Tracking history: Century-old saloon coach restored
Chennai: For the gora sahib travelling to inspect the pride of the British Raj - the railway, the glass windows once framed the undulating arid landscape of the
Marathwada region. Close to 100 years after it first trundled down the line connecting Nagpur to
Jabalpur, the same coach has now been restored to its former glory and rests in the regional railway museum in the city.
Railway Board sanctioned for the museum in Chennai, only to find that it was sent to a museum in Pune," said
Jagadeesan N, senior engineer, planning and furnishing at the
Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai. While walking around the railway yard, Jagadeesan and his colleague came across the century-old coach, which served as a saloon for railway officers. "It was part of a narrow gauge train. The wood had rotted, leaving gaping holes, and the metal was twisted. We could vaguely make out that the coach once had a bedroom, a kitchen and a bathroom," said Jagadeesan. They also identified three other coaches, which was part of the rich history of the narrow gauge lines that criss-crossed India: A postal coach, another a first-class compartment and a third guard-cum-luggage van. These coaches were part of the trains that used to run between Nagpur andChhindwara and Jabalpur.
While narrow-gauge lines are now restricted only to a few routes in hilly terrains, there were once more than 100 narrow-gauge lines in the country. Until 2015, narrow gauge lines covered only 2,000km of the total 1.15lakh km of the railway network. With a 622-km network, the Nagpur division of
South-East Central Railway is considered one of the biggest narrow gauge (NG) routes in Indian Railways at present
The four coaches were brought by road from Nagpur on three trailer trucks. But it wasn't until six years later that the railway museum officials here got funds to refurbish the coaches. "As of now, we have renovated only the 1906 coach as it required extensive work," said
Arun Devraj, curator of the museum here. The wooden walls were painted, the metal floor welded and colonial furniture introduced to recreate the era when narrow-gauge trains weren't just valued as heritage but were a lifeline. Officials are now in the process of renovating the postal coach with the help of private players, following which they will begin work on the other two coaches, which were manufactured in 1968.
Arun said the 100-year-old renovated coach has been thrown open to visitors, which mostly comprises school children. "Unlike in other railway museums where people are not allowed to touch the exhibits, visitors here can sit inside a coupe and relive a bygone era," he said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...aloon-coach-restored/articleshow/53531284.cms
Ashok Kumar Gupta is GM of SWR
Ashok Kumar Gupta
has assumed office as general manager of South Western Railway (SWR).
Mr. Gupta, an engineering graduate, took charge on Tuesday. He was the director of Indian Railways Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Jamalpur, before assuming the new post.
Mr. Gupta joined Indian Railways in 1981, and has served in several executive and managerial positions in various railway zonessince then.
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-pape...k-kumar-gupta-is-gm-of-swr/article8940165.ece
Sudhanshu Mani appointed as new GM for ICF
Sudhanshu Mani has been appointed as General Manager, Integral Coach Factory. Prior to this, he was Chief Mechanical Engineer, Rail Wheel Factory, Yelahanka Bengaluru.
Mani belongs to 1979 batch of Indian Railways Service of Mechanical Engineers (IRSME). He has over 36 years of experience in Indian Railways and worked in areas like workshop management, railway operations, project management, planning and R&D.
In his earlier capacities, he had worked as Advisor (Minister), Berlin, at Embassy of India, Germany; Divisional Railway Manager, South Western Railway, Bengaluru; Executive Director in Research Designs & Standards Organisation (RDSO), Lucknow and Chief Workshop Manager, Lallaguda Workshop, says an ICF release.
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com...ppointed-as-new-gm-for-icf/article8938630.ece
Railways' passenger earnings fall by nearly 10%
The financial effect of social service obligation on railways for the fiscal 2015-16 is Rs 24,938.57 crore, Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain said in a written reply.
The passenger earnings of the Indian Railway for first quarter of 2016-17 (upto June-16) is is 9.97 percent less than the Budget proportion of Rs 12,845.41 crore during the said period at Rs 11,629.31 crore, Lok Sabha was told today.
The financial effect of social service obligation on railways for the fiscal 2015-16 is Rs 24,938.57 crore, Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain said in a written reply.
He said the earnings of passenger segment of railways for 2015-16 is Rs 44,283.26 crore.
Railways carry out certain transport activities which are uneconomic in nature but conducted in the larger interest of the society.
Commodities like fruit and vegetables, bamboos, paper, sugarcane, manufactured cotton, charcoal, brick tiles and firewood among others were transported by railways at "below cost operation" as social service obligation.
Losses incurred on such services, staff welfare and law and order costs, are assessed every year and termed as social service obligation of railways, Gohain added.
http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/economy/railways-passenger-earnings-fall-by-nearly-10_7192221.html
