RAILWAY SAMACHAR

CR : PUNE : Railways on track for cleaner trains

PUNE : Travelling by train could soon become a cleaner, more odour-friendly experience. The Pune railway division has floated a proposal to provide onboard cleaning and maintenance services on trains. This means that bogies andtoilets will get periodic clean-ups during the journey. The proposal, submitted to the railway board for further scrutiny, will coverall express and superfast trains originating from Pune. Should the board approve, tenders for the project will be invited. Additional divisional railway manager M. G. Dhamangoankar said, "It will create a pleasant travelling experience for commuters. This is the first timethe Pune division will introduce onboard cleaning activities. The cleaning works will be outsourced to professional companies, which would help in maintaining the standards." Activities involved in keeping the trains clean will include pest control, supply of water and overall maintenance, he said. "All cleaning activities will be carried out using modern machines and techniques. Toiletries like soaps and tissue papers will be made available for the commuters at the toilets. "At present, the Pune division carries out maintenance and cleanliness activities for more than 50 bogies on a daily basis. "All such work will soon will becarried out by professional agencies, under the monitoring if the Railways," said Dhamangoankar. "Trains originating from Pune will be considered under the project on a priority basis. Pune has more than 10 such trains. "According to the senior railway official, "The Railways have announced severalnew initiatives to make the travel experience pleasant, comfortable and secure. The proposal for onboard cleaning was floated after an announcement was made to introduce onboard cleaning services on express trains, during the railway budgetlast year. The overall cost of the proposal will be over Rs 15 crore."

Heritage status: Matheran rly joins race

Mumbai : With the dossier for the Matheran Light Railway's nomination for theWorld Heritage Site status finally being dispatched to the UNESCO office in Paris late last week, the Central Railway (CR) and the Railway Board are hoping that this hill railway will not miss the bus again.' We have sent the necessary documents, including the maps of Matheran, said Rajesh Agarwal, executive director (heritage) of the Railway Board. Thenomination was supposed to reach UNESCO in Paris by Saturday. The Matheran Light Railway had missed the deadline last year and senior railway officials had apprehensions of it not making to the nominations this year also, as CR was yet to submit some details to the Railway Ministry. However, the workwas put on fast track and this helped in meeting the deadline. The Ministry has asked the Maharashtra Government to push hard for the nomination. 'Two cultural nominations have been submitted (Jantar Mantar and Matheran Light Railway) but UNESCO will consider only one for inspection in 2009. A proactive involvement of Maharashtra Government is critical for the Matheran Light Railway to be prioritised for inspection,' the letter said. Opened for traffic in 1904 on initiatives taken by Abdul Hussain, son of business tycoon Sir Adamjee Peerbhoy of Mumbai, who was a regular visitor to Matheran at the turn of the century, the Neral-Matheran route is part of the Mountain Railways of India. The 20-km line was washed away in the 2005 floods but was restored by the railway. The other three mountain railways” the Darjeeling Himalayan railway, Nilgiri Mountain railway and the Kalka-Shimla railway” have already been conferred with the world heritage status by the UNESCO. Kangra Valley railway in Himachal Pradesh is also a scenic hill railway. The Matheran Light Railway's Indian competition is with the Jantar Mantar, built between 1727 and 1734 by Maharaja Jai Singh II of Jaipur. He constructed five astronomical observatories in west central India. The observatories, or 'Jantar Mantars' as they are commonly known, incorporate multiple buildings of unique form, each with a specialised function for astronomical measurement.

Himachal's Kangra Valley Railway

recommended for UNESCO list

Shimla : Close on the heels of induction of century-old Kalka-Shimla Rail (KSR) in UNESCO's heritage list, the pre-independence era Kangra Valley Railway KVR) in Himachal Pradesh has been recommended for inclusion in the UN body's world heritage status for 2009. Considering its historical and cultural importance, KVR has been nominated forinclusion in the UNESCO heritage list, Rajesh Agarwal, Executive Director (heritage) in the Railway ministry, said over phone. Kalka-Shimla Railway enters World Heritage list if accepted, Himachal Pradesh, a favourite tourist destination, would have the unique distinction of having two of its railway lines in the prestigious list. KSR, an engineering marvel built in 1903, found place in the UNESCO heritage list last year. This was the third railway line in the country after Darjeeling Himalayan Railway and Nilgiri Mountain Railway to be accorded the heritage status. Though not much has been written about KVR -- Pathankot- Joginder nagar Kangra Valley Railway -- as compared to KSR, the 163-km track meanders through a mazeof hills and valleys offering travellers enchanting and scenic views. Two Indian sites vie for inscription in World Heritage List Built between 1926 and 1929 for transporting raw material to the Shannan power house at Joginder nagar in Mandi district, KVR runs parallel to the mighty Dhauladhar range, literatures on KVR said. Opened for traffic on April 1, 1929, KVR has more than 950 bridges and two tunnels. The journey offers a sweeping view of the scenic mountains while stopping at 30 small stations.