Indian Economy-News & Updates

[Hindustani78]

New Delhi, December 12, 2017 20:01 IST
Updated: December 12, 2017 20:01 IST
NCRB data: RPF reported 10.68L criminal cases in 2016
http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...8l-criminal-cases-in-2016/article21520576.ece

The RPF works directly under the Ministry of Railways and its primary responsibility is to safeguard railway properties, including rolling stock, the permanent way and station or yard premises from damage or sabotage. | Photo Credit: Vivek Bendre


The Government Railway Police, coming under the respective State governments, registered a total of 61,952 cases of crimes in 2016.

As many as 10.68 lakh crime cases were reported by the railway protection force (RPF) in 2016, up from 9.42 lakh the previous year, according to data compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

Maharashtra topped the list with 2,23,360 reported cases (or 20.9% of the total cases) in 2016. The State had reported 1,96,602 cases in 2015, reveals the annual crime data recorded by the central agency.

In Uttar Pradesh, 1,24,720 crime cases (or 11.7% of the total crime cases) were registered by the RPF last year, up from 1,06,577 in 2015, the data shows.

Delhi reported 24,293 cases in 2016, a sharp surge from 15,083 in the previous year.

The RPF works directly under the Ministry of Railways and its primary responsibility is to safeguard railway properties, including rolling stock, the permanent way and station or yard premises from damage or sabotage. It is the RPF’s responsibility to investigate incidents of vandalism, theft, etc. of railway assets and the properties.

The Government Railway Police (GRP) on the other hand works under the respective state governments under whose jurisdiction they are posted and their primary responsibility is maintaining law and order and ensuring passengers safety on board trains and on railway property.

The GRP concerns itself with robberies or other criminal incidents on board trains or on railway premises, missing persons, injuries or deaths in connection with the railways, and has police powers in each state to arrest persons, register criminal cases, etc.

According to the NCRB data, the GRP in 2016 registered a total of 61,952 cases of crimes including those of theft, robbery, rape, rioting, kidnapping and arson, up from 53,547 the previous year.

Uttar Pradesh, which accounted for 19.6% of these cases — nearly one in every five incidents — reported 10,918 criminal activities in 2016. The country’s most populous state had reported 7,168 cases in 2015.

Maharashtra (17.4%) is followed by Madhya Pradesh (12%) in the list of such cases, the NCRB data says.

Delhi reported 4,368 cases — 10.2% — in 2016, up from 3,389 the previous year, it adds.

A total of 112 cases of rioting were reported in 2016 of which the maximum 27 were from Haryana, followed by UP (15) and Jammu and Kashmir (14).

A total of 236 cases of murder were reported in 2016 of which the maximum 30 were from Bihar, jointly followed by UP and West Bengal (24 each).

A total of 79 cases of rape were reported in 2016 of which the maximum 18 were from Madhya Pradesh, followed by Maharashtra (15). UP and Delhi both reported seven such cases last year.

A total of 33,682 cases of theft were reported in 2016 of which the maximum were from Maharashtra (6,551), followed by UP (6,483), MP (4,317) and Delhi (3,837).

A total of 1,069 cases of robbery were reported in 2016 of which the maximum 381 were from UP, followed by Maharashtra (205), MP (107) and Delhi (60), according to the data.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Railways
13-December, 2017 16:11 IST
Ministry of Railways introduces Online Bill tracking system for Vendors & Contractors

This is in line with the emphasis given by Railway Minister on increased use of information technology to promote transparency.

All bills will be settled within 30 days of its receipt.

In a significant move to enhance transparency in the processing and settlement of bills, Indian Railways have introduced a bill tracking system for contractors/vendors of Indian Railways to track status of their bills. This is in line with the emphasis given by Minister of Railways & Coal, Shri Piyush Goyal on increased use of information technology to go digital and online with a view to promote transparency and efficiency in the system.

The vendor/contractor need to register with the online IT platform developed in house by CRIS, New Delhi called Indian Railways E-Procurement System (IREPS). The registration enables the vendor/agencies to see their bill status with dates through various stages of processing of bills, the stage at which it is lying, the amount for which it is passed and other details. The history feature is also available so that a vendor can see the history of the bills submitted. The bill tracking facility is available to the vendors/contractors of goods and services. The infirmities in the bill that need to be addressed are also visible to the vendor/contractor. The bill details are available on http://ireps.gov.in. It has been further reiterated that all bills will be settled within 30 days of its receipt.

To facilitate the vendor, a help facility has also been added. Detailed user Manuals are uploaded on the site for easy access and is available on the learning centre link of the home page of IREPS.

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[Hindustani78]

Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA)
15-December, 2017 17:19 IST
Cabinet approves second financial restructuring of Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the Second Financial Restructuring proposal of Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL), a CPSE under the administrative control of the Ministry of Railways (MoR).

The conversion of Non-Cumulative Redeemable Preference Shares (RPS), amounting to Rs. 4,079.51 crore, held by President of India through Ministry of Railways, into Compulsorily Convertible Non-Cumulative Preference Shares (CCPS), has been approved. This will shore up the net worth of the Company after implementation of the new accounting standard IND AS.

Implementation Strategy and targets:

KRCL will have to present the previous year's Balance Sheet figures restated as per IND-AS, as on 31st March 2016 and those at the opening of the business i.e., as on 1st April 2015. The conversion of the Non-cumulative Redeemable Preference Shares (RPS) into Compulsorily Convertible non-cumulative Preference Shares (CCPS) w.e.f. 31st March 2015 will make KRCL's net worth positive.

Major Impact:

1. Net worth of KRCL will remain positive.
2. A positive Net Worth for the KRCL is a sine qua non for the purpose of raising funds from the market at viable rate of interest, obtaining better credit rating from rating agency, qualify for bidding for new contracts and to take up various sanctioned projects on Konkan Railway route etc
3. KRCL will not be categorized as a Sick Company as per DPE guidelines.

Background:

As per notification from Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) from the financial year 2016-17 onward, companies having net worth of Rs.500 crore or above as on 31st March, 2014, will have to adopt IND-AS (Indian Accounting Standards i.e. new Accounting Standards introduced on the basis of IFRS) in the preparation and compilation of Accounts. As per IND AS, the Non-Cumulative Redeemable Preference Shares are treated as "Compounded Financial Instruments" and disclosed in two components - other equity and financial liability. The liability component is equal to the present value of the redemption amount on the date of the issue, considering the discount rate at the date of the issue of the preference shares. The other equity represents the component equal to the total redeemable amount of the preference shares less liability component.

Thus, a part, of Non-Cumulative Redeemable Preference Share issued to President of India (through MoR) by KRCL will have to be shown as 'Outside Liability'1 instead of 'Equity Capital' in the Balance Sheet of KRCL and the Net Worth of KRCL will turn negative.

A negative net worth of KRCL will result in:

(i) poor credit rating of KRCL.

(ii) difficulty in raising funds from market by KRCL,

(iii) difficulty in bidding for new contracts by KRCL and

(iv) KRCL will be categorised as 'sick company' as per DPE guidelines.

In view of the above, KRCL had requested to convert the existing preference shares held in the name of President of India (through MoR) into Compulsorily Convertible non-cumulative Preference Shares (CCPS) w.e.f. 31st March 2015, as CCPS can be considered as share capital under IND AS.

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Ministry of Civil Aviation
15-December, 2017 17:22 IST
Cabinet approves creation of one circle office of Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety for carrying out the functions of Commission of Metro Railway Safety under the Ministry of Civil Aviation

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the creation of one circle office of Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS), along-with all supporting officers and staffs for carrying out the functions of Commission of Metro Railway Safety as envisaged in the "Metro Railways (Operations and Maintenance) Act, 2002", in the Commission of Railway Safety under the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

The Cabinet also allowed assigning of additional charge of two circles to two existing Commissioners of Railway safety (CRSs) who will exercise their powers within their existing jurisdiction. These circles will not be under the jurisdiction of CMRS, New Delhi.

The post of Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety will be in HAG ( pay level 15) in the Commission of Railway Safety under the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The estimated expenditure on salary will be around Rs 59,39,040 per annum for the (one) Circle office. Apart from the initial establishment of the organization. The likely expenses for the Circle office per year will be Rs.7,50,000.

Creation of these posts will ensure focused attention on the passenger safety and metro rail operation related issues, in respect of existing, as well as upcoming various metro rail projects, as envisaged in the "Metro Railways (Operations and Maintenance) Act, 2002", in the Commission of Railway Safety under the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

Implementation strategy and targets:

The post of Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety shall be filled from the cadre of Indian Railway Engineering Services (IRSE, IRSEE, IRSSE, RSME) & IRTS by the Ministry of Civil Aviation through nomination from willing officers from Ministry of Railways in consultation with UPSC, initially according to Recruitment Rules for Commissioner of Railway Safety in the Commission of Railway Safety. The process to fill up the posts shall be initiated within two months.

The proposal for creation of the posts of Dy. Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (Dy.CMRS) and supporting staff will be taken up with the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance. On receipt of their approval, orders for creation of the post shall be released immediately.

Background:

The Commission of Railway Safety working under the administrative control of the Ministry of Civil Aviation (Govt. of India), deals with the matters pertaining to safety of rail travel and train operation and is charged with certain statutory functions laid down in the Railway Act'1989. These functions are inspectorial, investigatory and advisory in nature. The Commission functions according to certain rules framed under the railways Act and executive instructions issued from time to time. The most important duty of the Commission is to ensure that any new railway line to be opened for passenger traffic should conform to the standard and specifications prescribed by the Ministry of Railways and the new line is safe in all respects for carrying the passenger traffic. This is also applicable to other works such as gauge conversion, doubling of lines and electrification of existing lines etc. The Commission also conducts statutory inquiries into serious train accidents and makes recommendations for improving safety on the railways in India.

With a view to accord priority to passenger safety and also to ensure uniformity in safety certification, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs while enacting the "Metro railways (Operations and Maintenance) Act, 2002", has assigned similar functions to Commissioner of Metro Railway safety (CMRS) in respect of Metro Railways. The CMRS will be administratively under the control of Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety under Ministry of Civil Aviation.

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Ministry of Railways
15-December, 2017 16:55 IST
Provision For Railway’s Fund In Budget

The amount allocated and utilized for passenger safety, capital and development work, cleanliness and finance and accounting reforms in Railways in the financial year 2016-17 is indicated below :-

(Rs in crore)
Items
Revised Estimate
2016-17

Actual Expenditure
2016-17

Passenger Safety
63063.00
55918.00

Capital & Development Work
121000.00
110015.60

Cleanliness
1080.81
1008.46

Finance & Accounting Reforms
26.68
28.22


This Press Release is based on the information given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Rajen Gohain in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on 15.12.2017 (Friday).

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Ministry of Railways
15-December, 2017 16:55 IST
New Policy Initiatives By Railways

A number of new policy initiatives by Railways have been introduced since last few years. The details of these initiatives are as under:-

• FDI in Railways: The proposal has been cleared by Government for allowing 100 per cent FDI in Railway infrastructure, apart from operations, through automatic route.

· High-speed bullet trains : Railways has announced a Bullet Train between Ahmedabad and Mumbai with MOU between Railways and Japan.

• Policy initiatives for freight trains :-

Ø Long term tariff contract (LTTC) with key freight customers at predetermined price escalation principals.

Ø For the first time ever in Indian Railways, freight rates were reduced.

Ø Port congestion charges dropped.

Ø Busy season surcharge dropped.

Ø Dual pricing policy of iron withdrawn.

Ø Multi point loading introduced.

Ø Siding policy liberalised .

Ø Automatic freight rebate scheme in traditional empty flow direction introduced.

Ø Time tabled freight services introduced.

Ø Container sector opened up for more commodities.

Ø Goods terminals opened up for handling containers.

Ø Last mile connectivity through Roadrailers, Roll on Roll Offs Appointed Key Customer Managers to serve as single point of contact for all major freight customers.

Ø Structured dialogue between Railways and Customers christened ‘Samvad’ started.

Ø Electronic registration of Demand and Electronic transmission of Railway Receipts started.

• Railway land leased out for horticulture and plantation of trees
• Discharge free Railways – bio-toilets in all coaches.
• SRESTHA - New R&D organisation to serve the future technology needs of Railways.
• SUTRA World class data analytics, simulation softwares, network optimisation and decision support systems.
• RAIL INVESTMENT AND PLANNING ORGANISATION - Develop and own the corporate medium term and long term plan, identify investment opportunities, standardize economic easements of projects and propose optimal modes of financing.

Following administrative reforms have been introduced to make the functioning of Railways delivery oriented:-

· In October 2017, major administrative and financial powers delegated to General Managers, Divisional Railway Managers and Chief Workshop Managers for faster decision making and execution. Model Schedule of Powers issued from Railway Board for the 1st time for uniform delegations across zones (replacing 16 different Schedule of Powers of zones).

· To support Divisional Railway Managers in efficient management of the Divisions and field working, it has been decided to post extra Additional Divisional Railway Managers; at least 2 in each Division.

· To improve station management and customer service and bring more commercial orientation to the organization, Station Directors have been posted at a number of major stations.

· Protocol during VIP and higher officers’ visit/inspections have been curtailed and kept at bare minimum.

· Initiatives for employee grievance redressal :-

Ø Employee charter for time-bound redressal of employee grievances has been constituted.

Ø ‘NIVARAN’ - online grievance redressal machinery has been instituted.

· Intensive recruitment drive to fulfill safety category vacancies.



This Press Release is based on the information given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Rajen Gohain in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on 15.12.2017 (Friday).



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Ministry of Railways
15-December, 2017 16:54 IST
HI-Tech System To Detect Railway Track Defects

Indian Railways is using Track Recording Cars (TRC) and Oscillation Monitoring System (OMS) for detection of track defects in addition to manual inspection. Ultrasonic Flaw Detection is also done using Single Rail Tester (SRT) and Double Rail Tester (DRT) to check internal defects in rails. Procurement of six nos. Self Propelled Ultrasonic Rail Testing (SPURT) Car for detection of internal defects in rails is also planned. Further, it has been decided to undertake trial of Ultrasonic Broken Rail Detection (UBRD) System, Rail Fracture & Intrusion Detection System using distributed optical fiber sensing and Loco-Vision Analytics and Rail Integrity Monitor system (RIM) on some stretches for detection of broken rail.

Optical Fiber Cable (OFC) based rail fracture detection system is planned on trial basis on some stretches of Northeast Frontier Railway and North Central Railway.

The implementation of Ultrasonic Broken Rail Detection (UBRD) System, Optical Fiber Cable (OFC) based System and Loco-Vision Analytics and Rail Integrity Monitor system (RIM) shall be decided after successful completion of trial.

This Press Release is based on the information given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Rajen Gohain in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on 15.12.2017 (Friday).

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Ministry of Railways
15-December, 2017 16:53 IST
Agreement With Japan For Bullet Train Project

A Memorandum of Cooperation has been signed between Governments of India and Japan to implement Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed rail corridor with technical and financial assistance of Government of Japan. Government of Japan has agreed to provide 81% of the project cost at a very concessional interest rate of 0.1% with repayment period of 50 years.

Besides Japanese Shinkansen’s proven reputation for reliability and safety, the project is sanctioned on the premise of transfer of technology and Make in India.

Inter country comparisons of cost of high speed rail projects are not appropriate as projects vary in terms of speed/technical parameters (actual high speed of more than 250 kmph or semi-high speed of 160-200 kmph), period of execution, scale economies due to size of high speed network being implemented and other local/geographical conditions.

Cooperation with Japan and Japanese technology was selected because of safety record and concessional financing with technological support made available by Japan.

This Press Release is based on the information given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Rajen Gohain in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on 15.12.2017 (Friday).

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Ministry of Railways
15-December, 2017 16:53 IST
Survey For Char Dham Rail Route


Final Location Survey (FLS) for Char Dham (Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath) has been sanctioned in 2017-18. Tender for FLS has been taken up.

(b): The details are as tabulated below:-

Dham
Starting point
Terminal point

Yamunotri
Doiwala
Uttarkashi- Palar

Gangotri
Doiwala
Uttarkashi- Maneri

Kedarnath
Karnaprayag
Saikot- Sonprayag

Badrinath
Karnaprayag
Saikot- Joshimath

c): The location of station on Char Dham route is:-

Gangotri
Yamunotri

Doiwala
Sangatiya wala Kala
Sarangdharwala
Ampata
Marora
Kandri
Chinyalisour

Kedarnath-Badrinath
Karnaprayag
Saikot

Kedarnath
Bareth
Chopta
Mukkumath
Sonprayag


Badrinath
Thirpak
Tartoli
Joshimath
Chinyalisour
Sonprayag
Dunda

Athali (Uttarkashi)
Ladari
Palar
Maneri

This Press Release is based on the information given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Rajen Gohain in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on 15.12.2017 (Friday).

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Ministry of Railways
15-December, 2017 16:52 IST
Easing Of Trains Travel For Foreign Nationals And NRIs

With a view to facilitate foreign tourists to book reserved tickets online, a facility to book tickets online upto 365 days in advance has been extended to Foreign Tourists and NRIs. Broad features of the scheme are as under:-

i. Facility to book reserved tickets online upto 365 days in advance available in Executive Class/1st AC/2nd AC in all trains including Shatabdi/Rajdhani/ Duronto/Gatiman etc.

ii. Fare equivalent to 1.5 times the base fare and other charges like reservation fee, superfast charges etc. are realised. IRCTC collects enhanced charges of ` 200 per ticket.

iii. For booking the tickets, the Passport Number, Nationality and the international Mobile Number of the passengers have to be mandatorily entered.

iv. No concession is admissible on such tickets.

v. Payment is to be made only through international debit/credit cards. An SMS confirming the reservation of the ticket is sent to the registered mobile number.

vi. The passenger who has reserved the ticket under this category has to carry the original Passport whose details have been given at the time of booking ticket, along with valid visa as identity proof and make it available for check during the journey failing which, the passenger is treated as without ticket and charged penalty equivalent to 3 times the fare of the ticket.

vii. Eight berths (two cabins) per FAC, four berths (one cabin) per FACCW, Eight berths per 2A coach (two inside berth cabins) and ten berths per EC from the general quota berths available in these classes are made available for booking 365 days in advance.

viii. In case the party seeking berth is more than the available foreign tourist quota, the confirmed accommodation is provided up to the limit of foreign tourist quota and the remaining passengers are registered and provided confirmed accommodation on the opening day of reservation. However, with a view to ensuring compaction, berths/seats can be booked in this quota upto 365 days in advance and seat/berth is provided only at the time of opening of reservation as per Advance Reservation Period (ARP) subject to availability. However, fare for all such berths/seats is charged 50% extra of the base fare.

ix. In case of cancellation of the tickets booked under this facility by the passenger, flat 50% of the fare is deducted in addition to the cancellation charges applicable while refunding the amount. The time limit for granting 50% refund is as per extant rules i.e. upto 4 hours before scheduled departure of train, through website only.

x. No change of name is permissible on such tickets under any condition.


This Press Release is based on the information given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Rajen Gohain in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on 15.12.2017 (Friday).

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Ministry of Railways
15-December, 2017 16:49 IST
Identification Of Routes For Electrification Of Railway Tracks

Indian Railways have prepared an Action Plan to electrify 38000 Route Kilometers in five years (2017-18 to 2021-22) for 100% electrification of its Broad Gauge (BG) rail routes. Year wise details are as under:-


Year
Route Kilometer targeted for commissioning on electric traction.

2017-18
4000

2018-19
6000

2019-20
7000

2020-21
10500

2021-22
10500

Total
38000


Railway Electrification projects are not confined to State boundaries. State-wise route kilometers of railway lines identified for electrification and planned for inclusion in Budget 2018-19 are as under:-


SNo.
STATE
TOTAL ROUTE KILOMETERS IDENTIFIED FOR ELECTRIFICATION

1
Andhra Pradesh
385

2
Assam
1448

3
Arunachal Pradesh
12

4
Bihar
566

5
Chattisgarh
76

6
Gujarat
1088

7
Haryana
116

8
Himachal Pradesh
40

9
Jharkhand
293

10
Karnataka
1051

11
Kerala
150

12
Madhya Pradesh
416

13
Maharashtra
615

14
Mizoram
02

15
Odisha
583

16
Punjab
964

17
Rajasthan
1991

18
Telangana
301

19
Tamil Nadu
1016

20
Tripura
267

21
Uttar Pradesh
1308

22
Uttarakhand
185

23
West Bengal
802


Total
13675


To achieve 100% electrification of Broad Gauge (BG) rail routes, pace of electrification has been increased from present average of 1700 route kilometer per Annum to 4000 Route Kilometer/Annum which will further be increased to 6000 Route Kilometers in 2018-19.


Further, to expedite electrification of railway lines in the country, various steps have been taken, which inter-alia include award of Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) contracts, better project monitoring mechanism, enhancing power of field units for award of contracts including sanction of estimates and increasing the number of executing agencies from existing three to six by entrusting electrification works to new agencies viz. Indian Railway Construction Company, Rail India Technical and Economic Services ad Power Grid Corporation of India Limited.


This Press Release is based on the information given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Rajen Gohain in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on 15.12.2017 (Friday).


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Ministry of Railways
15-December, 2017 16:47 IST
Safety Measures Taken in Indian Railways

Improvement in Rail safety is a continuous process and constant endeavour is made to improve the same. Safety Audits/inspections are undertaken at regular intervals on all railway infrastructures with a view to identify weak areas in asset maintenance, safety procedure and systemic defects and to provide ways and means to prevent accidents. Besides, periodical safety drives are launched from time to time to indicate safety consciousness amongst staff and to streamline safety aspects including maintenance of assets. As a result of safety measures, Number of train accidents have been continuously decreasing from 135 in 2014-15 to 107 in 2015-16 and down to 104 in 2016-17. During the current year i.e. 2017-18 (from 1st April to 30th November 2017), a total of 49 consequential train accidents took place over Indian Railways in comparison to the 85 accidents in the corresponding period of the previous year, which is an improvement of 42 percent over last year. Apart from this following safety measures are undertaken:-

Steps for improving Tracks:

Railway tracks are replaced through track renewal works which is an ongoing process. Track renewal works are undertaken as and when stretch of track becomes due for renewal on the basis of criteria laid down in Indian Railway Permanent Way Manual on age cum condition basis viz. traffic carried in terms of gross million tonnes & incidence of rail fracture/failure, wear of rails, and maintainability of track as per standards etc. In case any stretch of track is not renewed in time due to various reasons including scarcity of funds, material etc. suitable speed restrictions, if required, are imposed to ensure safe running of trains. Additional funds are being provided through Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK) and Mega Traffic Blocks are being arranged for executing these works.

For the year 2017-18, 3600 km target has been kept for track renewal.

Digital type of machines for Ultrasonic Flaw Detection (USFD) testing of rails is being used which are more reliable. This technology is being extensively used in Indian Railways to detect flaws in rails and weld failures in advance and take remedial steps to avert train accidents.

Electronic monitoring of track geometry is carried out with Track Recording Cars (TRC) and Portable Oscillation Monitoring Systems (OMS) to detect track geometry defects for planning maintenance. Maintenance inputs are given to track and bridges as per requirement noticed during manual inspections, TRC & OMS runs and USFD testing to keep track in safe condition.

Steps for improving Signaling:

Electrical/Electronic Interlocking System with centralized operation of points and signals are being provided to eliminate human failure and to replace old mechanical systems. These systems have been provided at 5661 stations upto 31.10.2017.

Complete Track Circuiting of stations to enhance safety for verification of track occupancy by electrical means instead of human element has been completed at about 5889 stations upto 31.10.2017.

Axle Counter for Automatic clearance of Block Section (BPAC) to ensure complete arrival of train before granting line clear and to reduce human element have been provided on 4935 block sections upto 31.10.2017.

Interlocking of Level Crossing Gates to protect Level Crossing Gate with signals to avoid accidents has been done at 10921 gates upto 31.10.2017.

Further Railways have been introducing following new safety technology for smooth and safe running of trains:

Train Protection & Warning System (TPWS) - Train Protection & Warning System (TPWS) mitigates safety risk of accidents/collisions due to loco pilot’s error of Signal Passing at Danger or over speeding. It is a proven European train protection technology and deployed extensively on World Railways.


Train Protection & Warning System (TPWS) based on this proven technology has been operationalized on 342 RKMs in following sections of Indian Railways:


(a) Chennai - Gummidipundi Suburban Section of Southern Railway (50 RKMs).

(b) Dum Dum – Kavi Subhash section of Metro Railway, Kolkata (25 RKMs).

(c) Hazrat Nizamuddin – Agra Section of Northern/North Central Railway 200 RKMs).

(d) Basin Bridge - Arrakkonam Section of Southern Railway (67 RKMs).


Train Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) - TCAS is a developmental project being taken on a limited section of Lingamapalli – Vikarabad – Wadi - Bidar section (250 km) on South Central Railway. Operational deployment of TCAS on Railways on Absolute Block Signalling sections will be taken-up after successful conclusion of the extended field trials and safety certification of system by Independent Safety Assessor (ISA).

Extended field trials and safety validation of system to Safety Integrity Level-4 (SIL-4) by an Independent Safety Assessor (ISA) is in progress.


All Diesel locomotives are turned out from maintenance sheds with proper checking and super checking by Senior Supervisors and Officers. It is also ensured that all safety devices and equipment are functioning properly on all locomotives.


Fog PASS devices are provided to Crew working in fog affected areas.


It is ensured that no Crew is overdue for PME, Safety training, Refresher course and any other mandatory courses.

Preventive and predictive maintenance of the Railway assets is being undertaken to ensure safe train operation. Time to time special safety drives are undertaken involving officers and supervisors.

Proliferation of LHB coaches that have better safety features. It has been decided to completely switch over to the manufacture of LHB coaches from 1st April 2018 onwards and stop the manufacture of ICF coaches. Around 3,000 LHB coaches shall be manufactured every year from 1st April 2018 onwards as against average of 1000 LHB coaches in last 5 yrs. It has also been planned to retrofit around 32,000 existing ICF coaches having a life of upto 15 years and having Screw Coupling with (Centre Buffer Coupler) CBC in the next 5 years.


UMLC (unmanned level crossings): Topmost priority for eliminating UMLC gates in a time bound manner up to December 2018 and deployment of Gate Mitra for the interim period.

This Press Release is based on the information given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Rajen Gohain in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on 15.12.2017 (Friday).

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Ministry of Railways
15-December, 2017 16:46 IST
Integrated Security System In Railways

Based on the recommendations of a High Level Committee, 202 railway stations have been identified as sensitive for the purpose of installation of an Integrated Security System (ISS) to strengthen surveillance mechanism at these stations. ISS includes Close Circuit Television (CCTV) Cameras, Access control, Personal and Baggage Screening System and Bomb Detection system. Contracts have already been awarded for execution of ISS works over 129 Railway stations by fifteen Zonal Railways. So far, 106 Railway stations have been covered with CCTV surveillance system under ISS over Central Railway, Eastern Railway, East Coast Railway, North Central Railway, North Eastern Railway, North Western Railway, Northeast Frontier Railway, Northern Railway, South Central Railway, South East Central Railway, South Eastern Railway, South Western Railway, Southern Railway and West Central Railway. In addition, 139 Baggage Scanners, 32 Under Vehicle Scanning System (UVSS), 217 Door Frame Metal Detectors (DFMD) and more than one thousand Hand Held Metal Detectors (HHMD) have so far been provided under ISS. Issues concerning availability of eligible vendors, inspection of items, availability of budget, etc. were initially raised by Zonal Railways. These issues have since been addressed and all the Zonal Railways have been advised to ensure speedy implementation of ISS at all the identified sensitive stations.

Besides ISS, CCTV surveillance system is available over 288 other railway stations. In addition, 983 railway stations have also been identified for installation of CCTV cameras under Nirbhaya Fund.

Strengthening and upgradation of security infrastructure is an ongoing process. Accordingly, more stations will be brought under CCTV surveillance system alongwith other security equipment in due course.

This Press Release is based on the information given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Rajen Gohain in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on 15.12.2017 (Friday).



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Ministry of Railways
15-December, 2017 16:43 IST
Initiatives Taken Towards Improvement of Cleanliness in Railways

Indian Railways have taken various initiatives in improving cleanliness of stations, trains, yards and all other premises. Some of the major initiatives taken towards improvement of cleanliness are:-

(i) Mechanized cleaning methods have been adopted in major stations.

(ii) Regular intensive cleanliness drives are undertaken at various railway stations by Zonal Railways.

(iii) Enforcement of Indian Railways (Penalties for activities affecting cleanliness at railway premises) Rules, 2012 has been intensified.

(iv) Use of CCTVs has been extended for monitoring of cleanliness activities at major stations.

(v) For better cleaning of coaches of trains, mechanized coach cleaning at Depots, On Board Housekeeping Services (OBHS) in important long distance trains, “Clean My Coach” and Clean Train Station (CTS) schemes have been provided.

This has resulted in visible improvement in cleanliness.

New Standard Bid Document (SBD) has been issued recently which is being implemented for integrated housekeeping of stations and trains. This will further improve effectiveness of housekeeping contracts.

This Press Release is based on the information given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Rajen Gohain in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on 15.12.2017 (Friday).

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[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Railways
19-December, 2017 17:20 IST
Indian Railways to Provide 100% LED Lighting on All Its Stations by the End of Current Financial Year

The Move Will Lead to Saving of About 240 Million Units of Electricity, Savings of About Rs.180 Cr. Annually

Till November 2017, about 3500 Railway stations have already been provided with 100% LED lights.

20 Lakh LED lights have been replaced at Stations across various Zonal Railways under this programme.

Ministry of Railways has also issued directives to Zonal Railways to provide LED light fittings to residential quarters as well.

Indian Railways Has Also Issued Policy for Use of Only LED Lights in All Railway Coaches/EMU, 1300 Non AC Coaches Already Converted With 100% LED Light.



Ministry of Railways is actively working to provide 100% LED lighting for its most of the Non-traction Energy needs like Railway Staff Colonies, Railway Stations, Railway Platforms etc. Under this 100% LED initiative, Ministry of Railways has decided to make all railway stations 100% LED lit by the end of current financial year i.e. by 31st March, 2018. It is a huge initiative to provide energy efficient lighting which will eventually greatly help in conservation of environment as well.

Till date (i.e. till November 2017) about 3500 Railway stations have already been provided with 100% LED lights & all balance stations & Railway buildings will be completed in the current fiscal year. So far about 20 Lakh LED lights at stations have been replaced across various Zonal Railways under this programme. To take ahead provision of LED lights at all stations, ESCO mode in this area is also being pursued. A policy directive in this reference has been formulated and issued by Ministry of Railways. 100% LED lighting will hence improve the energy scene on Indian Railways and will reduce consumption by about 10% of total energy being utilized for its Non-traction uses, thus leading to savings of about 240 million units of electricity which will save about ₹180 Cr. annually to Railways.

With these initiatives in combination with several others in 2016-’17, 5.5% reduction was achieved in non-traction energy consumption in the year 2016-17 i.e. 4.1% reduction in energy consumption despite increase in load by 1.4% thus giving a savings of ₹100 Cr. In the current year (6 months period i.e. April- September 2017) 7% reduction in non-traction energy consumption had already been achieved giving savings of ₹62 Cr. This in-fact was a quantum jump against the earlier average of 2% and transformed Energy Saving Pattern for railways.

Ministry of Railways has also issued directives to Zonal Railways to provide LED light fittings to residential quarters as well. Zonal Railways have already distributed about 20 lac LED luminaries to railway staff till October, 2017 under Domestic Efficient Lighting Programme (DELP) Scheme.

In addition, Indian Railways is also aiming to provide Energy efficient LED lights on all Railway coaches/EMU as well. Policy for use only LED lights in all Railway coaches has already been issued & Zonal Railways are preparing action plan. Already, 1300 non-AC second-class & 3-tier sleeper (GSCN) coaches have been converted with 100% LED lights.

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Cabinet
20-December, 2017 19:41 IST
Cabinet approves Establishing India's First National Rail and Transportation University at Vadodara

• Indian Railways on the path of modernization through widespread technological and infrastructure upgradation
• Contribute to 'Make in India' and 'Skill India' and help generate large scale employment
• Foster innovative entrepreneurship and support start-up India initiative
• Use of latest pedagogy and technology applications: Envisioned to be a best-in-class institute which will use latest pedagogy and technology applications to provide high-quality education and training.
• India will emerge as a global leader in transportation sector through cutting edge technology and skilled manpower.

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the Ministry of Railways' transformative initiative to set up the first ever National Rail and Transport University (NRTU) in Vadodara to skill its human resources and build capability. This innovative idea, inspired by the Prime Minister, will be a catalyst for transformation of rail and transport sector towards New India.

The University will be set up as a Deemed to Be University under de novo category as per the UGC [Institutions Deemed to be Universities] Regulations, 2016. Government is working towards completing all approvals by April 2018 and to launch the first academic program in July 2018.

A not-for-profit Company under Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013 will be created by the Ministry of Railways which shall be the Managing Company of the proposed university. The company will provide financial and infrastructural support to the university, and appoint Chancellor and Pro-Chancellor of the university. Board of Management, comprising professionals and academics, shall be independent of the Managing Company with full autonomy to perform its academic and administrative responsibilities.

Existing land and infrastructure at National Academy of Indian Railways (NAIR) at Vadodara, Gujarat will be utilized, and suitably modified and modernized for the purpose of the university. In its full enrolment, it is expected to have 3000 full time students. The funding of the new University/Institute is to entirely come from Ministry of Railways.

This university will set Indian Railways on the path of modernisation and help India become a global leader in transport sector by enhancing productivity and promoting 'Make in India'. It will create a resource pool of skilled manpower and leverage state-of-the-art technology to provide better safety, speed and service in Indian Railways. It will support 'Startup India' and 'Skill India' by channeling technology and delivering knowhow, and foster entrepreneurship, generating large scale employment opportunities. This will lead to transformation of railway and transportation sector and enable faster movement of people and goods. Through global partnerships and accessing cutting edge technologies, India will emerge as a global centre of expertise.

The university plans to use latest pedagogy and technology applications (satellite based tracking, Radio Frequency Identification and Artificial Intelligence) to improve on-the-job performance and productivity. Close collaboration with the Indian Railways will ensure that the stakeholders have access to Railways' facilities, which will work as 'live labs' and they will be able to work on solving real life problems. It will have 'Centres of Excellence' showcasing high-end, niche technology like High Speed Train.

Background:

Government of India has taken a very important decision whose impact will be felt through the next century and the decision is that country's first railway university will be constructed in Vadodara" - Hon'ble Prime Minister speaking about rail university in Vadodara in October, 2016.

As Indian Railways is set to embark on ambitious projects such as High Speed Trains (popularly known as bullet train), massive infrastructure modernisation, Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs), highest focus on safety etc., Indian Railways will require high level of proficiency and skills. Further, factors such as unprecedented growth in the transportation sector in India, increased requirement of qualified manpower and upgradation of skills and capability required to drive the transformation of Indian Railways have necessitated a world-class training hub.

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Ministry of Railways
20-December, 2017 16:04 IST
R-Mitra App

A Mobile Application “R-MITRA” (Railway Mobile Instant Tracking Response & Assistance) has been launched by Eastern Railway for security of passengers, especially women passengers, in Kolkata and suburban areas of the Zone.

Security Application R-MITRA has been launched to facilitate security of passengers and to render timely security related assistance to passengers within the jurisdiction of Eastern Railway.

Prevention and detection of crime against passengers over Railways is the responsibility of concerned States which is being discharged by them through Government Railway Police (GRP). Railway Protection Force (RPF) supplements efforts of States to provide security over Railways.

Analysis of figures pertaining to crime against women passengers over Eastern Railway indicates a declining trend during the last three years including current year (upto September, 2017)

This Press Release is based on the information given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Rajen Gohain in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on 20.12.2017 (Wednesday).


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Ministry of Railways
20-December, 2017 16:01 IST
Lumding – Silchar Rail Line

Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) has carried out inspection of Lumding-Silchar section during 19th to 21st March, 2015 and again on 22nd and 23rd June, 2015.

On recommendations of CRS, an expert team of four Executive Directors of RDSO, Lucknow (a research wing of Railways) has carried out safety inspection of the section on 15th April, 2015 and measures suggested by them have been adopted. A monitoring mechanism has been introduced to ensure satisfactory working.

The section was opened for goods traffic in March, 2015 and for passenger traffic in November, 2015.

Railways has set up monitoring mechanism in place and also engaged specialists to tackle geological issues of the hill section.

This Press Release is based on the information given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Rajen Gohain in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on 20.12.2017 (Wednesday).

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Ministry of Railways
20-December, 2017 16:00 IST
CCTV at Railway Stations

983 Railway stations have been identified for installation of Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras under the Nirbhaya Fund.

Works to the tune of ₹ 413.36 crore (latest anticipated cost) have been approved under Integrated Security System to strengthen surveillance mechanism at 202 Railway stations over Indian Railways. Sanction of ₹ 500 crore has also been received for installation of Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras at identified railway stations under “Nirbhaya Fund”. Strengthening and upgradation of security infrastructure is an ongoing process. Need based allocation of fund is being made for creation of security related assets and procurement of plant and equipment (vehicles, baggage scanners,) etc. under Works Programme and Machinery and Plant Programme (M&P) of Railways each year.

₹ 50 Crore as mobilization advance has been given to RailTel for carrying out the work of provision of CCTV surveillances system at 983 Railway stations.

About 394 railway stations have already been provided with CCTV cameras over Indian Railways.

Suburban Railway Stations have also been identified for installation of CCTV cameras under Nirbhaya Fund.

This Press Release is based on the information given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Rajen Gohain in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on 20.12.2017 (Wednesday).

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Ministry of Railways
20-December, 2017 15:59 IST
Parcel Business in Railways

Earnings from parcel traffic during last five years is as under: -



Year
Parcel Earnings (` In crore)
% variation

2012-13
1593.53
―

2013-14
1779.82
11.69%

2014-15
1960.12
10.13%

2015-16
2021.10
3.11%

2016-17
1911.42
-5.43%


Parcel traffic depends on market and economic conditions year on year. However, in order to attract more parcel traffic, following initiatives have been taken -

 Emphasis is being laid to lease out more parcel space. For this purpose, the policy has been liberalized delegating more powers to Zonal Railways, increase in contractual period from 5 to 6 years etc.

Permission has been given to Zonal Railways to attach 25th coach as Parcel Vans in mail/express trains.

Permission has been given to attach Parcel Vans in Suvidha Express trains.

The carrying capacity of parcel space of Luggage cum Disabled Passenger Van (SLRD) has been increased from 4 tonnes to 5 tonnes.

Meetings are being organized regularly at zonal as well as at divisional level with the rail customers


This Press Release is based on the information given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Rajen Gohain in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on 20.12.2017 (Wednesday).

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Ministry of Railways
20-December, 2017 15:57 IST
Internet in Trains

Indian Railways is proposing to build a high speed mobile broadband corridor along its track to provide various facilities including internet facility to passengers.

In order to identify suitable technology / technologies, Proof of Concept trials on three sections viz Mumbai – Ahmedabad, Chennai – Bengaluru and Delhi – Chandigarh are proposed to be carried out to see the efficacy of different technologies.

Once the technology is identified, further decision will be taken to proliferate it.

This Press Release is based on the information given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Rajen Gohain in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on 20.12.2017 (Wednesday).


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Ministry of Railways
20-December, 2017 15:55 IST
Revenue Earning in Railways

The details of earnings for the last three years are as under:-


(₹ in crore)

YEAR
2014-15
2015-16
2016-17

Total Earnings

157071.59
163790.95
165299.04



Indian Railways strives continuously to explore potential areas to improve revenue generation. Initiatives to increase earnings in the areas of passengers, parcel, freight and sundry are as following:-

(1) Initiatives taken to increase passenger earnings include introduction of new trains, enhancement of composition of more popular trains, attachment of extra coaches in the existing trains, running of special trains during peak seasons, festivals and special events, operation of premium special trains on certain high-demand sectors with dynamic pricing.

(2) Measures to improve parcel earnings include leasing parcel space to private parties, liberalization of parcel policy and delegation of powers to Zonal Railways to fix the reserve price in a manner so as to make it more attractive vis-à-vis road sector.

(3) Steps taken for maximizing the freight earnings include rationalization of freight rates, effective marketing strategies to capture additional traffic to garner additional revenue.

Some of the initiatives are as under:-

(i) Distance for Mini Rakes increased from 400KMs to 600KMs.

(ii) BCN wagons allowed for Two point/Multi point/Mini rake booking.

(iii) Liberalised Automatic Freight Rebate Scheme in Traditional Empty Flow Direction has been issued.

(iv) Port Congestion Charge (10% of Base Freight) has been withdrawn from 13.04.2016 on over all traffic loaded from Port.

(v) Rationalised Merry-go-Round policy has been issued w.e.f. 01.04.2016.

(vi) Dual Freight Policy for iron ore has been withdrawn with effect from May-2016.

(vii) Minimum distance for charge is reduced from 125 KMs to 100 KMs for all commodities.

(viii) Short Lead concession for charging of freight for all traffic re-introduced.

(ix) Classification of commodities for several items has been changed.

(x) Station to Station rates guidelines issued for concession in freight w.e.f. 29.09.2016.


(xi) Proliferation of Roll-on-Roll-off over Indian Railways.

(xii) Weighment of Bagged consignment policy has been liberalised.

(xiii) 43 Commodities added to Freight All Kinds rates to expand Container Traffic Basket.

(xiv) Station and Goods sheds notified in Group I & II are opened for Container operations.

(xv) Instructions for movement of HSD oil in BTPN rakes to Bangladesh have been issued.

(xvi) Coal Tariff has been rationalized.

(xvii) Policy for carrying bagged consignment in open wagons at concessional freight has been reintroduced.

(xviii) The permissible carrying capacity of BOXN groups of wagons rationalized for Bangladesh traffic.

(xix) Bridge surcharge for goods and passenger traffic levied on the Digha and Monghyr Bridge.

(xx) Inflation in distance for charge @ 50% on goods traffic in Bibinagar-Nadikudi section of SCR has been withdrawn.

(xxi) Policy on Long Term Tariff Contract with key freight customers have been issued on 30.03.2017.

(xxii) Apart from the above,the following schemes have also been introduced by Indian Railways for procurement of rakes for transportation of freight traffic by inviting Public Private Partnership(PPP):

· Liberalized Wagon Investment Scheme.

· Wagon Leasing Scheme.

· Special Freight Train Operators Scheme.

· Automobile Freight Train Operators Scheme.

(xxiii) To facilitate rapid development of a network of freight terminals with private investment to provide efficient and cost effective logistics services with warehousing solution to end users, a scheme namely Private Freight Terminal (PFT) has been introduced.


(4) To increase sundry other earnings, various initiatives such as bulk advertising rights, vinyl wrapping of trains, on board infotainment, commercial exploitation of surplus railway land, land lease, right of way charges, online booking of retiring rooms through IRCTC website etc. have been adopted.

Ongoing railway projects like New Lines, Gauge Conversion, Doubling, Electrification and MTP are primarily financed through Gross Budgetary Support (GBS) received from the Government and Extra Budgetary Resources. Railways have prioritized projects based on last mile connectivity criteria, remunerativeness, operational requirement and resource availability to make optimum utilisation of resources. Further, with the introduction of Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK) w.e.f. 2017-18 with major contribution from Gross Budgetary Support, execution of such works has not been adversely impacted.


This Press Release is based on the information given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Rajen Gohain in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on 20.12.2017 (Wednesday).

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Ministry of Railways
20-December, 2017 15:53 IST
Bullet Train Project

Salient details of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Project are :

Mostly elevated corridor between Sabarmati and Mumbai (508 kilometre) with 12 stations; Maximum Design Speed of 350 kilometre per hour and operating speed of 320 kilometre per hour; The journey time between Mumbai and Sabarmati will be 2.07 Hrs for a Fast Train and 2.58 Hrs for train stopping at all the stations enroute.

Estimated cost of the project: ₹ 1,08,000 crore; 81% of the project cost funded by loan from Government of Japan at a rate of interest of 0.1% with a repayment period of 50 years with 15 years grace period.

The project is targeted for commissioning by the year 2022-23.

Feasibility studies have been sanctioned over several corridors including Delhi-Chennai.

This Press Release is based on the information given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Rajen Gohain in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on 20.12.2017 (Wednesday).


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Ministry of Railways
20-December, 2017 15:52 IST
Bullet Train Technology

National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), a separate Special Purpose Vehicle has been set up to implement the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Project. The ground-breaking ceremony for the project has already been held. The construction of the High Speed Rail Training Institute at Vadodara has commenced as also pre-construction activities like land acquisition, geo-technical investigation, etc. have been taken on hand.

This Press Release is based on the information given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Rajen Gohain in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on 20.12.2017 (Wednesday).


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Ministry of Railways
20-December, 2017 15:49 IST
Swarn Project in Railways

The Ministry of Railways has decided to launch “Project Swarn” with the objective of significantly improving the passenger experience across 9 dimensions which include coach interiors, toilets, onboard cleanliness, staff behavior, catering, linen, punctuality, security, on-board entertainment. real time feedback will also be taken as part of Project Swarn. In total, 14 Rajdhani and 15 Shatabdi trains will be covered. Railways have been allowed to spend upto 50 lakh per rake for upgradation of trains to Swarn Standard.

(i) “Project Swarn’ has been launched with the objective of improving the condition of Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains.

(ii) Some of the coaches undergoing mid life rehabilitation at Bhopal workshop are being upgraded to make model rakes for Mahamana Trains. Presently, three such trains viz. from New Delhi to Varanasi, from Bhopal to Khajuraho and from Vadodara to Varanasi are plying.

This Press Release is based on the information given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Rajen Gohain in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on 20.12.2017 (Wednesday).


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Ministry of Railways
20-December, 2017 15:45 IST
Electrification of Railway Network



Indian Railways has prepared an Action Plan to electrify (commission on electric traction) 38000 Route Kilometers in five years (2017-18 to 2021-22) for 100% electrification of its Broad Gauge (BG) rail routes. Year wise details are as under:-



Year
Route Kilometer targeted for commissioning on electric traction.


2017-18
4000


2018-19
6000


2019-20
7000


2020-21
10500


2021-22
10500


Total
38000

The expenditure of `32591 crore is planned for commissioning of 38000 Route Kilometers of sections on electric traction.
This Press Release is based on the information given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Rajen Gohain in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on 20.12.2017 (Wednesday).
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[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Railways
22-December, 2017 16:51 IST
Measures for Quality and Hygienic Food on Trains and Platforms

In its endeavour to provide quality and hygienic food to the passengers, Indian Railways have developed and operationalized an institutionalized mechanism for monitoring of quality and hygiene of catering services through regular inspections at various levels to address catering complaints. Further, to improve the standard of food being provided to passengers, new Catering Policy has been issued on 27th February, 2017 wherein inter-alia Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) has been mandated to carry out the unbundling by creating a distinction primarily between food preparation and food distribution. In order to upgrade quality of food preparation, IRCTC is to set up new kitchens and upgrade existing ones. Further, instructions have been issued to provide optional catering service, as a pilot project, on 32 Rajdhani/Shatabdi/Duronto trains under the management of IRCTC w.e.f. 01/08/2017 for an initial period of 180 days. Further steps being taken to ensure that good quality and hygienic food is served to the passengers inter-alia includes (i) Introduction of station based E-Catering for widening the range of options available to passengers for ordering food of their choice. (ii) Introduction of precooked food (‘ready to eat’ meals) in the range of options available to passengers. (iii) Operation of centralized Catering Service Monitoring Cell (CSMC) (toll free number 1800-111-321) for prompt redressal of passenger grievances relating to the catering activities and real time assistance to travelling public. (iv) Imposition of penalties in case of deficiencies detected in services. (v) Operation of all India Helpline (No.138) for rail-users to lodge complaints/suggestions regarding food and catering services (vi) A Twitter handle @ IRCATERING has also been made operational to cater to the complaints/suggestions with regard to catering services. (vii) A policy of zero tolerance towards poor quality of food served to passengers and overcharging is being followed and during the current Financial Year (i.e. April to October’17), 12 catering contracts have been terminated for complaint related to catering or other contractual deficiencies.

As per the Catering Policy, 2017, Rajdhani/Shatabdi /Duronto and other Mail express trains are being monitored by IRCTC’s supervisors on regular basis. Besides this, regular microbiological testing of food samples is being conducted by IRCTC, through in-house and NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories) approved labs. Food Safety & Hygiene audits are being conducted regularly in base kitchens and in trains by Third Party Auditors.

This Press Release is based on the information given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Rajen Gohain in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on 22.12.2017 (Friday).

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Ministry of Railways
22-December, 2017 16:48 IST
Investment for Development of Railway Infrastructure

In the budget of 2015-2016, investment plan of `8,56,020 Crore for next five years has been envisaged for development of infrastructure of Railways.

The investment of `8,56,020 Crore comprises `1,99,320 Crore for Network decongestion, `1,93,000 Crore for Network expansion, `39,000 Crore for National Projects, `1,27,000 Crore for Safety, `5,000/- Crore for Information Technology / Research, `1,02,000/- for Rolling Stock, `12,500/- Crore for Passenger Amenities, `65,000/- Crore for High Speed Rail & Elevated corridor, `1,00,000/- Crore for Station redevelopment and logistic parks and `13,200/- Crore for Others.

Expenditure on development of Rail and passenger security related infrastructure is a continuous process. Need based investment is made for development of security related infrastructure under different plan heads.

This Press Release is based on the information given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Rajen Gohain in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on 22.12.2017 (Friday).



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Ministry of Railways
22-December, 2017 16:43 IST
Measures by Railways for Safety of Passengers

Safety is accorded the highest priority by Indian Railways and all possible steps are undertaken on a continual basis to prevent accidents and to enhance safety. These include timely replacement of over-aged assets, adoption of suitable technologies for upgradation and maintenance of track, rolling stock, signalling and interlocking systems, safety drives, greater emphasis on training of officials and inspections at regular intervals to monitor and educate staff for observance of safe practices. Preventive and predictive maintenance of the Railway assets is undertaken to ensure safe train operation. Safety devices/systems being used to prevent accidents include Electronic Interlocking, track circuiting, provision of Block Proving Axle Counters (BPAC), Colour Light LED Signals, Train Protection Warning Systems (TPWS), Mobile Train Radio Communication (MTRC), Dedicated OFC based Acoustic Sensing Systems, Vigilance Control Device (VCD), Fog Pass Device, usage of 52kg/60 kg, 90 or higher UTS rails and Pre-stressed Concrete Sleepers, use of vehicular digital types of machines for ultrasonic flaw detection (USFD), Technology of Alumino Thermit welds has been upgraded by introduction of Auto weigh method, pre-heating with compressed air petrol and 3 piece moulds, so as to upgrade the quality and reliability of welds. Electronic monitoring of track geometry is carried out to detect defects and plan maintenance. Steel Channel Sleepers on girder bridges is being used while carrying out primary track renewals. Further it has been decided to lay Thick webs switches, Weldable Cast Maganese Steel crossings on identified routes. Progressive use of Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) Coaches, use of Centre Buffer Coupler with Integral Coach Factory (ICF) Coaches, etc. Railway tracks are replaced on age cum condition basis through track renewal works which is an ongoing process. Other measures include training of loco pilots and other safety category staff, improvement of their working conditions including proper rest and periodic medical examinations etc. Besides, patrolling of tracks, footplate inspections and safety reviews at various levels, etc. are regularly conducted to continuously monitor and improve safety aspects of the Indian Railways.(IR)

This Press Release is based on the information given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Rajen Gohain in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on 22.12.2017 (Friday).



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Ministry of Railways
22-December, 2017 16:40 IST
Measures for Boosting Non-Fare Revenue Earnings in Indian Railways

The following policies have been recently announced by Ministry of Railways for boosting revenue earnings:-

(i) Out of Home Policy

(ii) Mobile Assets Policy

(iii) Rail Display Network Policy

(iv) Content on Demand Policy

(v) Policy on unsolicited Non-Fare Revenue proposals


In the Financial Year 2016-17, the Railways earned ₹.10368.04 cr from Sundry Earnings, as detailed in the table given below:

(Amount in ₹ cr)

Year
Total Sundry Earnings
Advertisement
Commercial exploitation of land
Commercial farming

2016-17
10368.04
219.69
939.37
2.40

2017-18(till Sept, 2017)
1775.78
101.31
318.75
1.23


This Press Release is based on the information given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Rajen Gohain in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on 22.12.2017 (Friday).

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Ministry of Railways
22-December, 2017 16:35 IST
Steps Taken By Railways to Provide Security to Passengers

Policing on Railways being a State subject, prevention of crime, registration of cases, their investigation and maintenance of law and order in Railway premises as well as on running trains are the statutory responsibility of the State Governments, which they discharge through Government Railway Police (GRP)/District Police. However, Railway Protection Force (RPF) supplements the efforts of GRP in providing better protection and security of passenger area and passengers and for matters connected therewith.



However, following steps are being taken by the Railways to provide security to passengers:

1. On vulnerable and identified routes/sections, 2500 trains (on an average) are escorted by Railway Protection Force daily, in addition to 2200 trains escorted by Government Railway Police of different States daily.

2. Surveillance is kept through CCTV cameras, provided at about 394 stations over Indian Railways, to ensure safety and security of passengers.

3. Security Help Line number 182 is made operational over Indian Railways for security related assistance to passengers in distress.

4. An Integrated Security System consisting of surveillance of vulnerable stations through Close Circuit Television Camera Network, Access Control etc. has been sanctioned to improve surveillance mechanism over 202 railway stations.

5. Ladies Special trains running in Metropolitan cities are being escorted by lady RPF personnel. The train escorting parties have been briefed to keep extra vigil on the ladies coaches en route and at halting stations in long distance trains.

6. Surprise checks are conducted in trains to ensure security of passengers and alertness of train escorting staff.

7. Frequent announcements are made through Public Address System to educate passengers to take precaution against theft, snatching etc.

8. Through various social media platforms viz. twitter, facebook etc., Railways are in regular touch with passengers including women passengers to enhance security of passengers and to address their security concern.

9. Drives are conducted from time to time against the entry of unauthorized persons in trains and railway premises.

10. Liaison is made by RPF with the State Police/GRP authorities at all levels for prevention of crime, registration of cases, their investigation and maintenance of law and order in Railway premises as well as on running trains.


This Press Release is based on the information given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Rajen Gohain in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on 22.12.2017 (Friday).

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[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Railways
16-January, 2018 17:19 IST
Railway Ministry To Hold “Mega Conclave” With Leaders Of Construction Industry To Ensure Expeditious Implementation Of Ambitious “Railway Infrastructure Development Projects”.

The Conclave Will See Railway Minister, Shri Piyush Goyal Personally Interacting With The Participants. The Conclave Has Been Named As “NIRMAN – SAMVAAD. The Conclave Is Being Organised By Railway PSU Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd. (RVNL). The Conclave To Provide An Opportunity To Discuss The Impediments/Constraints Faced In Implementation Of The Projects And To Seek Suggestions To Remove Bottlenecks.

In a major initiative to ensure expeditious implementation of ambitious Railway Infrastructure Development Plans, Ministry of Railways is organizing a “Mega Conclave” tomorrow i.e. 17th January, 2018 with all stakeholders including leaders of the construction industry. The Conclave will not only see Railway Board Members and Senior Zonal Railway Officials interacting with construction industry captains but will also see Minister of Railways & Coal, Shri Piyush Goyal to have a mutual dialogue and personal interaction with the participants. The Conclave named as “NIRMAN – SAMVAAD” is being organized by Railways PSU Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd. (RVNL) which is a dedicated arm of the Ministry of Railways for fast track implementation of railway projects. The Conclave will provide an opportunity to discuss the impediments/constraints faced in implementation of the projects and to seek suggestions to remove bottlenecks and bring about efficiencies in project execution on Railways.

Senior Officers of Railway Board, Zonal Railways, CPSEs and top executives of about 400 construction and consultancy companies will be participating to deliberate upon the issues/impediments being faced by the industry and arriving at possible remedies thereof. The ambitious Infrastructure Development Projects of Indian Railways include Doubling Projects, Electrification Projects, Hill Railway Projects, Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) and High-Speed Projects on diamond quadrilateral.

Backgrounder:-

Ministry of Railways has ambitious plans for development of Rail infrastructure to meet the ever increasing transport needs of the nation and a huge investment in this sector has been planned. The main focus is on:-

• The pace of augmentation of railway network needs a quantum jump. The speed of execution of doubling/tripling and quadrupling which is about 800 kms per annum for the last 5 years, needs to be accelerated 2 to 3 times to meet the increasing demand.
• Completion of electrification of the full rail network in the next 3 to 5 years. So far out of 63000 RKM, 25201 RKM have been commissioned on electric traction till 31st March 2017. The average pace during last five years is about 1300 RKMs per annum which needs to be increased by 6 to 8 times to electrify remaining 38000 RKMs to meet the ambition of complete electrification.
• Taking up of Hill Rail Projects, including Rishikesh - Karanprayag, Char Dham rail connectivity, Bhanupalli - Bilaspur and on to Leh.
• Completion of ongoing and proposed Dedicated Freight Corridors.
• Mumbai- Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Corridor and other projects on Diamond Quadrilateral to link the major Metropolitan Cities.

It has been experienced that there are constraints of capacity from the side of both executing agencies as well as from railways to meet the demand.

The Conclave will address all these issues and workout solutions with a view to ensure fast track implementation of all railway projects.

*****

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Railways
18-January, 2018 19:02 IST
‘Nirman Samvaad’, A Mega Conclave Of Ministry Of Railways With Leaders Of Construction Industry Concludes In New Delhi.

The Railway Minister Held A Lively Interaction Session With The Participants.

The Railway Minister Directs To Take Follow-Up Action With A View To Make Appropriate Changes In The Systems And Procedures.

The Event Was Attended By The Top Management Of 400 Construction & Consultation Companies.

The Event Was Organized By PSU Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd. (RVNL).



A one-day Mega Conclave called ‘Nirman Samvaad’, a first ever interaction between the Ministry of Railways and the Construction Industry concluded here. This Conclave was organized by Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd. (RVNL), a dedicated arm of Ministry of Railways for fast track implementation of railway projects. This Mega Conclave was an initiative taken by Hon’ble Minister of Railways and Coal, Shri Piyush Goyal as a step to streamline procedures and remove bottlenecks to ensure the fast track implementation of projects on the railways. It was a major event aimed at taking measures to ensure expeditious implementation of ambitious Railway Infrastructure Development Plans.

The Conclave was chaired by the Hon’ble Minister of Railways & Coal, Shri Piyush Goyal who had a personal interaction with the participants. The conference was also attended by Chairman Railway Board, Shri Ashwani Lohani and Railway Board Members, Chairman & Managing Director, RVNL, and senior officers from Railway Board, Zonal Railways, CPSEs etc. The event was attended by the top management of 400 construction & consultation companies. During the ‘Samvaad’, 6 representatives from major construction and consultancy companies i.e. M/s KECInternational; Siemens, Larsen & Toubro, Systra MVA Consulting India Private Limited, Tata Projects Limited and Afcons Infrastructure Ltd gave presentations.

The meeting was thrown open and all participants were given opportunity to raise their respective issues and suggest remedies. The highlight of the conclave was a lively interaction session conducted by Hon’ble Minister of Railways. The issues raised covered concerns on contract management, improving cash flows, execution of projects, expediting the inspection of various items to be procured from RDSO approved vendors, adoption of FIDIC documents by Railways, delay in acquisition of land, problems in obtaining licenses of minor minerals, suggestions for reducing the time and cost over-run, expediting the payments of the contractors, risk sharing between the employer and the contractor, increased requirement of training of technical manpower, availability of traffic and power blocks, proper estimation of quantities at the time of inviting tenders were discussed.

Minister of Railways gave directions that the suggestions made by the participants should be followed up and necessary changes in the systems and procedures be made to ensure that the pace of project execution is improved to implement the Ministry’s ambitious investment programme.

Backgrounder:-

Ministry of Railways has ambitious plans for development of Rail infrastructure to meet the ever increasing transport needs of the nation and a huge investment in this sector has been planned. The main focus is on:-

• The pace of augmentation of railway network needs a quantum jump. The speed of execution of doubling/tripling and quadrupling which is about 800 kms per annum for the last 5 years, needs to be accelerated 2 to 3 times to meet the increasing demand.
• Completion of electrification of the full rail network in the next 3 to 5 years. So far out of 63000 RKM, 25201 RKM have been commissioned on electric traction till 31st March 2017. The average pace during last five years is about 1300 RKMs per annum which needs to be increased by 6 to 8 times to electrify remaining 38000 RKMs to meet the ambition of complete electrification.
• Taking up of Hill Rail Projects, including Rishikesh - Karanprayag, Char Dham rail connectivity, Bhanupalli - Bilaspur and on to Leh.
• Completion of ongoing and proposed Dedicated Freight Corridors.
• Mumbai- Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Corridor and other projects on Diamond Quadrilateral to link the major Metropolitan Cities.

*****

 

[Hindustani78]

http://indianexpress.com/article/india/8-bengal-routes-need-to-be-shut-over-losses-railways-5032074/

Citing losses, the Railways has decided to stop train services in eight routes in the state, leading Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday to accuse the Centre of using “strong-arm tactics” to “deprive Bengal”. Mamata’s reaction comes in the wake of the chief commercial manager of Eastern Railway, writing to state Chief Secretary Malay Kumar De, stating that train services in eight routes needed to be terminated as they were incurring losses. The letter — received on Friday by the chief secretary — said the services either needed to be stopped or the state government should bear half of the losses incurred.

The Eastern Railway, in a statement, said the letter was sent on the basis of the report of Public Account Committee as an Action Taken Report. It added that such letters are sent to other state governments as well and that Eastern Railway has no such intention of closure of any route. This decision can only be taken by the Ministry of Railways and not by the Eastern Railway, the statement said.

Speaking to mediapersons at state secretariat Nabanna, Mamata said: “How can this happen? How can they do this without even consulting the state government? These are socially-viable projects. Railways have a social responsibility. The Centre is using strong-arm tactics against Bengal. It is depriving Bengal.”

Alleging that the Centre is dictating terms by force, she added: “I will not allow such deprivation of Bengal by the central government.” Referring to the loss-sharing theory, Mamata said the Centre was already taking a lot of money in terms of taxes and cess. “Why are they asking for more money? Besides, they are also taking Rs 50,000 crore every year as repayment of loans taken by the previous government,” she added.

As per the letter, the eight train routes are — Burdwan-Katwa, Sonarpur-Canning, Santipur-Nabadwipghat, Barasat-Hasnabad, Baruipur-Namkhana, Ballygunj-Budge Budge, Kalyani Simanta-Sealdah and Bhimgarh-Palastali.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Railways
23-January, 2018 16:40 IST
Ministry of Railways sets Zero scrap balance target for all Zonal Railways.

All General Managers of Zonal Railways have been advised to strictly monitor the e-auction of scrap. Total scrap sales till December 2017 of current financial year has reached to Rs. 1837 crores which is 22% higher than the corresponding sales of Rs. 1503 crores upto December 2016 of the year 2016-17

Earnings from sale of Railway scrap not only augments Railways revenue but also helps in keeping the Railway track, stations, workshops, depots neat and tidy. In this regard, Ministry of Railways has directed all Zonal Railway & Production units to achieve Zero scrap balance by end of March 2018. General Managers of all the Zonal Railways/PUs have been advised to regularly monitor this activity and to intensify supervision at senior officers’ level so as to promptly identify scrap and offer it for e-auction.

With the concerted efforts by all the Railways, total scrap sales till December 2017 of current financial year has reached to Rs. 1837 crores which is 22% higher than the corresponding sales of Rs. 1503 crores upto December 2016 of the year 2016-17.

Indian Railways have been selling its internally generated scrap entirely through online e-auction. Majority of the scrap material comprises of worn-out rails and track fittings released from track renewal/gauge conversion, steel scrap generated in course of overhaul /repairs of rolling stocks, other non-ferrous and miscellaneous scrap.


The e-auction module is part of the IREPS (Indian Railways E-Procurement System) which is a single portal of Indian Railways handling all procurements tenders and e-auctions digitally. All the Zonal Railways and Production Units use this single platform for online sales of scrap. Monthly on an average, 200 e-auctions are conducted by Materials Managers in Divisions and Stores Depots spread all over Indian Railways. Auction schedules and details of saleable materials are published regularly on IREPS website & updated online. The endeavor shall be continued so as to achieve the task of Zero scrap balance by end of March 2018.

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[Hindustani78]

The Minister of State for Railways, Shri Rajen Gohain pressing the switch to mark the foundation stone laying ceremony for the doubling of tracks with electrification of Madurai- Vanchi Maniyachchi- Tuticorin Section (160 km), Vanchi Maniyachchi-Tirunelveli- Nagercoil Section (102 km) and Kanniyakumari-Nagercoil- Thiruvananthapuram Section (86.56km), at Nagercoil Junction railway station, in Tamil Nadu on January 23, 2018. The Minister of State for Finance and Shipping, Shri P. Radhakrishnan and the Minister for Information and Publicity, Tamil Nadu, Shri Kadambur Raju are also seen.

The Minister of State for Railways, Shri Rajen Gohain addressing the gathering at the foundation stone laying ceremony for the doubling of tracks with electrification of Madurai- Vanchi Maniyachchi- Tuticorin Section (160 km), Vanchi Maniyachchi-Tirunelveli- Nagercoil Section (102 km) and Kanniyakumari-Nagercoil- Thiruvananthapuram Section (86.56km), at Nagercoil Junction railway station, in Tamil Nadu on January 23, 2018.

The Minister of State for Finance and Shipping, Shri P. Radhakrishnan addressing the gathering at the foundation stone laying ceremony for the doubling of tracks with electrification of Madurai- Vanchi Maniyachchi- Tuticorin Section (160 km), Vanchi Maniyachchi-Tirunelveli- Nagercoil Section (102 km) and Kanniyakumari-Nagercoil- Thiruvananthapuram Section (86.56km), at Nagercoil Junction railway station, in Tamil Nadu on January 23, 2018.

 

[Hindustani78]

The Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Shri Arun Jaitley lighting the lamp at the Investiture Ceremony and International Customs Day 2018, in New Delhi on January 27, 2018. The Minister of State for Finance, Shri Shiv Pratap Shukla and the Finance Secretary, Dr. Hasmukh Adhia are also seen.

The Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Shri Arun Jaitley at the Investiture Ceremony and International Customs Day 2018, in New Delhi on January 27, 2018. The Minister of State for Finance, Shri Shiv Pratap Shukla is also seen.

The Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Shri Arun Jaitley addressing at the Investiture Ceremony and International Customs Day 2018, in New Delhi on January 27, 2018.

The Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Shri Arun Jaitley in a group photograph at the Investiture Ceremony and International Customs Day 2018, in New Delhi on January 27, 2018. The Minister of State for Finance, Shri Shiv Pratap Shukla and the Finance Secretary, Dr. Hasmukh Adhia are also seen.

The Union Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh releasing the book edited by Shri Bibek Debroy titled ‘On the Trail of the Black’, in New Delhi on January 27, 2018.

The Union Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh addressing at the release of the book edited by Shri Bibek Debroy titled ‘On the Trail of the Black’, in New Delhi on January 27, 2018.

 

[Hindustani78]

The robotics technology to assess the under water strength of bridge substructure being tried at Pamban bridge across sea. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...d-to-test-railway-bridges/article22531582.ece

It provides accurate images of damage to pillars under water
The Southern Railway has deployed a Robotic Remote Operated Vehicle to assess the strength of bridge substructures under water. The new technology provides accurate images and data of damage such as erosion or formation of cavities on pillars under water.

Earlier, bridge engineers deployed divers who carried cameras to check the stability of bridges and take photographs of any damage. But the process was not only time-consuming but not accurate as well.

The robotic technology produced desired results when put to use in Pamban bridge connecting Rameswaram to the mainland and Bhavani river bridge in Mettupalayam, railways officials said. Impressed with the results, a high-level safety review committee has recommended that a trial be conducted in the Yamuna river bridge in New Delhi and the technology be deployed across the railway network.

“When we deployed divers to assess the strength of the substructure under water it used to take at least ten days to complete one bridge. Now it takes just one day. The findings are accurate and corroborated with photographs and videos. We are now able to get the dimensions and exact location of cavities for corrective measures,” a senior Railway official said on Thursday.

 

[Hindustani78]

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...premature-cracks-on-track/article22546327.ece

Board issues a series of directions to zonal railways to take remedial measures

Premature fracture of rails/welds has emerged to be a cause for serious concern for the Railways. After statistics revealed that at least 35% of fractures occurred within 25% of the stipulated lifespan of rails, the Railway Board rolled out urgent measures to mitigate the threat to safety.

Southern Railway among four zones reported the highest number of rail/weld fractures in August last year, contributing to at least 14.6% of the total fractures across the railway network.

Role of temperature

According to railway sources, the issue of rail fractures/weld failures came up for discussion at a high-level safety review meeting of the board recently. It was pointed out that a substantial number of premature rail/weld fractures contributed significantly to the number of failures on railways. High traffic density routes were vulnerable to track/weld fractures that not only affected punctuality but also posed a threat to safety.

Rail/weld fractures are caused mainly due to corrosion, variation in temperature and age of the track. Rail fracture might result in the wheels going off track, leading to derailment. The variation in highest and lowest temperature in a day plays a crucial role in causing rail fractures and the vulnerability is high during peak summer and winter. Last year, the derailment of the Indore-Patna Express near Kanpur that left 150 passengers dead and many injured brought into focus the persistent threat of rail fractures. The Railway Board called for urgent measures to prevent improper handling of rails at the time of unloading and laying tracks, high impact due to overloading of freight wagons and lack of maintenance of wheels/suspension of rolling stock.

Fifty three accidents were reported due to rail/weld failures, poor maintenance of track, improper working at sites etc in the last two years.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Commerce & Industry
31-January, 2018 17:02 IST
Index of Eight Core Industries (Base: 2011-12=100) December, 2017

The summary of the Index of Eight Core Industries (base: 2011-12) is given at the Annexure.

The Eight Core Industries comprise 40.27 per cent of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP). The combined Index of Eight Core Industries stands at 129.1 in December, 2017, which was 4.0 per cent higher as compared to the index of December, 2016. Its cumulative growth during April to December, 2017-18 was 4.0 per cent.

Coal

Coal production (weight: 10.33 per cent) declined by 0.1 per cent in December, 2017 over December, 2016. Its cumulative index increased by 1.3 per cent during April to December, 2017-18 over corresponding period of the previous year.

Crude Oil

Crude Oil production (weight: 8.98 per cent) declined by 2.1 per cent in December, 2017 over December, 2016. Its cumulative index declined by 0.4 per cent during April to December, 2017-18 over the corresponding period of previous year.

Natural Gas

The Natural Gas production (weight: 6.88 per cent) increased by 1.0 per cent in December, 2017 over December, 2016. Its cumulative index increased by 4.0 per cent during April to December, 2017-18 over the corresponding period of previous year.



Refinery Products

Petroleum Refinery production (weight: 28.04 per cent) increased by 6.6 per cent in December, 2017 over December, 2016. Its cumulative index increased by 3.9 per cent during April to December, 2017-18 over the corresponding period of previous year.

Fertilizers

Fertilizers production (weight: 2.63 per cent) increased by 3.0 per cent in December, 2017 over December, 2016. Its cumulative index declined by 0.6 per cent during April to December, 2017-18 over the corresponding period of previous year.

Steel

Steel production (weight: 17.92 per cent) increased by 2.6 per cent in December, 2017 over December, 2016. Its cumulative index increased by 6.7 per cent during April to December, 2017-18 over the corresponding period of previous year.

Cement

Cement production (weight: 5.37 per cent) increased by 19.6 per cent in December, 2017 over December, 2016. Its cumulative index increased by 2.7 per cent during April to December, 2017-18 over the corresponding period of previous year.

Electricity

Electricity generation (weight: 19.85 per cent) increased by 3.3 per cent in December, 2017 over December, 2016. Its cumulative index increased by 4.9 per cent during April to December, 2017-18 over the corresponding period of previous year.

Note 1: Data for October, 2017, November, 2017and December, 2017 are provisional.

Note 2: Since April, 2014, Electricity generation data from Renewable sources are also included.

Note 3: The industry-wise weights indicated above are individual industry weight derived from IIP and blown up on pro rata basis to a combined weight of ICI equal to 100.

Note 4: Release of the index for January, 2018 will be on Wednesday, 28th February, 2018.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Railways
31-January, 2018 20:09 IST
Railways to Set up a Coach Factory in Marathwada, Maharashtra

Will help Generate Employment Opportunities and Economic Development in the Marathwada Region, one of the most Backward Parts of Maharashtra

A high level meeting was held today between Union Minister for Railways and Coal, Shri Piyush Goyal and Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai, to discuss the setting up of a massive rail coach factory in Latur, Maharashtra by Indian Railways. This plant would manufacture Electric Multiple Units for suburban trains and coaches for metros.

Work on this project will be done on high priority with fast track processing of all approvals. Maharashtra Government has offered several concessions including in land, taxes and etc.

Marathwada, the region where Latur lies, is amongst the most backward areas of Maharashtra. There have been few central government projects in this region. This will massively benefit 'Make in India', and bring employment to a large number of people. In addition, it will create an industrial ecosystem in the drought prone region boosting shift from agriculture to industry. It may be noted that the region suffers from heavy migration to other parts of the country.

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