RAILWAY SAMACHAR

Lalu may offer sops in interim Railway Budget

New Delhi : Railways Minister Lalu Prasad is likely to dole out some sops to the travellers when he presents the interim railway budget in Parliament on February 13. Lalu, who has spared the public from the upward hike in the passenger fares despite increase in global prices of crude oil in the past five years of UPArule, may this time announce some populist schemes ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Besides highlighting ministry's achievements in the last five years, the interim budget is likely to have proposals for introduction of more Garib Raths. As the Railways have already hiked the freight rate of food-grains and fertilisers by 8.3 per cent from early February, it is likely that the freight and passenger fare will remain unchanged. While the budget is likely to register the cash surplus before paying dividend at about Rs 25,000 crore, the operating ratio is also expected to be more thanlast year's 76 per cent. The implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission for the railway employees is the reason for the higher operating ratio in the current year than the last financial year, said a senior official of the ministry.

ICF to supply power saver trains

to Mumbai suburban railway

CHENNAI : The Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai, formally commenced supply of electrical multiple unit trains (EMU) with air-conditioneddriver's cab and forced passenger ventilation system, to Mumbai suburbanrailway, on Monday. Union minister of state for railways R Velu flagged off the trains, which have been fitted with a regenerative braking system that savespower by 30% for the operator. ICF has been the sole supplier of dual voltage EMUs for the transition ofMumbai's suburban rail system from 1500 V DC to 25 KV AC power. Its forced passenger ventilation systems, which pump in 16000 cubic metres of fresh airevery hour, are expected provide relief in peak hours when the coaches with capacity for 100 passengers carry 600. The company, which has a turnout rate of one coach per week, is committed to supplying 177 9-car rakes in phase I. Of this, 101 rakes would be purchased onworld bank funding, and the rest by railway funding. "At the completion of phase I, Mumbai suburban railway would save 20 crore units of power and Rs.90 crore annually, by using our power saving braking systems," said an ICF spokesperson. These coaches are also eligible for Rs.12 crore worth of carbon creditsannually, for which applications have been sent to the United Nations convention for climate change. Energy Conservation Consciousness (ECC) Campaign is a step towards better Energy Habits. We can avoid wastages in work area by implementing effortless energy conservation tips to create a more sustainable and greener organization.

Sonia to inaugurate eastern DFC project

New Delhi : UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi would inaugurated the construction work of eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) at Rohtas in Bihar. She will be accompanied by Railway Minister Lalu Prasad. Construction work will commence on the Sonnagar- Mughalsarai section of the eastern corridor for which tender has already been awarded, an official release issued here said. Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Meira Kumar, Ministers of State forRailways Naranbhai Rathwa and R Velu also present on the occasion. The DFC project on the western and eastern routes is one of the most ambitiousprojects of the Indian Railways and once completed it would meet the transport requirements of the two busy routes. The 1,801 km eastern corridor from Ludhiana to Dankuni will pass through Saharanpur, Khurja, Kanpur, Mughalsarai and Sonnagar. It will be single line onthe 426 km long Ludhiana- Khurja section and double line on the remaining section. The western corridor from Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust To Tughlakabad (1483km) will pass via Surat, Vadodara, Ahmedabad, Palanpur, Ajmer and Rewari and will bea double line corridor.

Lalu flags off express train in TN

Tuticorin : Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad today flagged off Tiruchendur-Chennai Egmore Weekly express train in a function held at Tiruchendur Railway Station here. Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Radhika Selvi presided overthe function which was attended by State Ministers, MPs, MLAs, and Southern Railway General Manager Rakesh Chopra, among others. The special train, which left Tiruchendur station at 1605 hrs today, will arrive at Chennai Egmore station at 0620 hrs tomorrow. The train will halt at Kayalpattinam, Arumuganeri, Nazareth, Seydunganllur, Tirunelveli, Vanchi Maniyachchi, Kovilpatti, Sattur, Virudunagar, Madurai, Kodaikanal Road Dindigul, Tiruchchirappalli, Villupuram, Melmaruvathur, Chengalpattu and Tambaram.

Concern over delay in operating passenger

train in Tiruvarur-Nagore section

It has caused resentment among all sections

CRS had given clearance in December last

TIRUCHI : The delay in the introduction of passenger train servicesin the Tiruvarur – Nagore broad gauge section even after clearancefrom the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) in December has causedmuch resentment among all sections of the society in the central districts. Consumer and service organisations, rail users associations andcommon people have urged the railways to operate train services asearly as possible keeping in mind the interest of the large number of devotees and tourists visiting the Tirunallar Temple, Velankanni Church and Nagore Dargah from various parts of the country. The Tiruvarur - Nagore metre gauge line was converted into broad gauge as part of the Tiruchi - Karaikal gauge conversion project, covering a total distance of 200 km, sanctioned by the Railway Boardas early as in 1995-96. The Tiruvarur –Nagore gauge conversion work, covering a distance of31 kms, was taken up on an outlay of Rs. 75 crore in 2006. The project involved construction of a couple of major bridges, 96 small bridges, 15 manned level crossings and 10 unmanned level crossings. The trial run of the train on the new track was done on March 29,2008. The CRS inspected the track on December 18 and 19 and found the linefit for operating regular trains by giving his green signal in the last week of December. However, even after clearance from the CRS train services are yet tobe introduced. The Tamil Nadu Consumer Protection Council at its meeting held underthe presidentship of R. Kaladharan at Nagapattinam recently adopteda resolution demanding the railways to immediately introduce trainservices in this section. It threatened to launch direct action ifno announcement was forthcoming from the railway by the first week of February. Meanwhile, the BG track conversion work in the 20-km Mayiladuturai –Sirkazhi section has also been completed. The trial run of the train took place on March 30, 2008.