Indian Railways Thread

rohitvats · Post by **rohitvats** » 16 Mar 2013 20:40

Interesting debate on the HSR in China and comments about India. Allow me to give perspective of how things are being planned in India for such projects to understand why the Chinese model is fraught with severe long term risks.

High Speed Corridors are being planned between select cities - like Ahmadabad and Mumbai or Bangalore and Mumbai. Basically, important financial/economic centers. The development model is what we call Public-Private-Participation (PPP) model. GOI/Ministry of Railways will invite private players to develop and operate the HS trains. In return, private players get to keep the revenue from traffic and other allied sources.

Another incentive is real estate development.Railways in India are the biggest landlords...they hold the largest quantum of land for any single entity. So, more often than not, Railways will offer their own land parcels to the concessionaire to develop real estate and recoup his investment. Now, RE is bought into play for two reasons - IR generally does not allow "free" fixing of the rail fares. It understands that given this aspect, revenue from ridership will not allow the private players to achieve the ROI required.

One more method is to provide Viability Gap Funding (VGF) - basically, of all the participants in the vendor selection process, the one who asks for minimum VGF is awarded the contract.

The above model represents efficient use of capital along with fulfilling the social service criteria. There is no debt being created which cannot be serviced.

Brad Goodman · Post by **Brad Goodman** » 17 Mar 2013 07:24

Indian Railways to Name Train 'Nirbhaya' or 'Beti' after Delhi Gang Rape Victim

According to various reports, the Railway Ministry will soon make a formal announcement of naming the Chhapra-Anand Vihar Express (weekly) either 'Nirbhaya' (Fearless) or 'Beti' (Daughter) soon.

The train will pass through Ballia district, the victim's hometown in Uttar Pradesh.

Christopher Sidor · Post by **Christopher Sidor** » 17 Mar 2013 07:35

^^^
Two things. First the Real estate.
If we include Real Estate in this HSR, we will see all kinds of sundry players trying to build and operate HSR, from DLF, Unitech, Shoba, etc. Their main aim would not be HSR but get the parcel of land which IR has, build residential/commercial buildings on it and then slowly wash hands off the HSR. There is a precedence for it, consider the Delhi Metro high-speed airport express link.
Many of these builders were given land at concessional rate to build residential/commercial buildings. But the cavet was that these builders had to build and support the underlying infrastructure, i.e. roads, sewage, water pipelines, etc. All of these companies build the residential/commercial buildings then washed their hands off their obligations. Even today there are cases where there is no sewage pipelines connecting many of these complexes/buildings. The residents use septic tank and then the waste is dumped somewhere. In gurgaon DLF was asked to maintain the DLF Cyber city roads. Last year DLF said that it is unable to do so and the roads maintenance had to be taken up HUDA. So let us keep the Real estate of IR out of the equation.

PPP model is a failed model. It has not worked. It did not work with Gurgaon-Delhi Expressway and it did not work with Delhi Metro airport express line. The best model to work would be BT, i.e. Build & Transfer. BOT or BOOT just do not work. Mainly due to corruption and secondly due to propensity of our officialdom to constantly tweak the policy to suit one player over the other. For example consider the case of BWA/4G spectrum held by RIL, which was allowed to carry voice calls by paying a pittance in guise of pan-india USL license fees. This was when the original license had clearly said that voice calls would not be allowed under BWA/4G licenses.
If you thought that is because of congress then consider the case of reliance and tatas when they moved from limited mobility to full mobility under the guise of poor-mans-mobile of then Rs 500. It was not congress in power and nor was the telecom ministry then being headed by an alliance-partner of NDA, it was held by BJP.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 17 Mar 2013 08:28

Christopher Sidor wrote:The beauty of broad guage, which India uses, is that allows more loading onto the tracks.

Safety goes off the rails - K.Balchand, The Hindu

You may well be skating on thin rail — riding rickety trains rattling through perilous alley. That is the kind of journey most of the two crore-plus rail passengers undertake, of course, unknowingly every day.

It is just a matter of bliss you reach your destination without a scratch, fatal accidents notwithstanding. If you came through this roller coaster ride then the entire credit goes to the dedicated railway staff.

There were 4,999 instances of rail and welding fractures during the 10-month period (April 2012 to January 2013) across the 64,000 route km network. There was a fracture of either nature every 13 km — this shows how thin the rails are.

While variation in temperature is one of the causes for fractures, there is no gainsaying the fact that the increasing number of passenger trains and heavy haul goods trains have been taking their toll on the rails. The timely detection and rectification of faults by committed gangmen is preventing accidents.

Maintenance has taken a back seat with little being allocated under the safety head. The number of rail fractures has marginally gone down though in comparison to the corresponding period of April 2011 and January 2012 when it was 5,123.

The worst part is the number of welding fractures has gone up from 3,206 to 3,236, exposing the callous work. The performance of locos, wagons and coaches has deteriorated. As many as 4,258 locomotives developed faults during these 10 months, up by over 3.45 per cent from the previous year when 4,116 locos suffered a breakdown.

The Railways operate about 7,000 passenger trains and over 12,000 goods trains. Every fifth train — passenger or goods — suffers a malfunction. And there are just about 9,500 diesel and electric locomotives, hence, every second engine failed while in operation.

During these 10 months, as many as 2,452 coaches and wagons developed defects, (6.5 per cent higher) against 2,301 coaches and wagons that suffered faults in the corresponding period in 2011 and 2012. Passenger trains comprise 55,000 coaches and goods trains 2.33 lakh wagons.

The failure of the signalling system is the worst among equipment failures. Signals failed 1.44 lakh times. But this figure is lower than the previous year when1.70 lakh breakdowns occurred in the rail network of 64,000 km. There was an error in the signalling system every 500 metres.

To improve things, the Railways need Rs. 1.1 lakh crore over the next five years and Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal has gone on record saying that raising Rs. 20,000 crore annually is not feasible.

More than 90,000 safety-related posts, including those of gangmen, are lying vacant. The Minister has promised to fill all 1.42 lakh vacancies. The question is does the organisation has the money to take on the additional wages bill.

Christopher Sidor · Post by **Christopher Sidor** » 17 Mar 2013 12:53

Theo_Fidel wrote:
Christopher Sidor wrote:Also what we need is to increase the average speed of freight trains.
How are you going to do that on existing trunk lines which are mostly doubled.

The average speed of freight trains can be increased by the following means
1) Increasing the number of engines which pull the wagons. This is the least cost effective way.
2) Move to powered goods wagons/flat container bed. This is very expensive both in terms of retrofit as well as maintenance. But this gives the biggest bang for buck.
3) Use GPS/MPS for our train scheduling along with other new age signaling system.
4) Brakes. If we increase the speed we need increased stopping power. Implementing electro-magnetic brakes along with traditional twin-air-cum-drum brakes. This is again going to be expensive, considering the humongous goods wagons we have.

Most of our trunk lines are not doubled. Consider the case of Delhi-Ahmedabad or consider the entire stretch of Bombay-Bangalore/Chennai.

krishnan · Post by **krishnan** » 18 Mar 2013 11:49

Ultimately you need tracks and singaling system that can take the increased speed....

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 18 Mar 2013 12:00

all the welded tracks and concrete sleepers we have can take upto 140kmph.
problems are more in areas of bridges, culverts, radius of turns and ofcourse signaling and tracking. hazards like bulls and tractors trying shortcuts across the tracks are pervasive....@140kmph in rain/dust/haze it just will not fly unless all tracks are fenced off.

afaik there is as yet no universal GPS based tracking and TCAS of trains though umpteen ideas and pilot trials are held.

Javee · Post by **Javee** » 18 Mar 2013 12:20

Preparing for the Metro
G. ANANTHAKRISHNAN

Transport is the biggest story in Chennai today. At $3 billion in investment, Chennai Metro is currently the biggest infrastructure project being executed in all of Tamil Nadu.

What is missing, however, is sufficient public discussion on how people will use the entire gamut of transport options in the city seamlessly — walking, cycling, autorickshaws, mini-vans, buses, and mini-buses and the Metro in the future — to cut cost and increase speed of mobility.

At a CII conference on trends in automotive research and development held last week, it became clear that Chennai Metro Rail Limited is thinking far into the future on the question of helping people shift smoothly between trains and other modes.

What CMRL needs is active support from the Tamil Nadu Government and Southern Railway to connect the existing travel options with the Metro in terms of physical connections and ticketing integration.

A plan to provide a stop for long-distance trains at St. Thomas Mount (so people have a range of travel choices including the Metro) is now being discussed officially. It will then link Koyambedu bus terminus by rail. CMRL has also planned a feeder-bus system, although how it will operate is not yet clear. Pedestrians are the single biggest group that will use the Metro since walking is the preferred mode to reach the station in a 500-metre radius.

The preliminary projection for users of the Metro system is as follows: 40 per cent will be pedestrians, 21 per cent will use intermediate modes such as autorickshaws, 19 per cent will use buses and feeder-buses, while 15 per cent will be two-wheeler users and five per cent others.

As the Metro project engineers are finding out, the problem with Chennai is that although the city has about 3,000 km of roads, 80 per cent have a road width of less than 20 metres. This throws up a challenge in terms of facilitating pedestrian movement and introducing Metro feeder buses to touch interior areas.

There are clear pointers to what needs to be done. The Tamil Nadu government must show sufficient ownership of the various transportation solutions in the city, and use all tools that will benefit the traveller.

At present, there is a loose system of regulation that has led to mushrooming of practically unregulated transport services — mini-vans, taxi services and other share vehicles — that fix fares arbitrarily and have no accountability. Autorickshaws have become unaffordable for many. It is, of course, heartening that some effort is being made to restore footpaths in a few areas of Chennai, but the outcome in relation to expenditure are far from satisfactory. The twin objectives of allocation of sufficient space for walkers and allowing some regulated hawking should receive top priority. Lack of enforcement has defeated the purpose on both counts, so far, as footpaths have been taken over by everyone except pedestrians.

A serious collaboration, under the aegis of Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority, among all agencies can lead to action: expanding and repairing footpaths to meet engineering standards; relocation of service pillars and junction boxes of electricity authorities, traffic police and telecommunications; introduction of common ticket; and so on. At present, the roads leading to the train stations are full of commercial encroachments.

The 500-metre principle is as relevant to the suburban and MRTS stations as it is for the Metro. In just one year, the first Metro line should be ready to run. The government should start taking urgent action on these matters to prepare for 2014.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/che ... 519517.ece

Good, finally there are some concrete talks on usability and adoption. Goes a long way in sustaining a viable option for public travel in a city like Chennai.

vina · Post by **vina** » 18 Mar 2013 12:27

To see this in real life, in Delhi Metro travel on the Yellow or Blue line, then travel on the violet line. Do this on peak traffic time, say between 6:00-7:00 PM or 8:30-9:30 AM.

iirc, the Delhi metro, even the section that has the BG track, uses the same Loading Gauge as the standard gauge tracks on the other lines. What really happened for BG is that they mounted the same standard gauge loading gauge coaches on the BG wheel sets.

So really, since we are talking passenger traffic here, it is volume and not weight carried that is the limiting factor and hence delhi metro coach capacity will be the same irrespective of whether it is BG or Std gauge.

prashanth · Post by **prashanth** » 18 Mar 2013 14:27

vina wrote:iirc, the Delhi metro, even the section that has the BG track, uses the same Loading Gauge as the standard gauge tracks on the other lines. What really happened for BG is that they mounted the same standard gauge loading gauge coaches on the BG wheel sets.

IIRC, Mr. E. Sreedharan wanted standard gauge but the IR insisted on broad gauge. In the end they used broad gauge tracks and standard gauge coaches. The ultimate losers are the people of Delhi, who gave up more land in return for a transit system with sub-optimal capacity.
In the long run, I believe standard gauge is the better option, since land acquisition is a significant hurdle in Indian cities. Completely underground metro lines overcome LA problems but are too expensive to build and maintain. Heck, they couldn't spare even the MG road in Bangalore.

Christopher Sidor · Post by **Christopher Sidor** » 18 Mar 2013 14:32

vina wrote:
To see this in real life, in Delhi Metro travel on the Yellow or Blue line, then travel on the violet line. Do this on peak traffic time, say between 6:00-7:00 PM or 8:30-9:30 AM.
iirc, the Delhi metro, even the section that has the BG track, uses the same Loading Gauge as the standard gauge tracks on the other lines. What really happened for BG is that they mounted the same standard gauge loading gauge coaches on the BG wheel sets.

So really, since we are talking passenger traffic here, it is volume and not weight carried that is the limiting factor and hence delhi metro coach capacity will be the same irrespective of whether it is BG or Std gauge.

I would beg to differ. In the Blue and yellow line of Delhi Metro, there is space for 3 rows of standing people between the seats, in relative comfort. However in the violet line this is not the case. I have traveled on both of them extensively for more than a year.

The point that I was making is that, keeping all things equal a broad guage train has the capability of carrying more people than a standard guage train.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 19 Mar 2013 07:09

Guys, there is a separate Metro thread.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 21 Mar 2013 09:06

Tiruchi Jn. gets hi-tech security

Several Junctions are getting similar equipment. I am posting to understand the equipment installed. The big question, as usual, is maintenance. Another question is whether personnel are sufficiently well trained and SOPs, which the personnel understand, in place ?

. . . the ISS has four key components — Closed Circuit Television Surveillance System with Internet Protocol based cameras, Access Control, Personal Baggage Screening System, and Bomb Detection and Disposal System.

Twenty nine out of the 67 surveillance cameras sanctioned for Tiruchi Railway Junction under the ISS have been commissioned with all of them integrated and connected with the centralised control room established near the station’s VIP entrance. The rest of the cameras under test are expected to be commissioned soon. The 29 cameras, some of which are of “Pan Tilt Zoom” type, have been installed at vantage points to cover the platforms, subway, circulating, and booking areas besides the outer areas to enable Railway Protection Force personnel watch the movements from the five monitors installed in the centralised control room. The advanced CCTV system stores video data for 30 days with a facility to record and playback.

A couple of personal baggage scanners and a parcel scanner are the other advanced gadgets to have gone on stream along with the cameras.

A couple of under vehicle scanners, real time viewing system, a disruptor, a couple of bomb basket, handheld metal detectors, doorframe metal detectors, thermal cutter, blasting machine, and rendering safe procedure kit constitute the long list of security gadgets sanctioned for Tiruchi under the ISS.

The under vehicle scanners that are to be installed a few metres from the station’s entrance would monitor foreign objects kept below the vehicle entering the station. It would provide high-resolution images of objects hidden underneath the vehicle.

The Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad of the RPF has been entrusted with the task of managing the ISS which has been put in place at a cost of over Rs. 3 crore at Tiruchi Junction

vsunder · Post by **vsunder** » 23 Mar 2013 05:59

Mumtaz Kazi, Mumbai's woman loco pilot

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Snz2sQ5QxeE

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 24 Mar 2013 20:12

I was at a level crossing today.
there was a large metal "key" which the operator first inserted into the machinery hand cranked that operates the gates to closure.
then he pulled the key, inserted it into the long lever that presumably turns the signal green.
the train passed.
he made the signal red
withdrew the key and inserted back into hand crank...made the gates open.

is this system always followed in manned level crossings?

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 24 Mar 2013 22:52

They are interlocked with signals based upon the category of level crossing.
Either Gateman does it or if it is nearby the station then it is interlocked and operated at the station by ASM(Operation/Traffic)

http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/railwa ... 9_data.htm

http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/railwa ... ossing.pdf

Sachin · Post by **Sachin** » 25 Mar 2013 11:33

Singha wrote:there was a large metal "key" which the operator first inserted into the machinery hand cranked that operates the gates to closure.

You have seen the classical interlocking mechanism used in IR

. The entire system ensures that all steps of safety are completed. The big key you saw can only be taken out after the rotating device completes its turns (which means that the barriers are down). Now with the key he need to unlock the lever, and pull it back. This ensures that the barriers are now locked (a bar goes through a hook placed on the barrier). And once this is done, ANOTHER key is taken out. This key is then taken to a electro mechanical device and locked. Now if the gate controls any signals, the signal levers can be pulled to make signals green/orange. Once the signal levers are pulled, the key cannot be taken out of the electro-mechanical device. If the gate does not control any signals, locking the key in the device gives an indication at the nearest Railway Station. Once the SM out there pulls the signal levers, the electro-mechanical device does NOT allow the key to be taken out. One the signals are turned back to red, the key can be taken out. It is used to push back the lever (which unlocks the barrier), the key for the rotating device can now be taken out. The key for the rotating device is placed back, and the cranking handle is turned and the barriers lift up

.

PS: There are railway gates which are NOT interlocked. Here trains can pass through a level crossing even when it is NOT closed. This is used in areas where road traffic is very less.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 25 Mar 2013 12:37

ok...it was a fairly busy place the crossing of the BLR-Salem single BG line on sarjapur road. the nearest stn is a few 100 mts away in carmelaram mission.

Sachin · Post by **Sachin** » 25 Mar 2013 13:12

Singha wrote:ok...it was a fairly busy place the crossing of the BLR-Salem single BG line on sarjapur road. the nearest stn is a few 100 mts away in carmelaram mission.

You can also notice another interesting thing here. Some times when crossing this level crossing you can see a train around 250 metres away from you (the train coming from Hosur side). A person may get worried when he sees this for the first time. But nothing to worry, the train would come to a halt in front of the Carmelaram Home Signal (which is around 250 metres away from the LC). This signal is interlocked with the gate. The drivers are informed on the wireless that they can wait for some time as the road vehicle traffic is more, and the gate would be closed soon.

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 25 Mar 2013 15:37

Sachin-. I would be very nervous, Took the same level crossing since a friend of mine lives near Vegetable Oil Corp office when going from Chennai. But this was in June 2011, at that time the double road with Street light ended with that level crossing, is that still the case?

prashanth · Post by **prashanth** » 25 Mar 2013 17:01

Sachin wrote: You can also notice another interesting thing here. Some times when crossing this level crossing you can see a train around 250 metres away from you (the train coming from Hosur side). A person may get worried when he sees this for the first time. But nothing to worry, the train would come to a halt in front of the Carmelaram Home Signal (which is around 250 metres away from the LC). This signal is interlocked with the gate. The drivers are informed on the wireless that they can wait for some time as the road vehicle traffic is more, and the gate would be closed soon.

Its high time they built a ROB/RUB for vehicular traffic. If the loco-pilot somehow misses the red signal, he won't have enough time to bring the train to halt once he sees vehicles crossing the track. And even if he stops the train, sheer panic among people crossing the tracks would have caused accidents. It is astonishing that neither IR nor BBMP has bothered to do something with this.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 25 Mar 2013 20:08

They are started building a flyover there.
Yesterday people were forcing the issue and crossing over while the barrier was coming down, forcing the operator to halt cranking his handle until all the yahoos had passed and the first sensible guy in the line ie me! stopped and let him finish the job.

Looking at speed of express trains if the driver fails to see the red signal its curtains for anyone found on the tracks. No train except maybe some shuttle stops at carmelaram, they speed right through to kr puram.

Gus · Post by **Gus** » 25 Mar 2013 21:21

Well...just yesterday I was driving over an unmanned crossing and the I waited for the guy before me to cross the tracks before I went over the tracks.

And the smartass behind me overtook me and bullied some other bikers on the right of me and jumped in before me, blaring horns all the way. Congratulations, he overtook one car, in a line of 30 vehicles going slow for a few kms in a one lane road.

Sachin · Post by **Sachin** » 25 Mar 2013 21:33

prashanth wrote:f the loco-pilot somehow misses the red signal, he won't have enough time to bring the train to halt once he sees vehicles crossing the track.

Till around 2 years back nothing really existed beyond Carmelaram. All the flats, IT-Vity stuff was much before this point. The YPR-CRLM-HSRA-SA route was a kind of neglected railway line with very few trains using this. Vehicular traffic was also less. The roads were not in very good condition, and only people who wanted to travel towards Sarjapura used this road.

The engine driver missing this signal is very rare. As before this Home Signal, there is always a Distant Signal which would be Orange/Amber. So at that point itself the train would have started to reduce speed. The engine driver may not have much love lost for the road vehicles, but passing a signal at danger is going to mess up his career. So they (engine driver and his assistant) would be double checking every signal.

Now at this point road traffic has increased considerably. The railways is finding it a challenge to close this gate on time. More trains are also now routed via this line. The "Pythons" (two goods trains joint together and driven by 3 locos) also go through this route. So a Road Over Bridge is getting built over here.

Theo_Fidel · Post by **Theo_Fidel** » 25 Mar 2013 22:49

At least India has those full width steel barriers. In the USA there as zero manned barriers and drivers do stupid things that get hundreds of them killed every year.

Bade · Post by **Bade** » 26 Mar 2013 00:19

Every city has manned railway crossing which need over bridges for sure. Was traveling on the north side of Kochi where the new container terminal rail line passes over the chittor road, but there is the regular rail line at grade which has at least two crossings over 1 km stretch near there, perhaps even more. The layout of the road is such, cannot see how an over bridge can be built there. Time to cordon off the existing crossings completely and build proper road connections across the rail line boundaries where such real estate is available.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 26 Mar 2013 06:45

sarjapur road is now popular for various reasons. folks from whitefield side avoid the ORR to get to elec city/JP nagar - the drive down varthur road -> sarjapur road -> ORR jn. traffic from ORR going towards hosur go to sarjapur circle -> attibele highway -> hosur road.
new apartments are also coming up incl one sun city right next to the railway crossing.

there is a green belt declared for long beyond that for some distance, so no layouts or apartments yet but that is likely to be lifted. rumour has it INFY might build out on 500 acre plot of land in sarjapur finally and the attibele highway would be 4 laned as the STRR (sat town ring road).

traffic on that road is steeply up....must be some activity beyond sarjapur on TN side as well...I see lots of trucks heading down that route...maybe they go to devanhalli or old madras road and bypass the city from hosur side.

there is a high density of schools in that area

on the bositiv neuj note that railway crossing had two humongous speed humps which are gone now. atleast I can drive my civic there without a detour

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 26 Mar 2013 11:14

Singha- I think there are some Golf clubs in the TN side past Sarjapur. Besides for people travelling from Whitefeild -Hosur or Vegetable OIL corp Office- Chennai, this is the best route.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 26 Mar 2013 19:50

I have always taken this road coming from or going to Chennai.

Javee · Post by **Javee** » 29 Mar 2013 18:58

Singha wrote:there is a green belt declared for long beyond that for some distance, so no layouts or apartments yet but that is likely to be lifted. rumour has it INFY might build out on 500 acre plot of land in sarjapur finally and the attibele highway would be 4 laned as the STRR (sat town ring road).

Not for atleast 5 years; I heard a popular bigwig politician from AP own couple hundred acres there.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 29 Mar 2013 19:32

so wouldnt he make a killing by tying up with high end builders rather than keep his grassland there?
every bigwig who has land there stands to benefit by lifting the green belt order

krishnan · Post by **krishnan** » 02 Apr 2013 15:21

why not build a small flyover and a small subway at every railway crossing ...would cost a bit , bit will solve lots of problems and no need for manning it

Sachin · Post by **Sachin** » 02 Apr 2013 16:17

krishnan wrote:why not build a small flyover and a small subway at every railway crossing ...would cost a bit , bit will solve lots of problems and no need for manning it

The railways actually does some number crunching before deciding. They have some ratio related to road users v/s the trains. It is based on this they decide to go for a road over bridge or keep the level crossing. Building a road overbridge at every LC may break the back of railways (due to the cost).

Theo_Fidel · Post by **Theo_Fidel** » 02 Apr 2013 19:58

Hah! Some of my best times were spent at level crossings waiting for trains to pass.

There used to be a level crossing after Vellore before one gets to Ambur on the Chennai NH.
Right next to the Yelagiri hills. Spectacular spot. Traffic would often be stuck there for 30+ minutes.
I would always look forward to that area, fresh yellaneer and sweet kongu fruit, melting in your mouth, sometimes a sugarcame kombu.

Sitting on the hood of my dads Gazelle (does anyone remember?) waiting for the traffic to clear.
Tamarind trees and the wind through tall coconut trees, So quiet and mysterious, the hill you yearned to climb but knew you never would,
The local boys who would come and play gulli-danda, yes everyone played this at one time, including hoity-toity types….

I always hoped they would never built a flyover there. But life moves on….

Gus · Post by **Gus** » 02 Apr 2013 21:24

krishnan wrote:why not build a small flyover and a small subway at every railway crossing ...would cost a bit , bit will solve lots of problems and no need for manning it

haha...

given the choice of

1. x money giving y benefits
2. x+1 rupee money giving 2 times y benefits

the goddamned govt always goes for 1.

that is how "farsighted" people in power are.

I think about 50 plus people die every year in the Erode to Sathy road for the lack of one extra feet of blacktop/tar road that will give clearance for two wheelers. And only now they are widening that road. Planning to, actually, the widening itself may take several years. Such is our pace of development.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 03 Apr 2013 09:14

>> Tamarind trees and the wind through tall coconut trees, So quiet and mysterious, the hill you yearned to climb but knew you never would,
The local boys who would come and play gulli-danda, yes everyone played this at one time, including hoity-toity types….
I always hoped they would never built a flyover there. But life moves on….

there is a flyover there no level crossings at all between krishnagiri to chennai. but you can easily drive upto the summit of yellagiri now and so I did last yr in autumn, its very uncrowded as a tourist spot - the lake is clean , there is a nice garden with trees opp where the lake is and a walk to some viewing point I didnt explore. restaurants are very simple. mostly local tourists from ambur and vellore were there.
there is even STC buses going up there, at some corners they need to stop and back up again to make the tight turn.

overall a really cheap and VFM day trip from blr - its the nearest hill station of sorts from blr, the next nearest being yercaud above salem which I also like.

the lake http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U_PJsmNODCA/T ... orLake.JPG
the road right before it passes a check gate and starts the climb http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8217/8336 ... 969d_z.jpg

the kind of place where fathers and sons can go out for a good day together just being boys and travelling light...

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 03 Apr 2013 11:00

kaggadasapura should never have been urbanized so much without building proper access roads from all sides.
now its too late. get out asap if you can.
the whole area behind DRDO, BEML bounded by the ORR in the east and old madras road on the north is one area I seldom venture into...mud, huge humps with zero warning, roads that more rocky trails....there are rules you must follow to survive in there...pandora rules....else it will eat you and shit you out with zero warning as the good col Miles Quaritch said.

here is the famous speech to pandora freshers...easily the most charismatic and likeable character in the movie.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyRR8chgqLE

Sachin · Post by **Sachin** » 03 Apr 2013 11:16

Marten wrote:DRDO has also constructed two parts of a flyover that is unfinished in the middle because the IR has been sitting on approval for over ten years now.

In the 100% literate state an ROB was built after 20-25 years of whining. It was for the last level crossing at Wadakkancheri between Thrissur and Shornur Jn. The rights to build the over bridge right above the railway tracks is awarded to a "Railway Contractor" (and not to any contractor who the state PWD has in their list).

symontk · Post by **symontk** » 05 Apr 2013 13:36

Any bridge under or over any railway line in India, will be built by Indian Railways. no way around, and thats why delays

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 05 Apr 2013 16:08

just passed the construction site on sarjapur road. the pace and scale of the operation would put a village potter to shame. a shambling 2 lane bypass has been built with buses and trucks lurching all over the place.
a couple of guys were tinkering with iron rods on one of the pillar frames thats all.