underpasses/subways seem to attract better traffic. Some of my observations:

- the pisko of going downhill (subway) first appears inviting than start with a climb (in case of overbridge).
- most pedestrain subways can have lower ceilings (human rated), thereby lower gradients from the surface, compared to far steeper ones for over bridges, due to the higher heights needed for tall trucks/doubledeckers etc to go under.
- subway crossings seem less intimidating. I know quite a few elderly, who are really afraid of over-bridges, something about disorientation, looking down at fast traffic/rails etc
- handles weather conditions.
- less of an eyesore or hazard, even if abandoned

Downsides are
- needs interior 24/7 lighting, security surveillance etc.
- rain drains
- difficulty in having one across trunk/arterial routes where trucks with heavier loads need to go over.

Virupaksha · Post by **Virupaksha** » 13 Oct 2012 04:56

I would prefer that the roads be raised so that pedestrians can walk on level ground.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 13 Oct 2012 14:53

hnair wrote:Foot overbridges don't seem to be inviting to some, even with escalators. The underpasses/subways seem to attract better traffic. Some of my observations:

- the pisko of going downhill (subway) first appears inviting than start with a climb (in case of overbridge).
- most pedestrain subways can have lower ceilings (human rated), thereby lower gradients from the surface, compared to far steeper ones for over bridges, due to the higher heights needed for tall trucks/doubledeckers etc to go under.
- subway crossings seem less intimidating. I know quite a few elderly, who are really afraid of over-bridges, something about disorientation, looking down at fast traffic/rails etc
- handles weather conditions.
- less of an eyesore or hazard, even if abandoned

Downsides are
- needs interior 24/7 lighting, security surveillance etc.
- rain drains
- difficulty in having one across trunk/arterial routes where trucks with heavier loads need to go over.

Well they do have good underground subways complete with shopping areas, recreational areas etc. In fact I liked both ideas.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 14 Oct 2012 11:14

To galvanize the Railways, recast Railway Board: Deepak Parekh Panel

The rigid organisational structure of the Railway Board is preventing it from raising the resources needed to modernise and expand the Railways, says a committee headed by Deepak S. Parekh, Chairman, HDFC.

Being the Board of a monopoly, it has stalled several basic reforms, including private participation and commercial accounting, said the interim report of the High Level Committee on Financing Infrastructure of the Planning Commission.

The Centre set up the committee to recommend policy initiatives that would enable the investment flows in infrastructure during the 12th Plan.

The committee, which had members representing the government, banking, insurance and infrastructure sectors, has recommended restructuring of the Railway Board on commercial lines to enable investments and growth in the organisation, which otherwise seems stagnant.

‘It [the Railways] has also been unable to attract private investment, which constitutes less than 5 per cent of its total investment. For want of investment, the Railways will continue to deteriorate.”

Archaic form

The restructuring and modernisation have brought welcome changes in several sectors. However, the organisational structure of the board has retained its archaic form, which is not conducive to efficient commercial operations [of the Railways].

The Railways is facing serious problems such as inadequate investment, diminishing efficiency, falling safety standards and declining share in freight and passenger traffic. Some urgent measures are necessary for a turnaround of the Railways, says the report.

The committee recommended rationalising the prevailing uneconomic rail fares, which have not been revised for a decade. This will augment internal resource generation necessary to make investments to modernise and expand the railway sector.

The total investment for the Railways is projected at Rs 4.56 lakh crore during the 12th Plan compared with Rs 2.31 lakh crore during the 11th Plan. Contributing to about 83 per cent of the total investment, the public sector investment is projected at Rs 3.76 lakh crore while the private investment is at Rs 79,797 crore during the 12th Plan.
Private investment

The substantial increase in private investment is driven by the expected private participation in high speed corridors, redevelopment of stations, private freight terminals, port and other connectivity projects and dedicated freight corridor project.

The committee recommended the use of public-private-partnership initiatives to mobilise large volumes of investment in the Railways. These include modernisation of railway stations; elevated suburban corridors in Mumbai; development of new freight corridors; high speed rail projects and manufacturing of diesel and electric engines, coaches and wagons.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 14 Oct 2012 11:17

The Tamil newspaper, Dinamalar, reports that the Japanese consortium has submitted recently its interim report on the Chennai-Bengaluru-Coimbatore-Thiruvananthapuram high-speed corridor. The final report will be ready in a couple of months.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 14 Oct 2012 18:06

subways in delhi are the haunt of drug addicts mainly.

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 14 Oct 2012 18:32

Singha wrote:subways in delhi are the haunt of drug addicts mainly.

All subways are, everywhere.

This is probably their secondary social purpose.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 14 Oct 2012 18:42

To galvanise Railways, recast Board: Deepak Parekh Panel

Chennai, Oct. 13:

The rigid organisational structure of the Railway Board is preventing it from raising the resources needed to modernise and expand the Railways, says a committee headed by Deepak S. Parekh, Chairman, HDFC.

Being the Board of a monopoly, it has stalled several basic reforms, including private participation and commercial accounting, said the interim report of the High Level Committee on Financing Infrastructure of the Planning Commission.

The Centre set up the committee to recommend policy initiatives that would enable the investment flows in infrastructure during the 12th Plan.

The committee, which had members representing the government, banking, insurance and infrastructure sectors, has recommended restructuring of the Railway Board on commercial lines to enable investments and growth in the organisation, which otherwise seems stagnant.

‘It [the Railways] has also been unable to attract private investment, which constitutes less than 5 per cent of its total investment. For want of investment, the Railways will continue to deteriorate.”

The committee recommended rationalising the prevailing uneconomic rail fares, which have not been revised for a decade. This will augment internal resource generation necessary to make investments to modernise and expand the railway sector.

The total investment for the Railways is projected at Rs 4.56 lakh crore during the 12th Plan compared with Rs 2.31 lakh crore during the 11th Plan. Contributing to about 83 per cent of the total investment, the public sector investment is projected at Rs 3.76 lakh crore while the private investment is at Rs 79,797 crore during the 12th Plan.

The committee recommended the use of public-private-partnership initiatives to mobilise large volumes of investment in the Railways. These include modernisation of railway stations; elevated suburban corridors in Mumbai; development of new freight corridors; high speed rail projects and manufacturing of diesel and electric engines, coaches and wagons.

Kashi · Post by **Kashi** » 16 Oct 2012 18:28

SSridhar wrote:The Tamil newspaper, Dinamalar, reports that the Japanese consortium has submitted recently its interim report on the Chennai-Bengaluru-Coimbatore-Thiruvananthapuram high-speed corridor. The final report will be ready in a couple of months.

I would have thought that a Chennai-Bangalore-Hyderabad corridor would make more economic sense

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 16 Oct 2012 18:43

chaanakya wrote:To galvanise Railways, recast Board: Deepak Parekh Panel

The committee recommended rationalising the prevailing uneconomic rail fares, which have not been revised for a decade. This will augment internal resource generation necessary to make investments to modernise and expand the railway sector.

There lies the crux of the problem created by brilliant Railway Minister "Lallu Prasad Yadav" and UPA-I.

Unless we have a public debate where all those supported Lallu including many Management Institutes and they agree to eat crow, we cannot move forward and will keep have disasters like Lallu Prasad Yadav's and UPA - I.

sum · Post by **sum** » 16 Oct 2012 21:24

Some good news:

Railways successfully tests anti-collision technology

A path-breaking technology to avoid train collisions was tested successfully between Navandgi and Mantatti stations in Ranga Reddy district on Tuesday morning.

The technology, based on a combination of GPS and Radio Frequency-enabled technology, applies brakes without intervention of the train pilots once it detects another locomotive on the move or stationary on the same track avoiding collisions.

A host of railway officials including Railway Board chairman Vinay Mittal watched the successful trial of the Train Collision Avoidance System (T-CAS) in Ranga Reddy district, about 150 km from Hyderabad.

Two trains with some coaches equipped with the T-CAS were run in opposite directions on the same track at a speed of 60 kmph. Both the trains screeched to a halt at a distance of about 200 metres, as the tense officials watched the rare spectacle of two locomotives hurtling at each other. Smiles broke out as the efficacy of the new technology proved at least on a trial basis.

The second trial was with a stationary train and a moving train. The officials stationed a train on the tracks at Mantatti and made the other one approach it at a speed of 60 kmph. Interestingly, the senior most railway officials were sitting in the moving train which approached the stationary one it from behind. As the train screeched to a halt, smiles and handshakes were seen among the visibly relieved officials.

The T-CAS was developed jointly by the Research, Design & Standards Organisation (RDSO) and a Hyderabad-based private organisation.

“It’s a path-breaking technology and we would like to complete all the trials within a year. The T-CAS has more capabilities than the technologies being used in many advanced countries”, Mr. Mittal said.

RamaY · Post by **RamaY** » 16 Oct 2012 23:27

^ Much needed technology.

I wonder how this system recognizes a closing train is on the same track or a different track...

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 17 Oct 2012 10:36

There are at least two systems for preventing collisions being tested on IR for many years now. This is a third system. One does not know if it resolves issues found in the other two systems or it is an entirely new system. We take too long a time from lab to widespread implementation. We need to see whether this third system also meets the fate of the other two systems, TPWS (Train Protection Warning System) & ACD (Anti Collision Device).