Indian Railways Thread (Dec 2015)

[vsunder]

^^^ A day old video shows the lifting span is now in front of the span control center and about 30m from the lift mechanism supports which are now seen to be completed. The task of attaching the vertical lift span to the supports has to be done in calm seas and low wind speeds. So the moment of truth has come.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9ATdZlDEkc

[JTull]

^^^ A day old video shows the lifting span is now in front of the span control center and about 30m from the lift mechanism supports which are now seen to be completed. The task of attaching the vertical lift span to the supports has to be done in calm seas and low wind speeds. So the moment of truth has come.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9ATdZlDEkc

3yo Animation video of the planned span bridge

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

[Pratyush]

https://www.business-standard.com/indus ... 095_1.html

Railways to ICF: Make two trains that can run at 250 km per hour

Published on Jun 07 2024 | 12:13 AM IST

[SBajwa]

^^^^

I am sorry gentlemen, but the diagnosis of the overcrowding of trains and ticketless passengers crowding into AC / reserved cars is flawed.

Regardless of how many more numbers of trains are run on a specific route. You are not going solve the problem of over crowding. Unless you solve the reason why so many people are working out of their own home states.

You have highly populated but de-industrialised states from where workers have to travel in order to find work. Such people have to travel. You cannot stop them. The only option for many of them is to travel in reserved coaches. On general tickets.

Unless those states started to industrialise. This issue cannot be solved.

Even though this is a problem that effects the railways. The solution is not available with the railway. Unless you want to physically prevent people from boarding trains. Along with the attendent consequences of such an action.

Exactly! just look at the mess at Capital region (NCR) it has

1. Delhi.
2. Gurugram (Gurgaon).
3. Faridabad.
4. NOIDA.
5. Ghaziabad.

and Rohtak, Sonipat, Panipat, Meerut, Jhaggar, Buluhdshaher, Hapur, etc are already being counted as part of NCR., high speed trains are being created (Delhi-Meerut) for commuters to move in/out.

Instead of moving the industries out of Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Banglore, Chennai they are getting entrenched and concentrated there.
2nd-tier cities like Pune, Nagpur, Ahmedabad, Ludhiana, Jaipur, Thiranthapuram, kochi, coimbatore are already at their max resources (water , electricity, roads, rails, etc).

3rd-tier cities (less than 15 lakh of population) still could be developed to ease out the metropolis areas. Vast majority of people traveling on trains are labor (agriculture or infrastructure) and daily commuters.

[sgundapa]

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/in ... 037584.cms

Jammu, Commissioner of Railways Safety (CRS) D C Deshwal will conduct a two-day inspection of the 46-km Sangaldan-Reasi section, which passes through the world's highest steel arch rail bridge over Chenab and major tunnels, later this month, an official said on Sunday. Chief Public Relations Officer, Northern Railway, Deepak Kumar said the commissioning of this section depends on the CRS's inspection of this vital section of the ambitious Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail link (USBRL) on June 27 and 28.

"The works of Sangaldan to Reasi will be completed before the scheduled inspection of CRS," he told PTI.

Out of the total 272 km USBRL project, 209 km was commissioned in phases with the first phase of the 118 km Qazigund-Baramulla section commissioned in October 2009 followed by 18 km Banihal-Qazigund in June 2013, 25 km Udhampur-Katra in July 2014 and 48.1 km long Banihal-Sangaldan stretch in February, this year.

With the commissioning of the 46 km Sangaldan-Reasi section, the work on only a 17 km stretch between Reasi and Katra remains pending which is likely to be completed by the year's end to connect Kashmir with the rest of the country by train - a dream project on which the work started in 1997 and has missed several deadlines given geological, topographical, and meteorological challenges.

Official sources said the flagging of the first train between Sangaldan to Reasi is likely to be done on June 30, connecting the Reasi district in Jammu to Kashmir via railway line.

Last month, the General Manager of Northern Railway Shobhan Chaudhuri inspected the Chenab Bridge up to Sangaldan station via Motor Trolley, assessing the track, Electrical and Mechanical system and signal telecom works in the Bakkal-Duggar-Sawalkote-Sangaldan section. Chaudhuri also conducted balance activities for completing the work of Sawalkote yard, Tunnels T-42 and T-43 with engineers of Northern Railway, IRCON and Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL).

"The train service from #Ramban (Sangaldan) to #Reasi via the world's highest railway bridge built on river Chenab to begin soon. The #Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (#USBRL) project will be completed by year-end," Union Minister Jitendra Singh wrote on 'X'.

The 1.3 km Chenab rail bridge located 359 meters above the riverbed, 35 meters higher than the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris, forms a crucial link of the project. The Jammu and Kashmir Administration had already announced plans to develop the bridge as a 'tourist spot'.

The base of the steel and concrete arch bridge between Bakkal and Kauri, 42 km from Reasi town, was completed in November 2017, allowing for the start of the construction of the main arch which was done in April 2021.

Another milestone on the bridge was achieved in August 2022 when the overarch deck of the bridge was completed with a 'Golden Joint', paving the way for the laying of the track which was completed the next year. Deputy Commissioner, Reasi Vishesh Paul Mahajan, who recently inspected the railway line, said the people of the district are eagerly waiting to listen to the train's siren and its chugging on the trek.

"The commissioning of the Sangaldan-Reasi section means an alternate link between Reasi in Jammu and Kashmir. This will be followed by linking Katra station to Kashmir, heralding a new phase and the biggest achievement with the valley getting connected to Kanyakumari," he told PTI.

Mahajan said when the train crosses the Chenab bridge, anytime soon it will be a proud moment for the country that "our engineers have gifted the highest railway bridge to the world."

"This entire railway project is full of engineering marvels as most of the 111-km section between Katra and Banihal passes through tunnels and bridges. We have India's first cable-stayed rail bridge (Anji Khad) also here," he said, saluting the railway for inching closer to completing the 'dream project'.

[Prem Kumar]

It may not be a coincidence that, while this is happening, the terror attack happened in Reasi

The Chenab bridge presents a high-profile target for terrorists. They may attack the train (or) stop the train in the middle of the bridge to blow it up (or) plant IEDs after pulling the chain when the train goes over the bridge etc

[hanumadu]

It will be protected by CISF or other forces I think. Also it can withstand a considerable force.

[saip]

Kanchanjungha Express train accident
15 dead, many injured. As usual opposition is going to town with their criticism. Even Mamta begum, like they were better when she was the RM.

[nandakumar]

Kanchanjungha Express train accident
15 dead, many injured. As usual opposition is going to town with their criticism. Even Mamta begum, like they were better when she was the RM.

From the images that I have seen since yesterday morning it seemed to me that the accident spot is one where the Kanchenjunga Express and the goods train were in the main line, as opposed to the loop line when a train is stopped to allow a faster moving train to overtake. In other words a train has no business to stop when it is already on the mainline. At best it can be moving slowly (amber light) to allow some train ahead (usually a goods train) to safely get into the loop line so that the faster moving train coming from behind can safely overtake. But in this case it is the goods train that came from behind and rammed into the express train ahead. Could a goods train be faster than an express train which could even be a a super fast train? Very perplexing.

[Yogi_G]

Indian railways has lost the plot. Reserved compartments are now fully open season. What happened recently in Chennai is shocking! Railway police is understaffed and TTE corruption is a reality that will not go away. I am hearing "there are more costly trains than cheaper trains" for migrating labour and hence the problem kind of excuses freely floating now. Eunuchs are another big problem apart from seat encroachers. We have to face reality in the eye now.

[Aditya_V]

Indian railways has lost the plot. Reserved compartments are now fully open season. What happened recently in Chennai is shocking! Railway police is understaffed and TTE corruption is a reality that will not go away. I am hearing "there are more costly trains than cheaper trains" for migrating labour and hence the problem kind of excuses freely floating now. Eunuchs are another big problem apart from seat encroachers. We have to face reality in the eye now.

These problems are there, but I travel by trains and they are much better was much worse off, Train Journeys, IRCTC has improved a lot. But we have a long way to go, with 140 crore people, the number of people required to travel is huge.

Twitter is carrying some facts with lots of propaganda , old videos etc.

100km from Metro, many people travel for work and abuse the system since unreserved coaches are not enough- I travelled to Chennai Salem in 2005, you should have seen the number of unreserved people entering sleeper coaches. We were cursing why we bothered the trouble for reserved tickets.

We need huge investments in tracks, coaches, Metros. On a scale not seen before, but the INC sponsored doom and gloom Twitter propaganda is pure propaganda. Lets not give it space on BR. These are nothing but Medha Patkar's trying stop the Railway modernization.

[Yogi_G]

Agreed of the BIF aspects but what I am hearing from many friends and relatives is that the frequency of the issues has increased. My own relatives are facing it more often now. Worrisome thing is that complaints to authorities doesnt seem to be working of late. This is a new pattern of problem where folks are being prevented from getting into coaches sir. Something is amiss and definitely needs to be addressed. My wife always used to vouch for trains over flights, now seeing her guarded approach to trains in SOME routes I am seeing the trend being widespread now versus one off incidents. Dont get me wrong here, I am all for this administration and the novelties and trends it has brought in, however the angst among middle class translates into votes or lack of.

[rajkumar]

Sudhanu Mani on What's Gone Wrong On Indian Railways



Valid observations

[Amber G.]

I am seeing videos of sabotage of Indian Railways by elements intent on causing accidents. These clips include stuffing newspaper on the signal lights to prevent drivers from seeing the red signals, tampering with the rails or joints, damaging electronic controls, etc. this goes beyond throwing stones at the trains (which damage windows, etc. and hurt individual passengers).

What’s needed is a two-fold solution:

- extensive education to inform communities repeatedly involved in such crimes of the damage such actions cause and risks to their families in terms of legal action, and

- stringent punishment that holds perpetrators responsible for conspiracy to murder and social unrest

[tandav]

https://indianexpress.com/article/expla ... e-9397948/

Opposition demands the resignation of Ashwini Vaishnaw for the very large number of accidents in the last 10 years under NDA.

The charge laid is the poor implementation of KAVACH and focus on launching elitist VANDE BHARAT trains by the PMO.

[SBajwa]

Indian Railway conducts trial run on World’s Highest Railway Bridge ‘Chenab’ in Reasi, J&K

[hanumadu]

https://indianexpress.com/article/expla ... e-9397948/

Opposition demands the resignation of Ashwini Vaishnaw for the very large number of accidents in the last 10 years under NDA.

The charge laid is the poor implementation of KAVACH and focus on launching elitist VANDE BHARAT trains by the PMO.

Very large number? I can only recall 3 or 4 in the last couple of years.

[tandav]

Snip...

The charge laid is the poor implementation of KAVACH and focus on launching elitist VANDE BHARAT trains by the PMO.

Very large number? I can only recall 3 or 4 in the last couple of years.

It's 9 or 10 major accidents (no counting derailments which are many many more) with over 1000 deaths since 2014 all under NDA regime. In the same period China had 5 accidents with 4 deaths.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of ... s_in_China

[disha]

Indian railways has lost the plot. Reserved compartments are now fully open season. What happened recently in Chennai is shocking! Railway police is understaffed and TTE corruption is a reality that will not go away. I am hearing "there are more costly trains than cheaper trains" for migrating labour and hence the problem kind of excuses freely floating now. Eunuchs are another big problem apart from seat encroachers. We have to face reality in the eye now.

This was a problem even 30 years back. In fact, trains have improved a lot. A lot.

RRTS and Metros are the answers. But then RRTS will take another decade or so before it bears any fruit.

[vera_k]

Why is it taking time to install Kavach

I was surprised to learn than the Kavach system was demonstrated only in March 2022. Rolling it out is fairly involved work too.

Chinese implementation is described here - Chinese Train Control System

[Sachin]

But in this case it is the goods train that came from behind and rammed into the express train ahead. Could a goods train be faster than an express train which could even be a a super fast train? Very perplexing.

I don't think it was the question of who was faster. This being a major trunk route, there would be track circuiting on the tracks. So if the track ahead is occupied (in this case by the stationary or slow moving express train), the signal at the rear of that train would be at Danger/Red. That is how the signals are configured. The driver of the goods train should have seen this Danger/Red signal and applied the breaks. Also; before the Danger/Red signal at approx 800 mts there would be another Warner/Distant signal which would have been yellow.

The drivers of the goods train (Asst & the Driver) seems to have missed this, or the signal could have been faulty (like what happened near Balasore, Orissa). A new reason being floated is that drivers are now more fatigued at work due to staff shortage. They work trains without adequate rests. A few days ago there was another derailment in Punjab. News reports on IR now planning for massive hire of ALPs gives an impression that complaints of the running staff were actually true (and NDA can now face the political ramifications).

Indian railways has lost the plot...Eunuchs are another big problem apart from seat encroachers. We have to face reality in the eye now.

Basically IR has zero law enforcement capabilities. They have TTEs (commercial department), the RPF and the GRP (police forces with prosecution powers). All the three combined have not been able to make any improvement on the safety and security of passengers. Sleeper Class reserved tickets are now just meaningless, as season ticket holders, local commuters, eunuchs, unreserved ticket holders just barge in. Luckily in my parts the roads have drastically improved, and so are the buses (Volvo sleepers et.al). IR should perhaps focus on low paying passengers and just allow them to run riot in the coaches. Any body who can afford it, is already moving to self-driven vehicles, A/C buses or flights.

This is a new pattern of problem where folks are being prevented from getting into coaches sir.

True. This had happened around 4-5 years back at a suburban station near Bangalore. Kerala bound express came in at around 7PM (peak time for local commuters). They barged in, blocked the doors. Ultimately the people who could not board the train were the people who took the pains to make and advance reservations.

Opposition demands the resignation of Ashwini Vaishnaw for the very large number of accidents in the last 10 years under NDA.
The charge laid is the poor implementation of KAVACH and focus on launching elitist VANDE BHARAT trains by the PMO.

Opposition has tasted blood in last LS elections and NDA and its supporters will now have a tough time defending (at times the indefensible). Vande Bharat trains, I can agree with its launch. It atleast introduces some pride in the common people (who until now was on a permenant inferiority-complex mode and worshipped the Nehru-Ghandi gang, who ruled like the Viceroys of India).

Train drivers watching cricket on phone led to October crash in Andhra Pradesh: Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. I am surprised that this comment from the Railway Minister was not used for further propaganda. Earlier reports was that it was a technical snag which caused the accident. And now it is watching cricket while driving trains. It just shows the discipline of IR running staff and the minister's grip over the department.

[Kamal_raj]

Very large number? I can only recall 3 or 4 in the last couple of years.

It's 9 or 10 major accidents (no counting derailments which are many many more) with over 1000 deaths since 2014 all under NDA regime. In the same period China had 5 accidents with 4 deaths.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of ... s_in_China

“In contrast, from 2014 to March 2023, under the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) rule, the number of these mishaps recorded was 638. In terms of casualties, the UPA era saw 2,453 lives lost and 4,486 injuries in train accidents, while the NDA period recorded 781 deaths and 1,543 injuries.”

https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/india/sto ... 2024-06-18

[vera_k]

More detail in this article with the nugget that this section switched from manual to automated signaling in the last year. Looks like a training issue if that is upheld. And points to the pace of change exceeding people's ability to keep up.

But there can be a technical solution here too by requiring deployment of the Kavach system before any major changes are rolled out.

Signal failed 3 hrs before crash

[Sachin]

Looks like a training issue if that is upheld. And points to the pace of change exceeding people's ability to keep up.

The thumb rule in railway safety is that for major accidents to happen more than one person should make a mistake at the same time. Here looks like the station masters too have contributed to the accident.

The mention of T/A 912 form actually changes the whole angle of investigations. In Tokenless Block sections also similar notices are issued when there is a signal failure. When such an event happens, the station master at the current station and the station forward will confirm train movement and also share what is known as PN numbers (for later reference). When signals or block instruments fail, then the absolute responsibility is with the S.M. He then issues as Paper Line Clear Ticket (PLCT) to the driver which authorises him to cross a signal which is at fault or at Danger/ON. The engine drivers assume that the S.M had done all the due diligence before issuing the PLCT.

The infamous train accident of 1990s The Lokur Danishpet Train Collission was also because of not following the rules (by an S.M and a Pointsman), and the victims of it were the engine drivers of two trains (and numerous passengers in one of them).

[Amber G.]

The first train to cross the world’s highest railway bridge—the Chenab Bridge in India.

[arshyam]

Looks like a training issue if that is upheld. And points to the pace of change exceeding people's ability to keep up.

The thumb rule in railway safety is that for major accidents to happen more than one person should make a mistake at the same time. Here looks like the station masters too have contributed to the accident.

The mention of T/A 912 form actually changes the whole angle of investigations. In Tokenless Block sections also similar notices are issued when there is a signal failure. When such an event happens, the station master at the current station and the station forward will confirm train movement and also share what is known as PN numbers (for later reference). When signals or block instruments fail, then the absolute responsibility is with the S.M. He then issues as Paper Line Clear Ticket (PLCT) to the driver which authorises him to cross a signal which is at fault or at Danger/ON. The engine drivers assume that the S.M had done all the due diligence before issuing the PLCT.

The infamous train accident of 1990s The Lokur Danishpet Train Collission was also because of not following the rules (by an S.M and a Pointsman), and the victims of it were the engine drivers of two trains (and numberous passengers in one of them).

Sachin saar, per discussion on the IRFCA forum, the paper authority was issued as per policy, but it's not clear if there was an overspeeding issue after proceeding with the paper authority.

Usually, LPs are cautious when proceeding with a paper authority (I believe the paper authority restricts speeds to 30kmph or less), and there is an ALP in the loco as a backup in case a tired LP makes a mistake. Also, the guard of the goods train would have noticed noticed a higher-than normal speed when running with a paper authority and has tools like emergency brake at his end too.

Similarly, why was the express train halted where it was rear-ended - if it was halted because of some track issue/something unforseen, isn't the guard of the express train supposed to lay warning signs behind the disabled train? Or if the train had halted just beyond a curve reducing the goods LPs' line of sight distance to spot a stopped train ahead, they would have still applied emergency brakes to reduce speed as much as possible, and even accounting for greater momentum for a loaded goods train, the collision should have been far more gentle impacting the last coach or two. But that was not the case. So based on these factors, the goods train significantly overspeeding appears to be the more likely cause.

Lastly, and this is something you might have better insight into - doesn't everyone have walkie-talkies these days? Surely some messages would have been exchanged via radio? The terrain doesn't seem an issue causing poor reception, etc., so why was that not used?

[Sachin]

Sachin saar, per discussion on the IRFCA forum

Me too checking the same; IRFCA the Bhagawath Gita of Indian Railways . Also I checked Samir Roychoudhary's Indian Railway Atlas. Rangapani & Chatter Hat stations seems to be approx 15kms away from each other. There is also a station Nijbari between the two, but not sure if Nijbari is actually a station with an SM & staff.

Also, the guard of the goods train would have noticed noticed a higher-than normal speed when running with a paper authority and has tools like emergency brake at his end too.

PLCT is also issued to the guard & the driver, so I feel the Guard too would have known that there is a signal failure and they should proceed at reduced speed. He is still alive, and I think his statement to the enquiry commission would be crucial.

Similarly, why was the express train halted where it was rear-ended - if it was halted because of some track issue/something unforseen, isn't the guard of the express train supposed to lay warning signs behind the disabled train?

In IRFCA I saw comments that it could be due to ACP (Alarm Chain Pulling) as well. And the Express train guard may NOT have been able to get the time to fix the detonators (the warning signs). Usually trains are not allowed to stop in places, where they don't have a stop signal (which can show red aspect) at the rear of the train. This is to ensure that, that there is at least one signal which can be put ON/Danger to protect the train which went past by that signal.

There is also some thing known as a Home Signal (even in automatic block territory) which is the first stop signal before entering a station. These are often manually controlled from the station. And every such stop signal has to have a distant/warning signal before it. If the home signal is at danger, the distant signal would be at caution. The goods driver ideally should have seen the distant signal at caution and reduced the speed.

In automatic block territory there is also track circuits, and the station masters can detect the train movement on all tracks in the station territory. So the station master would have known that the express train has occuppied one of the lines.

There seems to be multiple failures here;
1. Was the track circuiting at Chatter Hat station at fault? So that Chatter Hat SM did not notice that the express train was occupying the track? Even other wise he would have noticed that the express train had not crossed his station limits (there is a reason for SMs standing on the platforms - they are to physically check the train going through and exchange signals with the guard).
2. Did Rangapani SM issued a Paper Line clear ticket without checking with Chatter Hat station if the express has cleared the block section? Or he assumed that it would have, and allowed the next train after 15 mins?
3. When IR says it is a signal failure, was it complete shut down of all signals? There is a distance of around 15km between the two stations, and none of the signals in this distance worked correctly? And the goods train driver just rode on at a high speed.
4. Was it a situation that in the 15km between Rangapani and Chatterhat all signals, telephone circuits, track circuits were down?

Lastly, and this is something you might have better insight into - doesn't everyone have walkie-talkies these days? Surely some messages would have been exchanged via radio? The terrain doesn't seem an issue causing poor reception, etc., so why was that not used?

Walkie-Talkies are now standard issue; one each for the guard & the driver. These generally have 5W power, so if terrain is good at it gives a coverage of at least 3-4 kms easily. Secondly; each Railway station would also be provided with a 25W VHF set fixed to an external antenna. The coverage of such sets is much more, can be 20-30kms. Rangapani SM could have reached Chatter Hat SM directly on the VHF set (if normal railway telephone circuit was out). Even when SMs issue a PLCT, they usually inform the driver & guard on the radio about the problem at hand, and that driver & guard should wait to collect the PLCT and sign on the SM's copy. And when a train comes to a stop before the station proper the guard also informs the SM that they are halted at the specific location. The SM usually responds like "Section ahead not cleared, please wait for few minutes, will take off Home Signal and take you onto Road 2".

But none of the radio communication between running staff & SMs are recorded. And usally as per IR rules instructions received orally through the walkie talkies/VHF are not authoritative. They are more of FYI messages.

[rajkumar]

Hybrid Warfare On French Railways

[bala]

1 str Trial run for Vande Metro in this YT. Skip to 6:48 to watch.

[Zynda]

I think around mid-July, IR issued a revised speed certificate approving 130 Kph operations between Bangalore & JTJ...making the entire Bangalore & Chennai section 130 capable (for most trains). I am not sure operationally, the trains are doing 130 and I am yet to see any videos on Youtube of trains doing 130 between Bangalore & Jolarpettai. I will plan a ride on VB soon to experience 130 speed on IR tracks. Next goal...160 Kph operations

[nandakumar]

I think around mid-July, IR issued a revised speed certificate approving 130 Kph operations between Bangalore & JTJ...making the entire Bangalore & Chennai section 130 capable (for most trains). I am not sure operationally, the trains are doing 130 and I am yet to see any videos on Youtube of trains doing 130 between Bangalore & Jolarpettai. I will plan a ride on VB soon to experience 130 speed on IR tracks. Next goal...160 Kph operations

I have traveled on Vandebharat a couple times recently. After Katpadi it certainly touches 127/129 kmph routinely.

[vsunder]

The Sabarmati Express that was set on fire at Godhra and carries pilgrims from Western India to Ayodhya has met an accident at Kanpur outer on the Kanpur-Jhansi line. Several coaches have derailed including the loco. Preliminary indications are that an object was placed on the track to cause the derailment. The derailment occurred between Kanpur and Bhimsen station which is Kanpur outer where the Kanpur Jhansi track splits off from the Kanpur--Banda--Chitrakoot track. This is an important line which carries all traffic from Gangetic Uttar Pradesh to Mumbai, Chennai, Kerala and Hyderabad including traffic from Lucknow and Gorakhpur. I am not sure how long it will take to restore the track. There were no deaths, at least according to preliminary reports.

It is confirmed that it is sabotage. IB is on the scene collecting and protecting evidence. It happened at 2:35am I suppose on the train starting from Varanasi, through Ayodhya and through Lucknow, Kanpur, Jhansi and on to Ahmedabad. Train seems to be running 90 mins late. It is not some run of the mill stuff, it is a sophisticated sabotage.

[Zynda]

The recent increased frequency in train derailments could be ascertained to sabotage. I see occasional clips on Twitter (unverified of course) of people covering track side signal lights with newspapers & others to make it not visible to oncoming trains. Other clips include attempts to sabotage track side infrastructure. Again I don't know why anyone would film the act and not sure how people get these footage to put up on Twitter but still...the recent announcement gives certain credibility to the hypothesis of sabotage. It is actually sickening to imagine the depth to which people would sink to make their political/ideological points.

[sanjayc]

Many things are being tried to disrupt the economy. One I can see is train derailment by sabotaging the tracks. Another I am seeing with increasing frequency is bomb hoax calls to airports, malls, schools, etc.

[vsunder]

A Tale of Two Bridges

Two extremely important railway bridges will see commissioning by the end of this year.

1. Bridge 1 is the bridge across the Yamuna river out of Delhi Jn. The original Loha ka pul(Iron bridge) commissioned in 1867 is long on the tooth and past its codal life. Trains on it travel at 10kmph. All traffic into Delhi Jn from the East, Howrah, Lucknow, Kanpur etc travel on this bridge. It has taken over 20 years to build it while the Angrez constructed bridge took 3 years. The old bridge is frequently submerged by Yamuna floods cutting Delhi. The new bridge will not suffer this fate. When the bridge was being constructed, the ASI objected to the alignment as it went too near the Salimgarh fort which is part of the Red Fort complex.
Salimgarh was used as a prison by the Mughals. Aurangzeb imprisoned his favorite daughter Zeb-un-Nissa here and she died here after 20 years of imprisonment. Construction of the new bridge was started in 2003. Salimgarh is a UNESCO protected site.

Construction of the bridge was halted for 5 years due to the ASI objection beginning 2007 and a new alignment was agreed upon. But then progress was way too slow. Finally all spans are in place as you can see and track laying has also started and completed half way on the 956m new bridge which is built for double lines. The approaches at the Ghaziabad end and Delhi end are also ready and there will be a big mega block to connect the new bridge to the existing track which should be taken soon and will be done quickly as Delhi Jn. is an extremely busy station with several trains originating and passing through.

The existing Loha ka pul is a double decker and road traffic proceeds towards Ghaziabad on the lower deck. This lower deck is the haunt of drug addicts and drug pushers, whores and other unseemly elements all due to the AAP. Notice the under construction Delhi-Dehradun limited access expressway crosses over the railway tracks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvcA6gXFWAU


2. The new Pamban bridge is also going to be ready by year end. Notice the vertical lifting span a novel solution to allow fishing boats to go under the bridge has been dragged into place now and this was the main difficulty dragging it through a 2.5 degree curve from the Rameswaram end. Track linking is also seen in the video done from the mainland/Mandapam camp and also from the Rameswaram end. The old bridge that served for more than a century is not in use as the structure is unsafe due to corrosion.
The vertical lifting span was designed by a Spanish engineering company and RVNL is the executing agency for the project.
Checking the load bearing capacity of the new bridge possibly happened today by running a freight across loaded with ballast I suppose.

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



Both projects came to fruition under Modi. Just saying.

[bala]

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Highlights Innovations in Vande Sleeper Coach During Inspection

During an inspection of the Vande Sleeper Coach at BEML in Bengaluru, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw emphasized the modern technology, safety features, and affordability incorporated into the new train design. He noted that the Vande Bharat series, including Vande Chair Car, Vande Sleeper, Vande Metro, and Amrit Bharat, have been crafted with special facilities for both loco pilots and service staff, making it a top choice for middle-class travelers. Vaishnaw stated that the Vande Sleeper Coach is comparable to the best trains globally, with a dedicated cabin for maintenance staff and numerous innovative safety features.

[sanjayc]

The full video of interiors. World-class.

[S_Madhukar]

Interiors are good but not sure luggage racks are going to be adequate. The pet enclosure sounds interesting, may be desi pets are less pampered and will be happy to be stored away. Does a Rajdhani style fare deal for AC 3 tier still work ? I would think patrons here would prefer 2 tier , 3 seems too crowded for a luxe train. But great initiative and with may be a Sleeper livery will be great addition to the fleet.

[sanjayc]

The newly announced VandeBharat Metro between Ahmedabad-Bhuj. It will stop at nine stations and cover the 360 kilometre distance in 5 hours and 45 minutes at a top speed of 110 kilometres per hour.



https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/india ... 22072.html

Indian Railways is all set to operate the first Vande Metro train connecting Ahmedabad with Bhuj in Gujarat. The Ahmedabad-Bhuj Vande Metro is a fully unreserved air-conditioned train for which passengers can buy tickets from the counter shortly before departure, Western Railway (Ahmedabad division) public relations officer Pradeep Sharma said on Saturday.

Ahmedabad-Bhuj Vande Metro service will stop at nine stations and cover the 360 kilometre distance in 5 hours and 45 minutes at a top speed of 110 kilometres per hour

Features of Vande Bharat Metro:

The indigenously developed train has 12 air-conditioned coaches with centrally controlled automatic sliding doors, modular interiors, continuous LED lighting, toilets with vacuum evacuation, route map indicators, panoramic windows, CCTV, phone charging facilities and automatic smoke/fire detection with alarm system and aerosol based fire extinguishing system. It has been given advanced and improved features that enable it to reach a speed of 110 KMPH.

Stoppages of Vande Bharat Metro:
Train No- 94802 Vande Bharat Metro will depart from Bhuj at 05.05 am and will stop at Anjar for two minutes after reaching at 05.34 am, will reach Gandhidham at 05.55 am and halt for 10 minutes. The next stop will be at Bhachau for two minutes at 6.36 am, Samakhiali at 6.54 am for two minutes, Halvad at 7.55 am for two minutes, Dhrangadhara at 8.25 am for two minutes, Viramgam at 9.25 am for two minutes, Chandlodiya at 10.03 for two minutes, Sabarmati at 10.15 am for two minutes and finally reaching Ahmedabad at 10.50 am.

Train No-94801 will leave Ahmedabad at 5.30 pm and reach Sabarmati at 5.40 pm and will halt for two minutes, reach Chandlodiya at 5.47 pm, Viramgam at 6.26 pm, Dhrangadhra at 7.19 pm, Halvad at 7.49 pm Samakhiali at 8.55 pm, Bhachau at 9.13 pm, Anjar at 10.18 pm and finally Bhuj at 11.10 pm

Fare of Vande Bharat Metro:

The minimum chargeable fare for Vande Bharat Metro will be Rs 30. Season tickets will also be available like weekly, fortnightly and monthly season tickets shall be charged at equivalent to 7,15 and 20 single journeys. No concession is there for travelling in Vande Bharat Metro train.

According to Railways sources, it will have a unique coach configuration in which four coaches will constitute one unit and a minimum of 12 coaches will make one Vande Metro. To start with, the Railways will launch a minimum of 12 Vande Metro coaches and will increase coaches up to 16 as per the demand on the route.

The time limit for the cancellation of tickets and the applicability of a clerkage charge of Rs. 60 on cancellation of tickets shall be as per Rules No. 4 and 5 of the Railway Passenger (Cancellation of Tickets and Refund of Fare) Rule 2015. Additionally, GST at 5% on the clerkage charge shall also be applicable as per existing principles.

"Initially, we will have a 12-coach metro but it can be extended to 16 coaches depending on thedemand and need of the city," the official said, adding the city which will have the first Vande Metro is also being worked out

[vsunder]

This is the fourth attempt to derail trains in recent days. In this case an Army special train was the target o derailment using detonators no less:

https://www.freepressjournal.in/amp/bho ... e=inshorts

Other three attempts two in Rajasthan where in Case 1 cement blocks were put on the WDFC. Case 2 in Rajasthan where a gas propane cylinder was put on the tracks. Case 3 in Uttarakhand where a steel pole was put across the tracks.