With an aim to provide flight-like hospitality to passengers onboard, Indian Railways has implemented a pilot project where it would deploy air hostesses and flight stewards in India's supreme train, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/vande-bharat-expresss-delhi-varanasi-ac-chair-car-ticket-to-cost-rs-1850-executive-class-rs-3520-196698">Vande Bharat Express</a>.

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has been given the responsibility to supervise the trail project. The service has already been started in Vande Bharat Express.

In a big step aimed at enhancing passengers' convenience, the IRCTC has brought 34 trained air hostesses and flight steward on Vande Bharat Express for the duration of six months for a trail service. If turned out to be successful, such a service is likely to be implemented in other trains as well.

Speaking to ANI, IRCTC spokesperson Siddhartha Singh said, "The IRCTC is working hard to provide supreme services to passengers".

Singh explained that usually, a licensee caterer pays Rs 8,000-10,000 per month to the person who serves food on board to passengers.&nbsp;

However, to provide the best service, the IRCTC is paying Rs 25,000 per month to these air hostesses and flight stewards for better services.

In February this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had flagged off the train's maiden run from New Delhi to Varanasi.

The train is designed and developed by a Chennai-based Railways Production unit, Integral Coach Factory in just 18 months which also includes the in-house design and manufacture, computer modelling and working etc.

Adding up the green footprints, this fully 'Make in India' train has regenerative braking system in the coaches which can save up to 30 per cent of electrical energy.

With an aim to provide flight-like hospitality to passengers onboard, Indian Railways has implemented a pilot project where it would deploy air hostesses and flight stewards in India's supreme train, Vande Bharat Express.

With an aim to provide flight-like hospitality to passengers onboard, Indian Railways has implemented a pilot project where it would deploy air hostesses and flight stewards in India's supreme train, Vande Bharat Express. The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has been given the responsibility to supervise the trail project. The service has already been started in Vande Bharat Express. In a big step aimed at enhancing passengers' convenience, the IRCTC has brought 34 trained air hostesses and flight steward on Vande Bharat Express for the duration of six months for a trail service. If turned out to be successful, such a service is likely to be implemented in other trains as well. Speaking to ANI, IRCTC spokesperson Siddhartha Singh said, "The IRCTC is working hard to provide supreme services to passengers". Singh explained that usually, a licensee caterer pays Rs 8,000-10,000 per month to the person who serves food on board to passengers. However, to provide the best service, the IRCTC is paying Rs 25,000 per month to these air hostesses and flight stewards for better services. In February this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had flagged off the train's maiden run from New Delhi to Varanasi. The train is designed and developed by a Chennai-based Railways Production unit, Integral Coach Factory in just 18 months which also includes the in-house design and manufacture, computer modelling and working etc. Adding up the green footprints, this fully 'Make in India' train has regenerative braking system in the coaches which can save up to 30 per cent of electrical energy.

Flight-like hospitality by air hostesses in Vande Bharat Express

Indian Railways is planning to lay off at least 3 lakh employees who are above 55, according to a ministry letter.

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/railways-needs-investment-of-rs-50-lakh-crore-by-2030-to-make-it-worlds-best-piyush-goyal-233681">Railway ministry has</a> written to all zonal heads including&nbsp;zonal managers to prepare a list of employees who are above 55 years. An order for performance review has also been put forth.

Not only this, according to the ministry's order, it has asked the heads to prepare a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-railways-minister-piyush-goyal-says-no-privatisation-of-railways-targets-congress-235451">list of employees </a>who are completing 30 years in the Railways till the first quarter of 2020.

Meanwhile, Indian Railways clarified saying that had recruited approximately 1,84,262 employees in various categories during the&nbsp;2014-19 period.

Recruitment exercise for 2,83,637 posts is underway, out of which tests have already been conducted for 1,41,060 posts and the process shall be completed within the next two months, it added.

Recently, the railway ministry which is headed by Piyush Goyal had said that it is studying profiles of corrupt officials to see if some action can be taken against them. However, the minister had ruled out privatisation of the national railway declaring there was "no question and no meaning".

UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi had earlier opposed corporatisation of the modern coach factory in Rae Bareli and said it was the first step towards privatisation. 
&nbsp; 
Goyal had claimed that the NDA government had completed 1,900 kilometres of track-linking in the last five years. The Railway minister had said track kilometre grew slowly in 64 years, while in the past five years it grew by 7,000 kilometres.

As part of modernisation plan, the Railway minister had said before the general elections that the all-mountain&nbsp;Railways in India will now have vista dome coaches, allowing passengers to enjoy the scenic beauty of hilly terrains.

The latest addition of vista dome or glass-enclosed coaches has been made to the Nilgiri Mountain Railway.

Indian Railways is planning to lay off at least 3 lakh employees who are above 55, according to a ministry letter. The Railway ministry has written to all zonal heads including zonal managers to prepare a list of employees who are above 55 years.

Indian Railways is planning to lay off at least 3 lakh employees who are above 55, according to a ministry letter. The Railway ministry has written to all zonal heads including zonal managers to prepare a list of employees who are above 55 years. An order for performance review has also been put forth. Not only this, according to the ministry's order, it has asked the heads to prepare a list of employees who are completing 30 years in the Railways till the first quarter of 2020. Meanwhile, Indian Railways clarified saying that had recruited approximately 1,84,262 employees in various categories during the 2014-19 period. Recruitment exercise for 2,83,637 posts is underway, out of which tests have already been conducted for 1,41,060 posts and the process shall be completed within the next two months, it added. Recently, the railway ministry which is headed by Piyush Goyal had said that it is studying profiles of corrupt officials to see if some action can be taken against them. However, the minister had ruled out privatisation of the national railway declaring there was "no question and no meaning". UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi had earlier opposed corporatisation of the modern coach factory in Rae Bareli and said it was the first step towards privatisation. Goyal had claimed that the NDA government had completed 1,900 kilometres of track-linking in the last five years. The Railway minister had said track kilometre grew slowly in 64 years, while in the past five years it grew by 7,000 kilometres. As part of modernisation plan, the Railway minister had said before the general elections that the all-mountain Railways in India will now have vista dome coaches, allowing passengers to enjoy the scenic beauty of hilly terrains. The latest addition of vista dome or glass-enclosed coaches has been made to the Nilgiri Mountain Railway.

Indian Railways may lay off at least 3 lakh employees

In a bid to send the right message to people against corruption, the Railway Ministry is studying profiles of corrupt officials to see if some action can be taken against them.

"With the action being taken against some officers who have integrity issues, the right message is going to the people. Even in Railways, we are now studying profiles of many officers to see if some action can be initiated against them to send the right message," said Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal.

Goyal, who is on a three-day visit to the UK, said during an interaction with representatives from the Indian diaspora in Britain, also said that the Narendra Modi government has taken various steps to address the issue of transparency in his ministry. 
 
Earlier on Friday, Goyal ruled out privatisation of Railways.

"There is no question of the privatisation of railways. Railways cannot be privatised. However, if we have to increase the facilities in railways then obviously we need investments for it.&nbsp;We have taken a decision to encourage public-private partnerships and we will also corporatise some units," the minister told the Lok Sabha. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

In a bid to send the right message to people against corruption, the Railway Ministry is studying profiles of corrupt officials to see if some action can be taken against them.

In a bid to send the right message to people against corruption, the Railway Ministry is studying profiles of corrupt officials to see if some action can be taken against them. "With the action being taken against some officers who have integrity issues, the right message is going to the people. Even in Railways, we are now studying profiles of many officers to see if some action can be initiated against them to send the right message," said Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal. Goyal, who is on a three-day visit to the UK, said during an interaction with representatives from the Indian diaspora in Britain, also said that the Narendra Modi government has taken various steps to address the issue of transparency in his ministry. Earlier on Friday, Goyal ruled out privatisation of Railways. "There is no question of the privatisation of railways. Railways cannot be privatised. However, if we have to increase the facilities in railways then obviously we need investments for it. We have taken a decision to encourage public-private partnerships and we will also corporatise some units," the minister told the Lok Sabha. (With inputs from agencies)

Railway ministry studying profiles of officials under anti-corruption drive: Piyush Goyal

In a major crackdown against spurious mineral water being sold in trains, more than 800 people were arrested on Wednesday.

As many as 48,860 bottles of spurious mineral water were recovered in an operation which was carried out at over 300 places following the complaints filed by passengers.

"A major crackdown on those who sell spurious mineral water was carried out at over 300 places. More than 800 persons, including manager of 4 pantry cars, were arrested and 48,860 bottles recovered," news agency ANI quoted Railway Minister Piyush Goyal.

Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court asked the Railways on Tuesday to file an affidavit detailing the steps it has taken, and proposes to take, to ensure availability of clean and safe drinking water on its trains as well as stations.

The lawyers, representing the Railways, told the HC that it has set up chlorination plants to treat the water. The Railways also told the court that it, occasionally, sends samples of water collected from its stations to laboratories. 
 
Indian Railways has been taking steps to ensure the safety and convenience of passengers. Passengers on board premier trains like Rajdhani and Duronto are provided with free Rail Neer bottles but passengers on many other trains have to rely on either buying bottles or using drinking water taps at stations.&nbsp;

However, several vendors supply spurious water with stickers of well-known brands pasted on bottles.

 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

In a major crackdown against spurious mineral water being sold in trains, more than 800 people were arrested on Wednesday. As many as 48,860 bottles of spurious mineral water were recovered in an operation which was carried out at over 300 places following the complaints filed by passengers.

In a major crackdown against spurious mineral water being sold in trains, more than 800 people were arrested on Wednesday. As many as 48,860 bottles of spurious mineral water were recovered in an operation which was carried out at over 300 places following the complaints filed by passengers. "A major crackdown on those who sell spurious mineral water was carried out at over 300 places. More than 800 persons, including manager of 4 pantry cars, were arrested and 48,860 bottles recovered," news agency ANI quoted Railway Minister Piyush Goyal. Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court asked the Railways on Tuesday to file an affidavit detailing the steps it has taken, and proposes to take, to ensure availability of clean and safe drinking water on its trains as well as stations. The lawyers, representing the Railways, told the HC that it has set up chlorination plants to treat the water. The Railways also told the court that it, occasionally, sends samples of water collected from its stations to laboratories. Indian Railways has been taking steps to ensure the safety and convenience of passengers. Passengers on board premier trains like Rajdhani and Duronto are provided with free Rail Neer bottles but passengers on many other trains have to rely on either buying bottles or using drinking water taps at stations. However, several vendors supply spurious water with stickers of well-known brands pasted on bottles. (With inputs from agencies)

Over 800 people arrested in crackdown against spurious water sold in trains

Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday said that Indian Railways needs an investment of Rs 50 lakh crore by 2030 to make it the "world's best."

"I have never spoken about the privatisation of Railways. What is said in the Budget is Railways are an important mode of transport. And ever since Railways have reached Goa, we have felt that there is a big change and tourism has increased in a big way. When we speak about the future then till 2030, in 11, 12 years, railways will need an investment of Rs. 50 lakh crore, if we have to make it the world's best railway service," Goyal said here at an event.

"This includes aspects like passenger safety, ensuring a comfortable journey, expansion of railway tracks to accommodate more passengers. We have also set an ambitious target for increasing of freight on the Railways which has now shrunk to 30 per cent and when we have seen that in 65 years, before the advent of the Narendra Modi government, investment had reduced in the Indian Railways, as a result of which infrastructure has increased by only 30 per cent and the passenger and freight traffic has increased by 1500 per cent," he added.

Goyal stated that the estimate is that "passengers and freight will face discomfort and safety will be decreased due to overload."

"In the last five years, we have more than doubled capital investment in the Railways. This year too Rs 1.60 lakh crore capital investment we have planned in the Railways. In 2013-14 it was around Rs 40,000 to Rs. 45,000 crore. Such is the change which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has brought in Indian Railways. But when you look ahead, the government will not be able to invest Rs. 50 lakh crore alone. Our efforts are to bring technology of international standards, investment or a Public Private Partnership or a TOT model, which yesterday Nirmala Sitharaman referred to toll operate and transfer. There are different models we can follow. We want the Indian Railways to grow," he said.

Goyal said that Railways by itself will not be privatised.

"Railways belong to the government, it will stay with the government. The big investment (in the Railways sector) belongs to the government and it will be in the service of the public," he said.Meanwhile, on the mining issue, Piyush Goyal stated that the central government is "committed to solving the issue."

"The Chief Minister has had several meetings without leadership in Delhi. He has had several meeting with the Prime Minister on this issue. It is a very difficult issue, which has to be resolved within the framework of the law and yet recognising the special situation in Goa. The legal department in Goa and the law ministry in Delhi are working together to see how we can find a solution, given the fact that the Supreme Court had earlier ordered that all natural resources of the country have to be auctioned."

He added, "This was the order in the wake of the massive Coalgate scam, which the Congress and UPA had indulged in which they had given away large amount of mines to select parties. But Goa has a peculiar situation where mining has been going on for so many years. These are no new mines, so we have to find a solution within the ambit of the law, recognising and respecting the Supreme Court judgement and the unique position of Goa. We stand committed to finding a solution. We will work with the Goa government, but we will also need to respect the law of the land."

On the occasion, Piyush Goyal also remembered former Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and called him a "good friend and a big brother."

"He was a tough party worker and an ideal worker of the party. We worked closely with him. He was a patriot and an uncommon leader. He was never a leader, he was a party worker who became a Chief Minister and reached heights of his political career. This is the speciality of the party. I remember whenever Narendra Modi addressed party workers, he has said that the party and the government's strengths is based on the party workers. It is the biggest party in the world. Workers provide a bridge which connects government to the people," Goyal said.

Piyush Goyal said that BJP does not believe in dynasty politics, but banks on its party workers.&nbsp;

Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday said that Indian Railways needs an investment of Rs 50 lakh crore by 2030 to make it the "world's best." "I have never spoken about the privatisation of Railways.

Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday said that Indian Railways needs an investment of Rs 50 lakh crore by 2030 to make it the "world's best." "I have never spoken about the privatisation of Railways. What is said in the Budget is Railways are an important mode of transport. And ever since Railways have reached Goa, we have felt that there is a big change and tourism has increased in a big way. When we speak about the future then till 2030, in 11, 12 years, railways will need an investment of Rs. 50 lakh crore, if we have to make it the world's best railway service," Goyal said here at an event. "This includes aspects like passenger safety, ensuring a comfortable journey, expansion of railway tracks to accommodate more passengers. We have also set an ambitious target for increasing of freight on the Railways which has now shrunk to 30 per cent and when we have seen that in 65 years, before the advent of the Narendra Modi government, investment had reduced in the Indian Railways, as a result of which infrastructure has increased by only 30 per cent and the passenger and freight traffic has increased by 1500 per cent," he added. Goyal stated that the estimate is that "passengers and freight will face discomfort and safety will be decreased due to overload." "In the last five years, we have more than doubled capital investment in the Railways. This year too Rs 1.60 lakh crore capital investment we have planned in the Railways. In 2013-14 it was around Rs 40,000 to Rs. 45,000 crore. Such is the change which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has brought in Indian Railways. But when you look ahead, the government will not be able to invest Rs. 50 lakh crore alone. Our efforts are to bring technology of international standards, investment or a Public Private Partnership or a TOT model, which yesterday Nirmala Sitharaman referred to toll operate and transfer. There are different models we can follow. We want the Indian Railways to grow," he said. Goyal said that Railways by itself will not be privatised. "Railways belong to the government, it will stay with the government. The big investment (in the Railways sector) belongs to the government and it will be in the service of the public," he said.Meanwhile, on the mining issue, Piyush Goyal stated that the central government is "committed to solving the issue." "The Chief Minister has had several meetings without leadership in Delhi. He has had several meeting with the Prime Minister on this issue. It is a very difficult issue, which has to be resolved within the framework of the law and yet recognising the special situation in Goa. The legal department in Goa and the law ministry in Delhi are working together to see how we can find a solution, given the fact that the Supreme Court had earlier ordered that all natural resources of the country have to be auctioned." He added, "This was the order in the wake of the massive Coalgate scam, which the Congress and UPA had indulged in which they had given away large amount of mines to select parties. But Goa has a peculiar situation where mining has been going on for so many years. These are no new mines, so we have to find a solution within the ambit of the law, recognising and respecting the Supreme Court judgement and the unique position of Goa. We stand committed to finding a solution. We will work with the Goa government, but we will also need to respect the law of the land." On the occasion, Piyush Goyal also remembered former Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and called him a "good friend and a big brother." "He was a tough party worker and an ideal worker of the party. We worked closely with him. He was a patriot and an uncommon leader. He was never a leader, he was a party worker who became a Chief Minister and reached heights of his political career. This is the speciality of the party. I remember whenever Narendra Modi addressed party workers, he has said that the party and the government's strengths is based on the party workers. It is the biggest party in the world. Workers provide a bridge which connects government to the people," Goyal said. Piyush Goyal said that BJP does not believe in dynasty politics, but banks on its party workers.

Railways needs investment of Rs 50 lakh crore by 2030 to make it world's best: Piyush Goyal

Railways is conducting extensive trials of Tri-Netra technology but it cannot be introduced till it is found to be perfect in detecting any obstruction on tracks during fog, the Rajya Sabha was informed Friday.

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal told members during the Question Hour that the Tri-Netra system is another attempt by the Railways to develop modern technology.

"This is also under extensive trials. This Tri-netra device is making an attempt during fog through ultrasonic waves where it will be able to detect any obstruction on tracks. It is under testing, but without proper testing, it cannot be implemented, as it does not give us the confidence to implement it," the minister said.

Goyal also informed members that Railways is setting up small Reverse Osmosis (RO) water plants at some stations for provisions of drinking water to people.

"In 2002-03 what was developed was tried extensively but was found to be not successful. Unless extensive trials take place, you cannot introduce unless there are extensive trials and that can cause more damage. That project was aborted. Subsequently, we developed another technology of Fog-past devices for seeing in fog," he told the House.

"The TRI-NETRA (Terrain Imaging for Drivers Infrared, Enhanced, Optical &amp; Radar Assisted) system comprises Infrared Camera, Optical Camera and Radar assisted imaging system to assist Loco pilots to identify obstructions on tracks, especially in foggy conditions. It's testing on all parameters will be done after its procurement and field trials as proof of concept," the minister said in his written reply.

Responding to a query on lack of availability of water on trains, the minister said Railways has gone into the issue and the pressure with which water was loaded on trains was found to be less as the demand of water was much less earlier.

"We have now taken a policy decision that we are changing the system for high-pressure pumping so that water tanks get full and nobody has problems during the journey.

"While we are distributing Rail Neer inside trains, we are also setting up small RO plants at different stations where people can procure water for drinking," he said.&nbsp;

Railways is conducting extensive trials of Tri-Netra technology but it cannot be introduced till it is found to be perfect in detecting any obstruction on tracks during fog, the Rajya Sabha was informed Friday.

Railways is conducting extensive trials of Tri-Netra technology but it cannot be introduced till it is found to be perfect in detecting any obstruction on tracks during fog, the Rajya Sabha was informed Friday. Railway Minister Piyush Goyal told members during the Question Hour that the Tri-Netra system is another attempt by the Railways to develop modern technology. "This is also under extensive trials. This Tri-netra device is making an attempt during fog through ultrasonic waves where it will be able to detect any obstruction on tracks. It is under testing, but without proper testing, it cannot be implemented, as it does not give us the confidence to implement it," the minister said. Goyal also informed members that Railways is setting up small Reverse Osmosis (RO) water plants at some stations for provisions of drinking water to people. "In 2002-03 what was developed was tried extensively but was found to be not successful. Unless extensive trials take place, you cannot introduce unless there are extensive trials and that can cause more damage. That project was aborted. Subsequently, we developed another technology of Fog-past devices for seeing in fog," he told the House. "The TRI-NETRA (Terrain Imaging for Drivers Infrared, Enhanced, Optical & Radar Assisted) system comprises Infrared Camera, Optical Camera and Radar assisted imaging system to assist Loco pilots to identify obstructions on tracks, especially in foggy conditions. It's testing on all parameters will be done after its procurement and field trials as proof of concept," the minister said in his written reply. Responding to a query on lack of availability of water on trains, the minister said Railways has gone into the issue and the pressure with which water was loaded on trains was found to be less as the demand of water was much less earlier. "We have now taken a policy decision that we are changing the system for high-pressure pumping so that water tanks get full and nobody has problems during the journey. "While we are distributing Rail Neer inside trains, we are also setting up small RO plants at different stations where people can procure water for drinking," he said.

Railways conducting trials of Tri-Netra technology to detect obstruction on tracks

With a plan to introduce professional massage services in trains, a Railways official on Sunday said initially masseurs (male) will be hired for the project and subsequently, on the basis of its success, the masseuse will be introduced.

The masseurs who will provide professional services to the passengers on train will have to travel on their own ticket and their number would be displayed to the passengers for availing the services, said the Railway official.

Indian Railways on Saturday announced massage services for passengers that would be made available in 39 trains deporting from Indore.

The 39 trains originating from Indore will soon provide head and foot massage services to its passengers.DRM Ratlam division, RN Sunkar said, "We have already awarded tenders. Initially, we will have only masseurs and based on the success of the project, we will introduce masseuses."

"Masseurs will travel as passengers and carry their own tickets. Railways will be benefitted as there will be more earning through these tickets and an additional benefit of Rs 20 lakh per annum. Passengers onboard can call for services through contact number displayed in coaches," said Sunkar.

Passengers hailed the initiative by the Railways and asserted that it would be of great help to those who are tired of the long journey and to the elder commuters.

"It will help passengers. Passengers who are aged, women passengers, daily commuters and others will be benefitted. However, I feel that the massage services should be provided at concessional rates to those who travel in sleeper class," said Anil Jain, a traveller from Indore.

"Such types of services should be started at Mumbai, Delhi, and Ahmadabad also," he added.

"I am a regular traveller and I see the problem faced by elder citizens travelling in trains. This would be of great help to such passengers and also to those who need it medically. The rates seem to be normal," said Ankit Bansal, who hails from Rajasthan.

"This would also be of great help to those passengers who are tired of the long journey," he added."Railway Ministry has given us directions to provide as many facilities as possible to passengers. So we decided to start this. Agency has been designated and they will appoint trained masseurs and provide their medical and other certificates to us, then we will authorise them," said Sunkar.

The Railways will charge Rs 100 each for foot massage or head massage and charges will surge if a passenger wants some 'specialized services', use of medicines or oils.

The charges will vary accordingly, the official said. Massage service will not be available during night hours (10 pm to 6 am). The service is likely to commence in the next 15-20 days.

Among the 39 trains in which this service will be provided include Malwa Express, Humsafar Express, Mahamana Express and Shipra Express among others.&nbsp;

With a plan to introduce professional massage services in trains, a Railways official on Sunday said initially masseurs (male) will be hired for the project and subsequently, on the basis of its success, the masseuse will be introduced.

With a plan to introduce professional massage services in trains, a Railways official on Sunday said initially masseurs (male) will be hired for the project and subsequently, on the basis of its success, the masseuse will be introduced. The masseurs who will provide professional services to the passengers on train will have to travel on their own ticket and their number would be displayed to the passengers for availing the services, said the Railway official. Indian Railways on Saturday announced massage services for passengers that would be made available in 39 trains deporting from Indore. The 39 trains originating from Indore will soon provide head and foot massage services to its passengers.DRM Ratlam division, RN Sunkar said, "We have already awarded tenders. Initially, we will have only masseurs and based on the success of the project, we will introduce masseuses." "Masseurs will travel as passengers and carry their own tickets. Railways will be benefitted as there will be more earning through these tickets and an additional benefit of Rs 20 lakh per annum. Passengers onboard can call for services through contact number displayed in coaches," said Sunkar. Passengers hailed the initiative by the Railways and asserted that it would be of great help to those who are tired of the long journey and to the elder commuters. "It will help passengers. Passengers who are aged, women passengers, daily commuters and others will be benefitted. However, I feel that the massage services should be provided at concessional rates to those who travel in sleeper class," said Anil Jain, a traveller from Indore. "Such types of services should be started at Mumbai, Delhi, and Ahmadabad also," he added. "I am a regular traveller and I see the problem faced by elder citizens travelling in trains. This would be of great help to such passengers and also to those who need it medically. The rates seem to be normal," said Ankit Bansal, who hails from Rajasthan. "This would also be of great help to those passengers who are tired of the long journey," he added."Railway Ministry has given us directions to provide as many facilities as possible to passengers. So we decided to start this. Agency has been designated and they will appoint trained masseurs and provide their medical and other certificates to us, then we will authorise them," said Sunkar. The Railways will charge Rs 100 each for foot massage or head massage and charges will surge if a passenger wants some 'specialized services', use of medicines or oils. The charges will vary accordingly, the official said. Massage service will not be available during night hours (10 pm to 6 am). The service is likely to commence in the next 15-20 days. Among the 39 trains in which this service will be provided include Malwa Express, Humsafar Express, Mahamana Express and Shipra Express among others.

Railways plans to introduce professional massage services in trains

All mountain railways in India will now have vistadome coaches, allowing passengers to enjoy the scenic beauty of hilly terrains, Railway Minister <a href="http://www.wionews.com/search?q=Piyush+Goyal">Piyush Goyal</a> said Friday.&nbsp;

The latest addition of vistadome or glass-enclosed coaches have been made to the Nilgiri Mountain Railway.&nbsp;

"Given the positive feedback on this initiative of Indian Railways, order for hundred vistadome coaches have been given to the concerned production unit," said Goyal, while speaking to reporters.

Vistadome coaches have been designed to provide a panoramic view to passengers while enhancing their travelling comfort. These coaches have been provided with large windows on the sides and glass panels on the roof to provide a better viewing experience.

Three broad-gauge coaches have been manufactured by the Modern Coach Factory in Raebareli and are running between Dadar and Madgoan in Araku Valley and in Kashmir Valley.

Four mountain railways have been provided with vistadome coaches.&nbsp;

In total 11 vistadome coaches are presently in service -- four in Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, two in Kalka-Shimla Railway, one in Kangra Valley Railway and one in Matheran Hill Railway.

Two meter-gauge coaches have been modified to vistadome by Golden Rock Workshop, Tiruchirappalli for Niligiri Mountain Railway.&nbsp;

The minister said that plans are afoot to manufacture or retrofit 18 more coaches to vistadome ones in the next three months for Kalka-Shimla, Kangra Valley, Patalpani-Kalkund section (in Madhya Pradesh) and Mailani-Nanpara section (in UP).

Another 69 more such coaches will be planned in 2019-20 to make it 100.

"This is another attempt by the Indian Railways to add to passenger experience while promoting tourism in the country," he said.

All mountain railways in India will now have vistadome coaches, allowing passengers to enjoy the scenic beauty of hilly terrains, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said Friday.

All mountain railways in India will now have vistadome coaches, allowing passengers to enjoy the scenic beauty of hilly terrains, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said Friday. The latest addition of vistadome or glass-enclosed coaches have been made to the Nilgiri Mountain Railway. "Given the positive feedback on this initiative of Indian Railways, order for hundred vistadome coaches have been given to the concerned production unit," said Goyal, while speaking to reporters. Vistadome coaches have been designed to provide a panoramic view to passengers while enhancing their travelling comfort. These coaches have been provided with large windows on the sides and glass panels on the roof to provide a better viewing experience. Three broad-gauge coaches have been manufactured by the Modern Coach Factory in Raebareli and are running between Dadar and Madgoan in Araku Valley and in Kashmir Valley. Four mountain railways have been provided with vistadome coaches. In total 11 vistadome coaches are presently in service -- four in Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, two in Kalka-Shimla Railway, one in Kangra Valley Railway and one in Matheran Hill Railway. Two meter-gauge coaches have been modified to vistadome by Golden Rock Workshop, Tiruchirappalli for Niligiri Mountain Railway. The minister said that plans are afoot to manufacture or retrofit 18 more coaches to vistadome ones in the next three months for Kalka-Shimla, Kangra Valley, Patalpani-Kalkund section (in Madhya Pradesh) and Mailani-Nanpara section (in UP). Another 69 more such coaches will be planned in 2019-20 to make it 100. "This is another attempt by the Indian Railways to add to passenger experience while promoting tourism in the country," he said.

All mountain railways in India to have vistadome coaches: Piyush Goyal

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal will hold a marathon meeting of senior officials on Thursday to prepare a road map for the future of the national transporter.

Days before the Model Code of Conduct comes into force, Goyal will conduct a final assessment of the work done by the ministry over the last five years, sources said on Wednesday.&nbsp;

The minister will interact with all members of the Railway Board, director generals, divisional railway managers, general managers, heads of railway PSUs and senior officers to be posted as DRMs in the near future.

The discussion will focus on achievements of targets for year 2018-19, security situation in the country, security measures required to be taken by zonal railways and setting of agenda for 2019-20, the sources said.

The sources indicated that the meeting, slated to be the last big interaction of the minister with key personnel of the railways before the 2019 general elections, will also provide a roadmap for the national transporter in the days to come.&nbsp;

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal will hold a marathon meeting of senior officials on Thursday to prepare a road map for the future of the national transporter. Days before the Model Code of Conduct comes into force, Goyal will conduct a final assessment of the work done by the ministry over the last five years, sources said on Wednesday.

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal will hold a marathon meeting of senior officials on Thursday to prepare a road map for the future of the national transporter. Days before the Model Code of Conduct comes into force, Goyal will conduct a final assessment of the work done by the ministry over the last five years, sources said on Wednesday. The minister will interact with all members of the Railway Board, director generals, divisional railway managers, general managers, heads of railway PSUs and senior officers to be posted as DRMs in the near future. The discussion will focus on achievements of targets for year 2018-19, security situation in the country, security measures required to be taken by zonal railways and setting of agenda for 2019-20, the sources said. The sources indicated that the meeting, slated to be the last big interaction of the minister with key personnel of the railways before the 2019 general elections, will also provide a roadmap for the national transporter in the days to come.

Goyal to hold marathon meeting with senior officials Thursday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday flagged off an electric locomotive converted from a diesel engine at the Diesel Locomotives Works (DLW) in his constituency here.

In a first, the Indian Railways has converted a diesel locomotive into an electric one, as part of efforts to completely electrify the broad gauge network.&nbsp;

Immediately after landing here, the prime minister reached DLW and flagged off the electric locomotive. He also inspected the engine from inside.

The work on the project began on December 22, 2017 and from concept to execution of the conversion of the diesel locomotive to electric was carried out in just 69 days, railway officials said.

In keeping with the Indian Railways' Mission 100 per cent electrification and de-carbonization agenda, DLW has developed a new prototype electric locomotive converted from diesel locomotive.

The prime minister will also visit the Sant Ravidas Temple to participate in the birth anniversary celebrations of the mystic poet of the Bhakti Movement and attend several other programmes besides laying the foundation stone of projects worth several hundred crores.

He will also address a public meeting later in the day.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday flagged off an electric locomotive converted from a diesel engine at the Diesel Locomotives Works (DLW) in his constituency here.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday flagged off an electric locomotive converted from a diesel engine at the Diesel Locomotives Works (DLW) in his constituency here. In a first, the Indian Railways has converted a diesel locomotive into an electric one, as part of efforts to completely electrify the broad gauge network. Immediately after landing here, the prime minister reached DLW and flagged off the electric locomotive. He also inspected the engine from inside. The work on the project began on December 22, 2017 and from concept to execution of the conversion of the diesel locomotive to electric was carried out in just 69 days, railway officials said. In keeping with the Indian Railways' Mission 100 per cent electrification and de-carbonization agenda, DLW has developed a new prototype electric locomotive converted from diesel locomotive. The prime minister will also visit the Sant Ravidas Temple to participate in the birth anniversary celebrations of the mystic poet of the Bhakti Movement and attend several other programmes besides laying the foundation stone of projects worth several hundred crores. He will also address a public meeting later in the day.

PM Modi unveils diesel-turned-electric locomotive in Varanasi

Railways is the lifeline of the nation. Nowhere is this as true as in Mumbai, where the suburban network popularly called ‘the local train’ ensures that Mumbaikars reach their destination on time. At a total length of 459 km, the network has more than 3,000 services of local trains carrying around 80 lakh people on a daily basis, making it one of the busiest urban transport systems in the world.

To ensure that Mumbai has world-class infrastructure in keeping with its metropolitan status, the government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken a number of initiatives to upgrade the suburban system, which will help improve passenger satisfaction and safety, reduce congestion, and adequately plan for the future.

With regard to passenger safety, Railways is working in mission mode. Foot Over Bridges (FOBs), platforms and pathways on platform end are now treated as safety items having highest priority with no budgetary restriction. To allow free and safe movement of passengers, 87 FOBs have been constructed since 2014, including 44 after the unfortunate Elphinstone Road station tragedy. A further 70 FOBs will be commissioned this year while 55 will be commissioned next year.

&nbsp;The average time for construction has been reduced from 8-9 months to about 3 months. We have also raised the height of all station platforms in the suburban section to allow safer entry and exit into trains.

Very often passengers climb a train and do not realise that it is about to move. This poses a serious risk to their lives and well-being. Therefore, a new innovation in the form of a blue light signal on the door of the coach to signal that the train is starting, has been introduced. Passengers will now get adequate warning. We will use this system after all trials are completed.

Under our government, we have significantly scaled up investments into new projects. In 2016, PM Modi had laid the foundation stone for the Mumbai Urban Transport Project 3 (MUTP 3) worth approximately Rs 11,000 crore. Under this project, several works have been started, including the Airoli-Kalva elevated link, Panvel-Karjat new suburban double line corridor, and the introduction of 47 new air-conditioned suburban trains.&nbsp;

These will help decongest the network while adding improved services.

In the 2018-19 Budget, an unprecedented Rs 55,000 crore was announced for a new project in Mumbai — the MUTP 3A, showcasing the Government’s ambitious plans for the suburban system. Under this, a number of lines will be extended and introduced. In addition, a communications-based train control system will be introduced for improved safety and punctuality. Funds will also be allocated towards station improvement and procurement of AC rakes.

Under this government, long pending projects are also being fast tracked and completed. The long-awaited Nerul-Seawood/Belapur-Uran new line first phase project is finally complete. Sanctioned in 1996-97, the work was very slow. However, after 2014 the work was fast tracked and the line finally opened in November 2018. The personal intervention of CM Devendra Fadnavis helped smoothen all issues. Currently, the second phase of the project is in progress.

Having personally travelled on local trains as a student, I know the difficulties an average commuter faces. To beat the sweltering heat and humidity, an AC rake was introduced for the first time ever. We have given a green signal for procuring 210 AC rakes.

It was inconceivable that for a city which never stops, people have to wait in long lines to buy tickets for local trains. Those days of waiting have now ended with the introduction of the UTS mobile app to buy unreserved tickets on the spot. Waiting for trains has become more convenient with the introduction of high-speed wi-fi at 27 stations.

We have also reduced the waiting time for trains. Since 2014, 214 services have been added to the Mumbai suburban network. To meet the ever-growing demand for direct connectivity between India’s financial capital and political capital, an additional Rajdhani train was introduced between Delhi and Mumbai. It will take a different route covering central India, and will serve hitherto unserved areas.

We are now improving stations through lifts, escalators, Swacchata and security through cameras. In fact, we have also given importance to the security of women passengers. Taking feedback, a number of CCTV cameras have been relocated at stations to ensure better focus on ladies coaches.

Over the last four and a half years, Railways has become cleaner, safer, faster and more convenient. Indian Railways is committed to providing better services to every Mumbaikar and our efforts to improve infrastructure, passenger conveniences and safety will ensure the iconic Mumbai suburban system is a part of the New India vision.

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-mumbai-suburban-network-nurturing-lifeline-of-the-city-2717315">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

 
&nbsp;

Railways is the lifeline of the nation. Nowhere is this as true as in Mumbai, where the suburban network popularly called ‘the local train’ ensures that Mumbaikars reach their destination on time.

Railways is the lifeline of the nation. Nowhere is this as true as in Mumbai, where the suburban network popularly called ‘the local train’ ensures that Mumbaikars reach their destination on time. At a total length of 459 km, the network has more than 3,000 services of local trains carrying around 80 lakh people on a daily basis, making it one of the busiest urban transport systems in the world. To ensure that Mumbai has world-class infrastructure in keeping with its metropolitan status, the government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken a number of initiatives to upgrade the suburban system, which will help improve passenger satisfaction and safety, reduce congestion, and adequately plan for the future. With regard to passenger safety, Railways is working in mission mode. Foot Over Bridges (FOBs), platforms and pathways on platform end are now treated as safety items having highest priority with no budgetary restriction. To allow free and safe movement of passengers, 87 FOBs have been constructed since 2014, including 44 after the unfortunate Elphinstone Road station tragedy. A further 70 FOBs will be commissioned this year while 55 will be commissioned next year. The average time for construction has been reduced from 8-9 months to about 3 months. We have also raised the height of all station platforms in the suburban section to allow safer entry and exit into trains. Very often passengers climb a train and do not realise that it is about to move. This poses a serious risk to their lives and well-being. Therefore, a new innovation in the form of a blue light signal on the door of the coach to signal that the train is starting, has been introduced. Passengers will now get adequate warning. We will use this system after all trials are completed. Under our government, we have significantly scaled up investments into new projects. In 2016, PM Modi had laid the foundation stone for the Mumbai Urban Transport Project 3 (MUTP 3) worth approximately Rs 11,000 crore. Under this project, several works have been started, including the Airoli-Kalva elevated link, Panvel-Karjat new suburban double line corridor, and the introduction of 47 new air-conditioned suburban trains. These will help decongest the network while adding improved services. In the 2018-19 Budget, an unprecedented Rs 55,000 crore was announced for a new project in Mumbai — the MUTP 3A, showcasing the Government’s ambitious plans for the suburban system. Under this, a number of lines will be extended and introduced. In addition, a communications-based train control system will be introduced for improved safety and punctuality. Funds will also be allocated towards station improvement and procurement of AC rakes. Under this government, long pending projects are also being fast tracked and completed. The long-awaited Nerul-Seawood/Belapur-Uran new line first phase project is finally complete. Sanctioned in 1996-97, the work was very slow. However, after 2014 the work was fast tracked and the line finally opened in November 2018. The personal intervention of CM Devendra Fadnavis helped smoothen all issues. Currently, the second phase of the project is in progress. Having personally travelled on local trains as a student, I know the difficulties an average commuter faces. To beat the sweltering heat and humidity, an AC rake was introduced for the first time ever. We have given a green signal for procuring 210 AC rakes. It was inconceivable that for a city which never stops, people have to wait in long lines to buy tickets for local trains. Those days of waiting have now ended with the introduction of the UTS mobile app to buy unreserved tickets on the spot. Waiting for trains has become more convenient with the introduction of high-speed wi-fi at 27 stations. We have also reduced the waiting time for trains. Since 2014, 214 services have been added to the Mumbai suburban network. To meet the ever-growing demand for direct connectivity between India’s financial capital and political capital, an additional Rajdhani train was introduced between Delhi and Mumbai. It will take a different route covering central India, and will serve hitherto unserved areas. We are now improving stations through lifts, escalators, Swacchata and security through cameras. In fact, we have also given importance to the security of women passengers. Taking feedback, a number of CCTV cameras have been relocated at stations to ensure better focus on ladies coaches. Over the last four and a half years, Railways has become cleaner, safer, faster and more convenient. Indian Railways is committed to providing better services to every Mumbaikar and our efforts to improve infrastructure, passenger conveniences and safety will ensure the iconic Mumbai suburban system is a part of the New India vision. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Suburban network: Nurturing lifeline of Mumbai

In consonance with the spirit of “Digital India” the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) on Friday introduced the electronic payment mode for the food items on trains through the use of Point of Sale (POS) machines.

Also, the paper bill is generated immediately after the payment is made by the customers as a record of the purchase.

“The biggest advantage is that one can pay the bill electronically and the right amount would be generated. It would keep a check on the overcharging and the complaints regarding the same,” said an IRCTC official.

He informed that about 2000 POS have been deployed in Mail and Express trains and soon rest of the trains would also be covered.

“Instructions have been given that in one rake there should be at least 8 machines,” he said.

An inspection drive will also be launched on all the Mail and Express trains from January 26 to February 15 to ensure the availability and working of POS machines.

“This system is indeed very good system as nobody will overcharge the passengers and we have to pay the amount that is generated electronically,” said Neha Singh, who was travelling in Kashi Vishwanath Express from Delhi to Varanasi on Friday.

“Earlier at some instances they use to charge extra for water bottle saying that Rs 2-3 is extra for cooling. Now such type of things will stop,” she said.

“These days people usually avoid carrying change, this is very good system as now we can pay by using credit card or debit card,” said Raj Pratap Singh, another traveller.&nbsp;

In consonance with the spirit of “Digital India” the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) on Friday introduced the electronic payment mode for the food items on trains through the use of Point of Sale (POS) machines.

In consonance with the spirit of “Digital India” the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) on Friday introduced the electronic payment mode for the food items on trains through the use of Point of Sale (POS) machines. Also, the paper bill is generated immediately after the payment is made by the customers as a record of the purchase. “The biggest advantage is that one can pay the bill electronically and the right amount would be generated. It would keep a check on the overcharging and the complaints regarding the same,” said an IRCTC official. He informed that about 2000 POS have been deployed in Mail and Express trains and soon rest of the trains would also be covered. “Instructions have been given that in one rake there should be at least 8 machines,” he said. An inspection drive will also be launched on all the Mail and Express trains from January 26 to February 15 to ensure the availability and working of POS machines. “This system is indeed very good system as nobody will overcharge the passengers and we have to pay the amount that is generated electronically,” said Neha Singh, who was travelling in Kashi Vishwanath Express from Delhi to Varanasi on Friday. “Earlier at some instances they use to charge extra for water bottle saying that Rs 2-3 is extra for cooling. Now such type of things will stop,” she said. “These days people usually avoid carrying change, this is very good system as now we can pay by using credit card or debit card,” said Raj Pratap Singh, another traveller.

IRCTC introduces on-the-spot e-payment for food in trains

If Indian Railways were to attempt a tagline for its achievements over this year, it would probably be - '2018, a year of many firsts', says <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/honest-reporting-efforts-of-employees-improved-punctuality-of-trains-piyush-goyal-165206">Railway Minister Piyush Goyal.</a>&nbsp;

While train delays, bad quality of food, overcharging by caterers remained the pet peeves of passengers through the year, 2018 marked the coming of age of railways - it manufactured India's fastest train, commissioned its longest bridge, converted a diesel loco into an electric one for the first time, built its first transport university, its first air-conditioned local train and perhaps its biggest first in the last three decades - lowest accident figures.

However, the role of the railways came under the scanner after the Amritsar train mishap on Dussehra in which 58 people were killed. Questions were raised as to how railways gave the green signal to a fast train despite the presence of a huge crowd on the tracks.

According to Goyal, "safety has been given the highest priority and this year saw the lowest ever rail accidents".

"Over the last four and a half years we have inculcated a new culture of implementing transformative reforms, setting ambitious targets and pushing the boundaries to give a green signal to growth. As a result, the past year has emerged as a year of many firsts' for Indian Railways," Goyal told PTI.

While in 2017-2018 till March, there were 73 accidents, since April there were 45 such cases till December 15. During April-December last year, there were 54 such cases.&nbsp;

While the fastest train - Train 18 - manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory, Rae Bareilly at a cost of around Rs 97 crore has touched a maximum speed of 180 kmph, its actual date of commissioning is yet to be finalised. Touted to be India's fastest to replace the Shatabdi trains, T18 will run from Delhi to Varanasi.

However, with just 0.3 per cent of India's railway tracks spread over 60,000 km fit to handle trains running at the speed of up to 160 km per hour, according to an official assessment, only time will tell if such modern trains can actually run on full blast in the present network.

The railways, in another first, is set to come up with an elliptical 40-km track between Jaipur and Phulera at an investment of around Rs 4 billion for the trail of its semi-high speed, and high-speed trains. Once this is complete, India will enter a league of countries including the US, Germany, China and Australia that have dedicated tracks for train trials.

"This year also saw the commissioning of the first state-of-the-art 12,000 HP electric locomotive to help power green and clean railways. The world's first ever conversion of a diesel locomotive into electric will further our aim to become the world's largest electrified rail network.

"There has been unprecedented thrust on infrastructure creation, with the completion of the long-delayed Bogibeel Bridge, India's longest road-cum-rail bridge connecting Assam and Arunachal Pradesh," Goyal said.

Asia's second longest bridge was commissioned in Assam by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Christmas Day, 16 years after it had been inaugurated.

The operationalisation of the bridge has cut down travel time between Tinsukia in Assam and Naharlagun in Arunachal Pradesh by around 10 hours.

In yet another first, railways converted a diesel locomotive into an electric one - a feat delivered for the first time in the world - as part of its efforts to completely electrify the broad gauge network.

What was important was that the conversion enhanced the power of the locomotive from 2600 horsepower (hp) to 5000 horsepower and also saved railways money.

2018 will also be remembered as a year in which railways set up its first transport university - the National Rail and Transportation Institute (NRTI), a university in Vadodara, Gujarat. This is the third in the world after Russia&nbsp;and China.

The university opened its doors to the first batch of 103 students from 20 states in two fully-residential undergraduate courses in September.

"With the establishment of India's first Rail University in Vadodara, we have initiated an era of a skilled and talented New Railways' which places India's youth in the driving seat of progress," said Goyal.

He also highlighted how railways this year conducted one of the largest recruitment drives to fill over 1.3 lakh positions to improve safety and services.

Another feather in railways' cap was the first air-conditioned local trains for the Mumbai suburban railways - with automatic doors, thus cutting down on possibilities of commuters falling off trains. More such trains are on the anvil for local travel.

This was also the year in which all grievances were not just expressed online, but with prompt replies and ready help, railways managed to even mitigate some of the anger.&nbsp;

In fact, for the first time, railways came up with apps for almost every aspect of its public interface - ticketing, grievance redressal, food menu, tracking trains among others.

"From a revamped website to an app for booking unreserved tickets, ticketing was also modernised. Indian Railways is again becoming a symbol of modernity, which it had exemplified when the first steam engine chugged out of Boribunder. This year is just the start of many firsts," said Goyal.&nbsp;

If Indian Railways were to attempt a tagline for its achievements over this year, it would probably be - '2018, a year of many firsts', says Railway Minister Piyush Goyal.

If Indian Railways were to attempt a tagline for its achievements over this year, it would probably be - '2018, a year of many firsts', says Railway Minister Piyush Goyal. While train delays, bad quality of food, overcharging by caterers remained the pet peeves of passengers through the year, 2018 marked the coming of age of railways - it manufactured India's fastest train, commissioned its longest bridge, converted a diesel loco into an electric one for the first time, built its first transport university, its first air-conditioned local train and perhaps its biggest first in the last three decades - lowest accident figures. However, the role of the railways came under the scanner after the Amritsar train mishap on Dussehra in which 58 people were killed. Questions were raised as to how railways gave the green signal to a fast train despite the presence of a huge crowd on the tracks. According to Goyal, "safety has been given the highest priority and this year saw the lowest ever rail accidents". "Over the last four and a half years we have inculcated a new culture of implementing transformative reforms, setting ambitious targets and pushing the boundaries to give a green signal to growth. As a result, the past year has emerged as a year of many firsts' for Indian Railways," Goyal told PTI. While in 2017-2018 till March, there were 73 accidents, since April there were 45 such cases till December 15. During April-December last year, there were 54 such cases. While the fastest train - Train 18 - manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory, Rae Bareilly at a cost of around Rs 97 crore has touched a maximum speed of 180 kmph, its actual date of commissioning is yet to be finalised. Touted to be India's fastest to replace the Shatabdi trains, T18 will run from Delhi to Varanasi. However, with just 0.3 per cent of India's railway tracks spread over 60,000 km fit to handle trains running at the speed of up to 160 km per hour, according to an official assessment, only time will tell if such modern trains can actually run on full blast in the present network. The railways, in another first, is set to come up with an elliptical 40-km track between Jaipur and Phulera at an investment of around Rs 4 billion for the trail of its semi-high speed, and high-speed trains. Once this is complete, India will enter a league of countries including the US, Germany, China and Australia that have dedicated tracks for train trials. "This year also saw the commissioning of the first state-of-the-art 12,000 HP electric locomotive to help power green and clean railways. The world's first ever conversion of a diesel locomotive into electric will further our aim to become the world's largest electrified rail network. "There has been unprecedented thrust on infrastructure creation, with the completion of the long-delayed Bogibeel Bridge, India's longest road-cum-rail bridge connecting Assam and Arunachal Pradesh," Goyal said. Asia's second longest bridge was commissioned in Assam by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Christmas Day, 16 years after it had been inaugurated. The operationalisation of the bridge has cut down travel time between Tinsukia in Assam and Naharlagun in Arunachal Pradesh by around 10 hours. In yet another first, railways converted a diesel locomotive into an electric one - a feat delivered for the first time in the world - as part of its efforts to completely electrify the broad gauge network. What was important was that the conversion enhanced the power of the locomotive from 2600 horsepower (hp) to 5000 horsepower and also saved railways money. 2018 will also be remembered as a year in which railways set up its first transport university - the National Rail and Transportation Institute (NRTI), a university in Vadodara, Gujarat. This is the third in the world after Russia and China. The university opened its doors to the first batch of 103 students from 20 states in two fully-residential undergraduate courses in September. "With the establishment of India's first Rail University in Vadodara, we have initiated an era of a skilled and talented New Railways' which places India's youth in the driving seat of progress," said Goyal. He also highlighted how railways this year conducted one of the largest recruitment drives to fill over 1.3 lakh positions to improve safety and services. Another feather in railways' cap was the first air-conditioned local trains for the Mumbai suburban railways - with automatic doors, thus cutting down on possibilities of commuters falling off trains. More such trains are on the anvil for local travel. This was also the year in which all grievances were not just expressed online, but with prompt replies and ready help, railways managed to even mitigate some of the anger. In fact, for the first time, railways came up with apps for almost every aspect of its public interface - ticketing, grievance redressal, food menu, tracking trains among others. "From a revamped website to an app for booking unreserved tickets, ticketing was also modernised. Indian Railways is again becoming a symbol of modernity, which it had exemplified when the first steam engine chugged out of Boribunder. This year is just the start of many firsts," said Goyal.

2018, a year of 'many firsts' for Indian Railways

The Indian railway ministry intends to replace the high-speed Shatabdi trains with super high-speed train which could run at 160-200 kmph.

According to sources in the Indian railway ministry, the T-18 train has successfully completed its trials at 120 kmph in the stretch between Moradabad-Bareilly section.

The sources added that by next week&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/indias-first-engine-less-train-18-to-go-on-trial-today-177819">trial runs for the T18 train</a> will be over when it will attempt to run at 160 kmph and post successful trial of 160 kmph, T18 will also undergo a trial run at 160-200 kmph.

Sources indicated that the ministry plans to set an internal target to start the much-awaited T-18 for the public by December 15th.

T18 is likely to run on the Delhi-Bhopal route since the stretch has less curves and the train can achieve a speed of upto 160kmph during the journey.

T18 train is all set to revolutionise Indian railways and replace the Shatabdi trains with its safety, security and passenger amenity features.

Sources said earlier the Prime Minister's Office(PMO) had suggested the T-18 to take PM Modi's constituency with the Delhi-Varanasi route. Ministry sources say a final call on the route is likely to be taken next week.

The T18 will have TEJAS train-like fare structure. Flexi fare mechanism will not be applicable on T18. The fares are likely to be &nbsp;20-25% higher than the Shatabdi. It will have just five or six stoppages.

Sources say with limited stoppages, T18 will be able to achieve&nbsp;its objective of cutting travel time.

The Indian railway ministry intends to replace the high-speed Shatabdi trains with super high-speed train which could run at 160-200 kmph. According to sources in the Indian railway ministry, the T-18 train has successfully completed its trials at 120 kmph in the stretch between Moradabad-Bareilly section.

The Indian railway ministry intends to replace the high-speed Shatabdi trains with super high-speed train which could run at 160-200 kmph. According to sources in the Indian railway ministry, the T-18 train has successfully completed its trials at 120 kmph in the stretch between Moradabad-Bareilly section. The sources added that by next week trial runs for the T18 train will be over when it will attempt to run at 160 kmph and post successful trial of 160 kmph, T18 will also undergo a trial run at 160-200 kmph. Sources indicated that the ministry plans to set an internal target to start the much-awaited T-18 for the public by December 15th. T18 is likely to run on the Delhi-Bhopal route since the stretch has less curves and the train can achieve a speed of upto 160kmph during the journey. T18 train is all set to revolutionise Indian railways and replace the Shatabdi trains with its safety, security and passenger amenity features. Sources said earlier the Prime Minister's Office(PMO) had suggested the T-18 to take PM Modi's constituency with the Delhi-Varanasi route. Ministry sources say a final call on the route is likely to be taken next week. The T18 will have TEJAS train-like fare structure. Flexi fare mechanism will not be applicable on T18. The fares are likely to be 20-25% higher than the Shatabdi. It will have just five or six stoppages. Sources say with limited stoppages, T18 will be able to achieve its objective of cutting travel time.

Watch: T-18 train to run at 160 kmph, set to replace Shatabdi express

India's first engineless T-18 trains makes debut on tracks

The driver of the train which <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/amritsar-police-commando-photojournalist-injured-as-protesters-clash-with-cops-traffic-restored-172633">mowed down at least 59 people</a> in Amritsar on Friday has said that he continued driving — despite realising that he had run people over — because the crowd started pelting stones at the train.&nbsp;

The driver, Arvind Kumar, said he continued driving because he had been worried for the safety of his passengers.&nbsp;

"I saw a crowd of people around the track. I immediately applied emergency brakes while continuously blowing the horn. Still some people came under it. The train was about to stop when people started pelting stones, so I started the train for the safety of the passengers," Kumar said in his statement.&nbsp;

The Punjab and Railway Police had detained Kumar on Saturday.&nbsp;

Kumar added that he stopped the train only when he reached Amritsar station.&nbsp;

He added that he immediately informed his superiors, and that he had flouted no norms on the journey.&nbsp;

The 59 people who died had assembled on the railway tracks to watch the burning of a Ravana effigy. The chief guest at the event was <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/amritsar-train-tragedy-sidhu-refuses-to-react-to-sads-demand-of-his-ouster-172636">Navjot Sidhu's wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu</a>.&nbsp;

Survivors later said they had not heard the approaching train because of the deafening noise of bursting firecrackers.&nbsp;

The Railways has so far said the 59 people killed were "trespassers". That they were trespassing on the tracks (railway property), that the accident was not the fault of the Railways, and that they willnot be taking action against Kumar.&nbsp;

"The incident was not the Railways' fault. There was no lapse on our part and no action against the driver will be initiated," Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha had said on Saturday.

Railway officials have also been talking to the linemen posted along the tracks, and asking them why they had not warned Kumar that over 700 people had gathered on the railway tracks.

The driver of the train which mowed down at least 59 people in Amritsar on Friday has said that he continued driving — despite realising that he had run people over — because the crowd started pelting stones at the train.

The driver of the train which mowed down at least 59 people in Amritsar on Friday has said that he continued driving — despite realising that he had run people over — because the crowd started pelting stones at the train. The driver, Arvind Kumar, said he continued driving because he had been worried for the safety of his passengers. "I saw a crowd of people around the track. I immediately applied emergency brakes while continuously blowing the horn. Still some people came under it. The train was about to stop when people started pelting stones, so I started the train for the safety of the passengers," Kumar said in his statement. The Punjab and Railway Police had detained Kumar on Saturday. Kumar added that he stopped the train only when he reached Amritsar station. He added that he immediately informed his superiors, and that he had flouted no norms on the journey. The 59 people who died had assembled on the railway tracks to watch the burning of a Ravana effigy. The chief guest at the event was Navjot Sidhu's wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu. Survivors later said they had not heard the approaching train because of the deafening noise of bursting firecrackers. The Railways has so far said the 59 people killed were "trespassers". That they were trespassing on the tracks (railway property), that the accident was not the fault of the Railways, and that they willnot be taking action against Kumar. "The incident was not the Railways' fault. There was no lapse on our part and no action against the driver will be initiated," Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha had said on Saturday. Railway officials have also been talking to the linemen posted along the tracks, and asking them why they had not warned Kumar that over 700 people had gathered on the railway tracks.

Amritsar train tragedy that killed 59: Continued driving because crowd pelted stones, says driver

Indian Railways has allocated Rs 300 crore to renovate existing toilets and construction of new toilets as part of its contribution to the Swachch Bharat campaign, a ministry statement said Friday.

The national transporter has constructed or improved 1,800 toilets at 1,400 stations including the construction of around 200 toilets which are disabled-friendly in the current year, it said.

The target is to construct 2,700 toilets at 2,700 stations under the Swachh Bharat Mission Program, the statement said.

Apart from this, railways have undertaken building of toilets in circulating areas at railway stations for local community and surrounding area inhabitants as well as for general public visiting railway stations under the CSR initiative.

"Awareness activities were stepped up to ensure a greater level of hygiene and sanitation at stations, at workplaces, at workshops as well as at railway colonies. Public participation and accountability building are being increasingly acknowledged as intrinsic factors in transforming cleanliness profile of railway stations," the statement said.&nbsp;

Indian Railways has allocated Rs 300 crore to renovate existing toilets and construction of new toilets as part of its contribution to the Swachch Bharat campaign, a ministry statement said Friday.

Indian Railways has allocated Rs 300 crore to renovate existing toilets and construction of new toilets as part of its contribution to the Swachch Bharat campaign, a ministry statement said Friday. The national transporter has constructed or improved 1,800 toilets at 1,400 stations including the construction of around 200 toilets which are disabled-friendly in the current year, it said. The target is to construct 2,700 toilets at 2,700 stations under the Swachh Bharat Mission Program, the statement said. Apart from this, railways have undertaken building of toilets in circulating areas at railway stations for local community and surrounding area inhabitants as well as for general public visiting railway stations under the CSR initiative. "Awareness activities were stepped up to ensure a greater level of hygiene and sanitation at stations, at workplaces, at workshops as well as at railway colonies. Public participation and accountability building are being increasingly acknowledged as intrinsic factors in transforming cleanliness profile of railway stations," the statement said.

Allocated Rs 300 crore to renovate existing toilets, construct new ones: Railways

Passengers may not get confirmed berths each time they book a train ticket, but now, thanks to a predictive service on the IRCTC website, they will get to know their chances of getting one, officials said today.

Come&nbsp;midnight, when the new, refurbished IRCTC website will go live, it will let the passengers know the probability of confirmation of wait-listed tickets, based on a new algorithm developed by the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS).

"According to the new feature of wait-list prediction, one can predict the chances of a wait-listed or an RAC ticket getting confirmed on the basis of booking trends. We will mine our own data of passenger operations and booking patterns for the first time," a senior official in the Railway Ministry said.

The idea, the officials said, came from Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, who had given a one-year deadline last year to complete the process of inducting the predictive service on the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) website.

The algorithm will take into account last 13 years' data to arrive at a "robust, workable model", the officials said.

While predictions have been used by private players, the officials said that the Indian Railways system would be more reliable as it would have the advantage of the database of the national transporter.

A user need not even log in to the new website to enquire or search for trains and check on availability of seats, while the older version only allowed access to the registered users.

"While booking tickets, separate cards for each passenger have been provided to fill in their details. Pre-filled particulars will ensure a quick booking experience. The user can manage the payment options by marking six banks as preferred banks under the 'My Profile' section," an official said.

The users can also perform multiple activities like cancellation, printing, request for an SMS, selection of an alternative train by exercising the "Vikalp" option and changing the boarding point if required.

Nearly 13 lakh tickets are booked on the IRCTC website every day against a reserved accommodation of 10.5 lakh berths, the officials said.&nbsp;

While predictions have been used by private players, the officials said that the Indian Railways system would be more reliable as it would have the advantage of the database of the national transporter

Passengers may not get confirmed berths each time they book a train ticket, but now, thanks to a predictive service on the IRCTC website, they will get to know their chances of getting one, officials said today. Come midnight, when the new, refurbished IRCTC website will go live, it will let the passengers know the probability of confirmation of wait-listed tickets, based on a new algorithm developed by the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS). "According to the new feature of wait-list prediction, one can predict the chances of a wait-listed or an RAC ticket getting confirmed on the basis of booking trends. We will mine our own data of passenger operations and booking patterns for the first time," a senior official in the Railway Ministry said. The idea, the officials said, came from Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, who had given a one-year deadline last year to complete the process of inducting the predictive service on the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) website. The algorithm will take into account last 13 years' data to arrive at a "robust, workable model", the officials said. While predictions have been used by private players, the officials said that the Indian Railways system would be more reliable as it would have the advantage of the database of the national transporter. A user need not even log in to the new website to enquire or search for trains and check on availability of seats, while the older version only allowed access to the registered users. "While booking tickets, separate cards for each passenger have been provided to fill in their details. Pre-filled particulars will ensure a quick booking experience. The user can manage the payment options by marking six banks as preferred banks under the 'My Profile' section," an official said. The users can also perform multiple activities like cancellation, printing, request for an SMS, selection of an alternative train by exercising the "Vikalp" option and changing the boarding point if required. Nearly 13 lakh tickets are booked on the IRCTC website every day against a reserved accommodation of 10.5 lakh berths, the officials said.

Now, railways to tell you if your ticket can get confirmed

In a bid to strengthen security for women passengers, North Eastern Railway has proposed to install panic buttons in coaches and deploy women police in trains during night hours.&nbsp

"These buttons, placed at convenient spots for easy reach of women travellers above the electric switches, when pressed will denote the coach where there is emergency and the railway staff present in the train will be informed to promptly attend to the emergency," chief public relations officer of North Eastern Railway, Sanjay Yadav noted.&nbsp

According to reports, women police personnel will be deployed in sub-urban trains during night hours besides recruitment of women in the Railway Police Force. The panic buttons installed will be linked with the guard coach.&nbsp

Yadav further noted that now female passengers will not have to depend on helpline numbers or resort to chain-pulling in an emergency situation. With the new system in place, immediate action can be taken, he added.

"Work on these proposals was going on and there are chances that the one pertaining to 'panic button' will take shape this year itself," he added.

The proposal also involves having a different colour on the coaches earmarked for women for easy identification, wire mesh in windows of ladies coaches, CCTV cameras in women coaches of suburban trains with live feed if possible, and enhanced punishment for offenders.

(With inputs from PTI)

The panic buttons installed will be linked with the guard coach

In a bid to strengthen security for women passengers, North Eastern Railway has proposed to install panic buttons in coaches and deploy women police in trains during night hours. "These buttons, placed at convenient spots for easy reach of women travellers above the electric switches, when pressed will denote the coach where there is emergency and the railway staff present in the train will be informed to promptly attend to the emergency," chief public relations officer of North Eastern Railway, Sanjay Yadav noted. According to reports, women police personnel will be deployed in sub-urban trains during night hours besides recruitment of women in the Railway Police Force. The panic buttons installed will be linked with the guard coach. Yadav further noted that now female passengers will not have to depend on helpline numbers or resort to chain-pulling in an emergency situation. With the new system in place, immediate action can be taken, he added. "Work on these proposals was going on and there are chances that the one pertaining to 'panic button' will take shape this year itself," he added. The proposal also involves having a different colour on the coaches earmarked for women for easy identification, wire mesh in windows of ladies coaches, CCTV cameras in women coaches of suburban trains with live feed if possible, and enhanced punishment for offenders. (With inputs from PTI)

Railways may soon install 'panic button' in trains for women safety

The train journey between Dibrugarh and Delhi will be shorter by three hours come year-end, when the railways plans to commission its longest rail-cum-road bridge at Bogibeel in Assam.

Currently, the journey via Guwahati takes around 37 hours. With the 4.94-km-long bridge in place, the journey via Rangia, the regional divisional headquarters of the North East Frontier Railway, the time will be reduced by three hours.

"With the new bridge, new trains will be introduced, which will shorten the journey time. There are difficulties in changing the routes of the existing trains. Thus, we plan to introduce new trains," a senior railway official said.

The bridge will connect eastern Arunachal Pradesh to Upper Assam by cutting down the current distance substantially.

"Instead of going via Tejpur, people can take the bridge. Also, with the bridge, buses will be introduced, autorickshaws and other modes of transport will also thrive. One has to take the ferry now, which takes an hour to cross and that too, shuts at 4 pm every day. The ferry service is also irregular during the monsoon," the official said.

The cost of taking the ferry is Rs 120 per person and ferrying a car costs anywhere between Rs 1,000 and Rs 3,000 for the hour-long journey, the locals said.

With the Bogibeel bridge, it will take around five minutes.

While all the civil work for the bridge would be completed by July, two more months would be needed to finish the electrical and signalling work, Mahender Singh, the chief engineer of the project, said.

By the year-end, the bridge is likely to be ready, officials said, adding that it will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The bridge, the second longest in Asia, will have three-lane roads on top and a double-line railway track below.&nbsp

The bridge will connect eastern Arunachal Pradesh to Upper Assam by cutting down the current distance substantially.

The train journey between Dibrugarh and Delhi will be shorter by three hours come year-end, when the railways plans to commission its longest rail-cum-road bridge at Bogibeel in Assam. Currently, the journey via Guwahati takes around 37 hours. With the 4.94-km-long bridge in place, the journey via Rangia, the regional divisional headquarters of the North East Frontier Railway, the time will be reduced by three hours. "With the new bridge, new trains will be introduced, which will shorten the journey time. There are difficulties in changing the routes of the existing trains. Thus, we plan to introduce new trains," a senior railway official said. The bridge will connect eastern Arunachal Pradesh to Upper Assam by cutting down the current distance substantially. "Instead of going via Tejpur, people can take the bridge. Also, with the bridge, buses will be introduced, autorickshaws and other modes of transport will also thrive. One has to take the ferry now, which takes an hour to cross and that too, shuts at 4 pm every day. The ferry service is also irregular during the monsoon," the official said. The cost of taking the ferry is Rs 120 per person and ferrying a car costs anywhere between Rs 1,000 and Rs 3,000 for the hour-long journey, the locals said. With the Bogibeel bridge, it will take around five minutes. While all the civil work for the bridge would be completed by July, two more months would be needed to finish the electrical and signalling work, Mahender Singh, the chief engineer of the project, said. By the year-end, the bridge is likely to be ready, officials said, adding that it will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The bridge, the second longest in Asia, will have three-lane roads on top and a double-line railway track below.

Train journey between Dibrugarh and Delhi to be shorter by year-end

Coaches reserved for women will now be placed in the centre of trains instead of its rear end and will be painted in a different colour to make it easily identifiable, sources in the Railway Ministry say.

This will be done in suburban as well as long-distance trains, they say, as part of the national transporter's plan to mark 2018 as the year for the security of women.

The coaches will also have CCTV cameras as an additional security measure and it is also being discussed to cover their windows with wire meshes, they say.

A committee formed to monitor the implementation of plans for safety and security of women travelling on trains, comprising Railway Board Chairman Ashwani Lohani, member (traffic) Mohd&nbspJamshed and other senior officials, has already taken a policy decision regarding the issue, the sources said today.

Opinions have been sought from railway zones to finalise the details, they said.&nbsp

While it is not clear what colour the coaches will be painted in, the sources said the railways is considering the universal colour associated with the fairer sex -- pink.

"We realised that in the present situation where the ladies coach comes right at the end, there are times when the coach is completely in the dark and women passengers are afraid to board it. It was a security issue," said a source.&nbsp

The source said the railways is also planning to install wire meshes on the windows of the coaches for additional security and to prevent men from entering the ladies coaches through windows, which happens regularly.

It has also been decided that these coaches will have mixed crew - be it ticket checkers or RPF personnel - they will have women on their squads, sources said.&nbsp

The committee has also said that in next three years, the number of stations managed by women should be increased from the present three to 100. General Managers have been instructed to earmark 10 stations from every zone for this purpose, the sources said.&nbsp

The committee has also decided to build infrastructure facilities at railway stations and trains which will include separate toilets and changing room for women.&nbsp

This will be done in suburban as well as long-distance trains, they say, as part of the national transporter's plan to mark 2018 as the year for security of women

Coaches reserved for women will now be placed in the centre of trains instead of its rear end and will be painted in a different colour to make it easily identifiable, sources in the Railway Ministry say. This will be done in suburban as well as long-distance trains, they say, as part of the national transporter's plan to mark 2018 as the year for the security of women. The coaches will also have CCTV cameras as an additional security measure and it is also being discussed to cover their windows with wire meshes, they say. A committee formed to monitor the implementation of plans for safety and security of women travelling on trains, comprising Railway Board Chairman Ashwani Lohani, member (traffic) Mohd&nbspJamshed and other senior officials, has already taken a policy decision regarding the issue, the sources said today. Opinions have been sought from railway zones to finalise the details, they said. While it is not clear what colour the coaches will be painted in, the sources said the railways is considering the universal colour associated with the fairer sex -- pink. "We realised that in the present situation where the ladies coach comes right at the end, there are times when the coach is completely in the dark and women passengers are afraid to board it. It was a security issue," said a source. The source said the railways is also planning to install wire meshes on the windows of the coaches for additional security and to prevent men from entering the ladies coaches through windows, which happens regularly. It has also been decided that these coaches will have mixed crew - be it ticket checkers or RPF personnel - they will have women on their squads, sources said. The committee has also said that in next three years, the number of stations managed by women should be increased from the present three to 100. General Managers have been instructed to earmark 10 stations from every zone for this purpose, the sources said. The committee has also decided to build infrastructure facilities at railway stations and trains which will include separate toilets and changing room for women.

Railways to place ladies coaches in centre, paint in different colour

Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram today said the available information about the Indian Railways' operating ratio, the direct indicator of working of the national transporter, has indicated a "comprehensive failure" of its management.

In a series of tweets, Chidambaram asked what was the operating ratio of the Railways in 2017-18 and would it be the worst ratio in recent years.

"Is it correct that the true operating ratio has exceeded 100 per cent.&nbspIs it correct that the accounts are being 'dressed' to show an Operating Ratio just a little less than 100 per cent," he wrote on Twitter.

The former Finance and Home? Minister said if the operating ratio is close to 100 per cent or has exceeded 100 per cent, that indicates a "comprehensive failure" of management of the Indian Railways.

As per the reports, the Railways operating ratio, the direct indicator of working of the government-run transporter, could settle at 98.5 per cent for 2017-2018, recording its worst performance ever since 2000-2001 when it was 98.3 per cent.

The number reflected the increased burden of allowances and pensions that have gone up because of the revision in the 7th Pay Commission, an official said.

An operating ratio of about 98.5 per cent in fiscal 2017-18 would mean a dip of more than two per cent in the revised 96 per cent figure announced in the February budget.&nbsp

The operating ratio indicates how much railway spends to earn a rupee.

In a series of tweets, Chidambaram asked what was the operating ratio of the Railways in 2017-18 and would it be the worst ratio in recent years

Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram today said the available information about the Indian Railways' operating ratio, the direct indicator of working of the national transporter, has indicated a "comprehensive failure" of its management. In a series of tweets, Chidambaram asked what was the operating ratio of the Railways in 2017-18 and would it be the worst ratio in recent years. "Is it correct that the true operating ratio has exceeded 100 per cent.&nbspIs it correct that the accounts are being 'dressed' to show an Operating Ratio just a little less than 100 per cent," he wrote on Twitter. The former Finance and Home? Minister said if the operating ratio is close to 100 per cent or has exceeded 100 per cent, that indicates a "comprehensive failure" of management of the Indian Railways. As per the reports, the Railways operating ratio, the direct indicator of working of the government-run transporter, could settle at 98.5 per cent for 2017-2018, recording its worst performance ever since 2000-2001 when it was 98.3 per cent. The number reflected the increased burden of allowances and pensions that have gone up because of the revision in the 7th Pay Commission, an official said. An operating ratio of about 98.5 per cent in fiscal 2017-18 would mean a dip of more than two per cent in the revised 96 per cent figure announced in the February budget. The operating ratio indicates how much railway spends to earn a rupee.

Railways operating ratio indicates failure of its management: Chidambaram

Move over Twitter, Facebook, helplines and complaint registers, if you are looking to lodge your grievances with the Railways. The national transporter is going to launch a dedicated mobile application — rather appropriately named ‘MADAD’ (Mobile Application for Desired Assistance During travel) — later this month to enable its passengers to lodge complaints, be it over food quality or dirty toilets.

They can also requests emergency services through the app. The complaint lodged through the app will directly reach the relevant officials of the divisions concerned and the action taken can be relayed onine, thus fasttracking the entire process of registration and redressal of grievances.

Passengers will also be able to track the status of their complaints and be notified about any action taken in the case. The proposed app would integrate all passenger grievance and redressal mechanisms in the railways. “As of now, we have 14 channels through which passengers can register their grievances. Each has its own response time and even standards of response. While some are active, others are not. We wanted to have one transparent, standardised grievance redressal process. This app is likely to be launched this month,” a senior official said. Passengers can register their grievances simply by keying in their PNRs and they will receive a complaint ID through SMS at the time of registration.

This will be followed by personalised SMS regarding the action taken by the department concerned. The app would also display total monthly complaints received and resolved by the Indian Railways and show ranking of top five and bottom five railway stations and Rajdhani, Shatabdi trains of each zone in terms of faster complaint resolutions to encourage transparency and accountability, the official said.

“The introduction of this system does not mean that we will not respond to complaints on the other forums. But eventually, we want to use this one integrated system. This will also represent a holistic picture of weak, deficient areas and will enable focused corrective action by officials concerned,” the official said.

The national transporter is going to launch a dedicated mobile application -- 'MADAD' (Mobile Application for Desired Assistance During travel) -- later this month to enable its passengers to lodge complaints.

Move over Twitter, Facebook, helplines and complaint registers, if you are looking to lodge your grievances with the Railways. The national transporter is going to launch a dedicated mobile application — rather appropriately named ‘MADAD’ (Mobile Application for Desired Assistance During travel) — later this month to enable its passengers to lodge complaints, be it over food quality or dirty toilets. They can also requests emergency services through the app. The complaint lodged through the app will directly reach the relevant officials of the divisions concerned and the action taken can be relayed onine, thus fasttracking the entire process of registration and redressal of grievances. Passengers will also be able to track the status of their complaints and be notified about any action taken in the case. The proposed app would integrate all passenger grievance and redressal mechanisms in the railways. “As of now, we have 14 channels through which passengers can register their grievances. Each has its own response time and even standards of response. While some are active, others are not. We wanted to have one transparent, standardised grievance redressal process. This app is likely to be launched this month,” a senior official said. Passengers can register their grievances simply by keying in their PNRs and they will receive a complaint ID through SMS at the time of registration. This will be followed by personalised SMS regarding the action taken by the department concerned. The app would also display total monthly complaints received and resolved by the Indian Railways and show ranking of top five and bottom five railway stations and Rajdhani, Shatabdi trains of each zone in terms of faster complaint resolutions to encourage transparency and accountability, the official said. “The introduction of this system does not mean that we will not respond to complaints on the other forums. But eventually, we want to use this one integrated system. This will also represent a holistic picture of weak, deficient areas and will enable focused corrective action by officials concerned,” the official said.

MADAD: Indian Railways set to launch new app

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India's first high-powered electric locomotive on Tuesday in Bihar's Madhepura. This locomotive has put India on the elite list of countries which have 12,000 hp and above capacity electric locomotives.

Here are key things to know: 
&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>The first electric locomotive of India is developed under a joint venture signed in 2015 of the railways with France’s Alstom company. 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>This would be the first major foreign direct investment project in the rail sector. 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>The total cost of the project - which includes making of the locomotive - is around Rs 1,300 crore, which includes setting up of the factory and two maintenance depots. The Railways ministry is required to contribute a maximum of Rs 100 crore as an equity participation of 26 per cent. The estimated cost of each locomotive is Rs 25 crore. 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>With 12,000 horsepower, this is India’s most powerful locomotive helping India enter the elite list of countries including Russia, China, Sweden, Germany who have the same horsepower capacity electric locomotive. 
	&nbsp;</li><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tA8xgr8Yllo" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>
	<li>Till now, India’s most powerful locomotive was of 6,000 horsepower. 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>The locomotive will have a maximum speed of 110 km per hour and will help in decongesting routes by improving speed. Three locos will be pressed into service to transport coal and iron. 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>A team of 35 engineers worked to assemble the locomotive at Madhepura facility. 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>The loco factory was launched in 2007 by former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav. 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>After the electrification of almost all railways routes, the Indian Railways is planning to produce 800 more locomotives in the next 10 years. 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Except for the first five locomotives, remaining 795 will be manufactured in the country under the Make in India initiative. 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>The factory will produce 100 locos every year till the target of 800 is completed. 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Four more such locomotives are expected to be rolled out in 2018-19.</li>
</ul>

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The first electric locomotive of India is developed under a joint venture signed in 2015 of the railways with France’s Alstom company

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India's first high-powered electric locomotive on Tuesday in Bihar's Madhepura. This locomotive has put India on the elite list of countries which have 12,000 hp and above capacity electric locomotives. Here are key things to know: The first electric locomotive of India is developed under a joint venture signed in 2015 of the railways with France’s Alstom company. This would be the first major foreign direct investment project in the rail sector. The total cost of the project - which includes making of the locomotive - is around Rs 1,300 crore, which includes setting up of the factory and two maintenance depots. The Railways ministry is required to contribute a maximum of Rs 100 crore as an equity participation of 26 per cent. The estimated cost of each locomotive is Rs 25 crore. With 12,000 horsepower, this is India’s most powerful locomotive helping India enter the elite list of countries including Russia, China, Sweden, Germany who have the same horsepower capacity electric locomotive. Till now, India’s most powerful locomotive was of 6,000 horsepower. The locomotive will have a maximum speed of 110 km per hour and will help in decongesting routes by improving speed. Three locos will be pressed into service to transport coal and iron. A team of 35 engineers worked to assemble the locomotive at Madhepura facility. The loco factory was launched in 2007 by former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav. After the electrification of almost all railways routes, the Indian Railways is planning to produce 800 more locomotives in the next 10 years. Except for the first five locomotives, remaining 795 will be manufactured in the country under the Make in India initiative. The factory will produce 100 locos every year till the target of 800 is completed. Four more such locomotives are expected to be rolled out in 2018-19.

All you need to know about 12,000 horsepower locomotive launched by PM Modi today

Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal today said that the government is determined to ensure that all the railway stations in the country are clean, safe.&nbsp;

The minister spoke at an event at Lucknow earlier today and added that very soon all railway stations across will be equipped with &quot;all kind of facilities&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;CCTV cameras will be installed in all trains and WiFi facility will also be available,&quot; Goyal added.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Our government is determined to ensure that all the railway stations in the country are clean, safe and have all kind of facilities. We&#39;ve decided to put CCTV cameras in all trains and also provide WiFi facility: Piyush Goyal, Union Railway Minister. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Lucknow?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Lucknow</a> <a href="https://t.co/k18CfrAlTM">pic.twitter.com/k18CfrAlTM</a>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/975337433410818050?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Goyal&#39;s statement came a couple of days after the Indian Railways decided to remove all LCD screens from Tejas and Shatabdi Express owing to vandalism and the high cost of repairing broken screens.&nbsp;

The minister also added that his ministry plans to turn Raebareli railway coach factory as the largest one in the world.

The minister also added that his ministry plans to turn Raebareli railway coach factory as the largest one in the world

Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal today said that the government is determined to ensure that all the railway stations in the country are clean, safe. The minister spoke at an event at Lucknow earlier today and added that very soon all railway stations across will be equipped with "all kind of facilities". "CCTV cameras will be installed in all trains and WiFi facility will also be available," Goyal added. Our government is determined to ensure that all the railway stations in the country are clean, safe and have all kind of facilities. We've decided to put CCTV cameras in all trains and also provide WiFi facility: Piyush Goyal, Union Railway Minister. #Lucknow pic.twitter.com/k18CfrAlTM — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 18, 2018 × Goyal's statement came a couple of days after the Indian Railways decided to remove all LCD screens from Tejas and Shatabdi Express owing to vandalism and the high cost of repairing broken screens. The minister also added that his ministry plans to turn Raebareli railway coach factory as the largest one in the world.

All trains to have CCTV, WiFi soon: Railway Minister Piyush Goyal

A sanitary pad dispensing machine was installed in a coach of Mumbai-New Delhi Rajdhani Express yesterday to commemorate International Women&#39;s Day.

The facility currently runs on a trial basis and shall soon be extended to other trains, Western Railways Chief Spokesperson Ravinder Bhakar confirmed.

&quot;This is the first train in India in which a sanitary pad dispensation machine has been installed. It is useful for women passengers in long-distance train journeys. We will extend this plan in other trains as well,&quot; Bhakar told ANI.

&quot;It is very useful and a well-thought decision by Railways. We can get a sanitary pad at the cost of Rs 5,&quot; noted one of the passengers.

The facility currently runs on a trial basis and shall soon be extended to other trains

A sanitary pad dispensing machine was installed in a coach of Mumbai-New Delhi Rajdhani Express yesterday to commemorate International Women's Day. The facility currently runs on a trial basis and shall soon be extended to other trains, Western Railways Chief Spokesperson Ravinder Bhakar confirmed. "This is the first train in India in which a sanitary pad dispensation machine has been installed. It is useful for women passengers in long-distance train journeys. We will extend this plan in other trains as well," Bhakar told ANI. "It is very useful and a well-thought decision by Railways. We can get a sanitary pad at the cost of Rs 5," noted one of the passengers.

In first, sanitary pad dispenser installed in Rajdhani Express

To mark the International Women&#39;s Day on Thursday, Indian railways deployed all women ticket checking staff on Mumbai Central-Ahmedabad Shatabdi Express.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Mumbai?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Mumbai</a>: On the occasion of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/InternationalWomensDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#InternationalWomensDay</a>, Indian Railways deployed all women ticket checking staff on Mumbai Central- Ahmedabad Shatabdi Express. Visuals from Mumbai Central Railway Station. <a href="https://t.co/LlUK4CaovR">pic.twitter.com/LlUK4CaovR</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/971565346665779200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Deccan Queen Express trains that run between Mumbai and Pune will also have permanent&nbsp;all-women staff from Thursday.

For the past couple of weeks, Indians Railways have introduced all&nbsp;women staff stations.&nbsp;

The Stations that have already been handed over to all women includes Matunga Road station in Mumbai,&nbsp;Ajni railway station in Nagpur,&nbsp;Chandragiri near Tirupati and Gandhinagar in Jaipur has already been handed over to all women staff.

Job duties from station&nbsp;masters to guards and cleaners all are being handled by women.

According to reports, the initiative is taken after the directions of Central Railway General Manager to have at least one women-only station&nbsp;in each division.

Similarly, Air India is also observing the day by operating flights with an all-women crew to New York, Frankfurt, Singapore and various other destinations.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/air-india-to-operate-all-women-crew-flights-to-celebrate-international-womens-day-34944">Air India to operate all-women crew flights to celebrate International Women&#39;s Day</a>

Deccan Queen Express trains that run between Mumbai and Pune will also have permanent all-women staff from Thursday

To mark the International Women's Day on Thursday, Indian railways deployed all women ticket checking staff on Mumbai Central-Ahmedabad Shatabdi Express. #Mumbai: On the occasion of #InternationalWomensDay, Indian Railways deployed all women ticket checking staff on Mumbai Central- Ahmedabad Shatabdi Express. Visuals from Mumbai Central Railway Station. pic.twitter.com/LlUK4CaovR — ANI (@ANI) March 8, 2018 × Deccan Queen Express trains that run between Mumbai and Pune will also have permanent all-women staff from Thursday. For the past couple of weeks, Indians Railways have introduced all women staff stations. The Stations that have already been handed over to all women includes Matunga Road station in Mumbai, Ajni railway station in Nagpur, Chandragiri near Tirupati and Gandhinagar in Jaipur has already been handed over to all women staff. Job duties from station masters to guards and cleaners all are being handled by women. According to reports, the initiative is taken after the directions of Central Railway General Manager to have at least one women-only station in each division. Similarly, Air India is also observing the day by operating flights with an all-women crew to New York, Frankfurt, Singapore and various other destinations. Also read: Air India to operate all-women crew flights to celebrate International Women's Day

International Women's Day: Indian Railways deploys all women ticket checking staff

Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday announced that railway examination fees incurred by the applicants will be refunded once they appear&nbsp;for the examination.

Goyal announced that exam fee of Rs 250 for the exempted categories will be fully refunded to the applicants after they take the exam.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Railway examination fees for exempted categories is Rs 250, which will be refunded once they appear in the exam &amp; for general categories, it is Rs 500, of which Rs 400 will be refunded after appearing in exam: Piyush Goyal,Railway Minister
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/966331875026403333?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

For the applicants appearing in the general category, Rs 400 out of the total fee of Rs 500 will be refunded.

According to the minister, close to 60 per cent of the applicants appear for the final exam. 
&nbsp;

Exam fee for the exempted categories will be fully refunded to the applicants after they take the exam

Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday announced that railway examination fees incurred by the applicants will be refunded once they appear for the examination. Goyal announced that exam fee of Rs 250 for the exempted categories will be fully refunded to the applicants after they take the exam. Railway examination fees for exempted categories is Rs 250, which will be refunded once they appear in the exam & for general categories, it is Rs 500, of which Rs 400 will be refunded after appearing in exam: Piyush Goyal,Railway Minister — ANI (@ANI) February 21, 2018 × For the applicants appearing in the general category, Rs 400 out of the total fee of Rs 500 will be refunded. According to the minister, close to 60 per cent of the applicants appear for the final exam.

Railway examination fees will be refunded: Piyush Goyal

Indian Railways have announced a news which definitely will bring a sigh of relief to people who&nbsp;wanted to book coaches or special trains for a wedding, religious tour or any other trip they were wiling&nbsp;to make.

According to the circular by Railway board trains, coaches, saloons on full tariff rate shall now be booked through a single booking system of the Indian Railway Tourism and Catering Corporation (IRCTC).

Under the new system, any individual can make their booking by just contacting to IRCTC and it will book the train or coaches online on the Individual&#39;s behalf, making the entire process hassle-free.

A charge of five per cent would be applied to a &nbsp;total fare over and above a 30% service charge on such bookings.

Currently, if an individual&nbsp;needs to book a train or coach they need to go to the chief booking supervisor or station master of the station from where the journey would begin and provide a written request with details of the journey for booking.

As the process was little hectic for people it used to be handled by travel agencies charging extra for their service.

50,000 of security deposit has been fixed for by the Indian Railway.

For special train minimum, 18 coaches need to be charged; the transaction would an online transaction.

(With inputs from PTI)

According to the circular by Railway board trains, coaches, saloons on full tariff rate shall now be booked through a single booking system of the Indian Railway Tourism and Catering Corporation (IRCTC)

Indian Railways have announced a news which definitely will bring a sigh of relief to people who wanted to book coaches or special trains for a wedding, religious tour or any other trip they were wiling to make. According to the circular by Railway board trains, coaches, saloons on full tariff rate shall now be booked through a single booking system of the Indian Railway Tourism and Catering Corporation (IRCTC). Under the new system, any individual can make their booking by just contacting to IRCTC and it will book the train or coaches online on the Individual's behalf, making the entire process hassle-free. A charge of five per cent would be applied to a total fare over and above a 30% service charge on such bookings. Currently, if an individual needs to book a train or coach they need to go to the chief booking supervisor or station master of the station from where the journey would begin and provide a written request with details of the journey for booking. As the process was little hectic for people it used to be handled by travel agencies charging extra for their service. 50,000 of security deposit has been fixed for by the Indian Railway. For special train minimum, 18 coaches need to be charged; the transaction would an online transaction. (With inputs from PTI)

Now, book coaches, special trains online

Indian Railways has initiated disciplinary action against over 13,000 employees who were absent from work for a long time or were on leave without authorisation.

According to reports, the Officer and supervisors are instructed terminate the services of such employees following the necessary process.

The action against the erring employees has been initiated under a drive ordered by Railway Minister Piyush Goyal to improve the performance of the railways.

Earlier railways said in a statement that a massive drive has been launched to identify absentees in various establishments of railways in which it was found that 13,500 employees out of the workforce of 13 lakhs were on absent without any authorisation.

The drive also intends to boost the morale of sincere and diligent employees. 
&nbsp;

The action against is employees is taken under a drive ordered by Railway Minister Piyush Goyal to improve the performance of the railways

Indian Railways has initiated disciplinary action against over 13,000 employees who were absent from work for a long time or were on leave without authorisation. According to reports, the Officer and supervisors are instructed terminate the services of such employees following the necessary process. The action against the erring employees has been initiated under a drive ordered by Railway Minister Piyush Goyal to improve the performance of the railways. Earlier railways said in a statement that a massive drive has been launched to identify absentees in various establishments of railways in which it was found that 13,500 employees out of the workforce of 13 lakhs were on absent without any authorisation. The drive also intends to boost the morale of sincere and diligent employees.

Indian railways to terminate services of over 13,000 employees over unauthorised absence

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal today said the national transporter would focus on technology this year to ensure safety on its network.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley allocated Rs 2,025 crore for an overhaul of the signalling and telecommunication system of the Indian Railways in 2018-2019. Rs 11,450 crore has been earmarked for track renewal.

The total expenditure planned on safety, including Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK), is Rs 68,725 crore in 2017-18 and Rs 73,065 crore in 2018-19.

The RRSK will have Rs 5,000 crore from Capital (Budgetary Support), Rs 10,000 crore from the Railway Safety Fund and Rs 5,000 crore from the Railways? revenue.

&quot;The focus will be on technology, in everything. I have to give people security. If I try and provide personnel on every train and in every coach, it will be very expensive. My target is to have CCTV cameras and Wi-Fi in all trains and all coaches,&quot; he said at a press briefing.

&quot;In my department, money is never a concern,&quot; he said, when asked about the budget for introducing high-end technology in the Railways.

Goyal said he had a plan to introduce an effective and modern ETCS II system - a radio-based cab signalling equipment - on the railway network which would not only help address safety concerns but also aid in capacity management.

Stakeholders in the Railways reacted positively to the thrust on technology.

&quot;While introduction of Wi-Fi, CCTV cameras, escalators are much-needed steps to allow the Railways to serve its customers better, upgradation of the infrastructure through induction of modern train sets, world-class signalling systems is very much the need of the hour,&quot; Bharat Salhotra, Vice President (Sales and Business, Development), ALSTOM, Asia Pacific, told.

France-based Alstom is producing India&#39;s first 12,000 horsepower electric locomotive at its plant in Madhepura, Bihar, which is likely to be rolled out in March.&nbsp;

The total expenditure planned on safety, including Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK), is Rs 68,725 crore in 2017-18 and Rs 73,065 crore in 2018-19.

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal today said the national transporter would focus on technology this year to ensure safety on its network. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley allocated Rs 2,025 crore for an overhaul of the signalling and telecommunication system of the Indian Railways in 2018-2019. Rs 11,450 crore has been earmarked for track renewal. The total expenditure planned on safety, including Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK), is Rs 68,725 crore in 2017-18 and Rs 73,065 crore in 2018-19. The RRSK will have Rs 5,000 crore from Capital (Budgetary Support), Rs 10,000 crore from the Railway Safety Fund and Rs 5,000 crore from the Railways? revenue. "The focus will be on technology, in everything. I have to give people security. If I try and provide personnel on every train and in every coach, it will be very expensive. My target is to have CCTV cameras and Wi-Fi in all trains and all coaches," he said at a press briefing. "In my department, money is never a concern," he said, when asked about the budget for introducing high-end technology in the Railways. Goyal said he had a plan to introduce an effective and modern ETCS II system - a radio-based cab signalling equipment - on the railway network which would not only help address safety concerns but also aid in capacity management. Stakeholders in the Railways reacted positively to the thrust on technology. "While introduction of Wi-Fi, CCTV cameras, escalators are much-needed steps to allow the Railways to serve its customers better, upgradation of the infrastructure through induction of modern train sets, world-class signalling systems is very much the need of the hour," Bharat Salhotra, Vice President (Sales and Business, Development), ALSTOM, Asia Pacific, told. France-based Alstom is producing India's first 12,000 horsepower electric locomotive at its plant in Madhepura, Bihar, which is likely to be rolled out in March.

Watch: Railways to focus on technology to ensure safety

indian-railways

Indian Railways, News on Indian Railways, stories on Indian Railways, articles on Indian Railways, Indian Railways stories at Wion, Indian Railways news, Indian Railways latest news

indian railways

Flight-like hospitality by air hostesses in Vande Bharat Express