IRFCA Mailing List Archive
Messages 1401 - 1420
From: J.J. Rainbow <J.J.Rainbow@newcastle.email
Subject: Re: Dlehi-Jaipur
Date: 06 Feb 1995 17:43:00 -0500
On Fri, 3 Feb 1995, Pushkar Apte wrote:
> Sorry about the previous message, which chose to take off
> pre-maturely :-). As I was saying, thanks, Dheeraj, for the info in re:
> Delhi-Jaipur Shatabdi. I was not aware that the Delhi-Jaipur BG line
> is already complete. Does anyone know if any other sections of the
> Delhi-Ahmadabad MG line have been completed? And do the MG trains
> like Delhi Mail, Ashram Exp. etc. terminate @ Delhi Sarai Rohilla?
>
> Regards,
> Pushkar
> -------
from Julian,
While I was in India at Xmas the MG trains to Jodphur were
certainly running out of Sarai Rohillas, and I suspect but cannot
remember that others were as well. The new coaches for The Palace on
Wheels Train are also stabled at Sarai Rohillas > > >
From: Pushkar Apte <apte@spdc.email
Subject: First private trains on IR
Date: 06 Feb 1995 07:51:00 -0500
The following are the first four private trains that will be operated
on IR lines:
1. Bombay-Aurangabad-(Ajanta/Ellora)-Nanded-Secunderabad-Pune-Bombay
1876km
2. Goa-Mangalore-Mysore-Hospet-Bangalore-Goa 3312km
3. Bangalore-Mysore-Madras-Kodaikanal-Kanyakumari-Thiruvananthpuram-
Cochin-Ooty-Bangalore 2188KM
4. Delhi-Jaipur-Agra-Gwalior-Jhansi-(Khajuraho)-Varanasi-Lucknow-Delhi
2330KM
All these are supposed to start by 1Q96, so I assume that both Konkan
Railway (Goa-Mangalore, Mangalore-Mysore) and the relevant gauge
conversions ( e.g. Jaipur-Agra, Mysore-Hospet-Bangalore,
Bangalore-Goa) are at least expected to be complete by then. No
mention of fares.
Source: Times of India, Bombay.
Regards,
Pushkar
-------
From: S. Kumar <kumar@qm.email
Subject: Delhi-Jaipur contd.
Date: 06 Feb 1995 10:40:00 -0500
In response to Pushkar's query about the Delhi-Ahmedabad route, I
believe that both Delhi-Jaipur and Jaipur-Phulera have been converted
to BG. The BG line extends from Delhi to Phulera. The Jaipur-
Jodhpur BG express runs via Phulera.
In response to Anurag's comments about the Upper India Express, this
train which used follow the maxim "always take the most circuitous
route" has sadly been cancelled. A truncated version runs between
Mughalsarai and Sealdah and is called the Mughalsarai-Sealdah express.
The Jaipur-Sealdah express is the rerouted version of the erstwhile
Delhi-Howrah Express.
Kumar
From: J.J. Rainbow <J.J.Rainbow@newcastle.email
Subject: Delhi Jaipur
Date: 07 Feb 1995 13:14:00 -0500
Whilst I was in India over Xmas, the Delhi Jodphur trains were running in
and out of Sarai Rohillas. This would appear to be the MG terminus for
Delhi. The coaches for the new Palace on Wheels train are also stabled
here. Sorry if you have already got this message, but on trying to reply
to the original I had mail returned with messages about it being
undeliverable.
Julian.
From: S Pai <Pai>>
Subject: privatized tourist routes : some more details
Date: 07 Feb 1995 22:36:00 -0500
Headline: India opens railways to private sector
India has opened five lucrative rail circuits to the private sector,
including the London-based Orient Express group, to operate luxury trains for
well-heeled tourists.
Each train of 21 carriages, will reflect the ethnic flavour of the region
during week-long journeys and cover seven tourist destinations, the railway
ministry said late Thursday.
Passengers will travel in air-conditioned trains which include 13 sleeper
cars, two dining cars and a lounge car.
Each sleeper, divided into four bunks, will have attached bath, pantry,
refrigerator and closed circuit television and eight music systems. There will
be a steward for every eight passengers.
The Orient Express group and its local partner Patil Travels have won bids
to run trains between the western city of Bombay and southern Hyderabad and
another service covering important southern tourist spots.
The 1,876 kilometre (1,172-mile) journey between Bombay and Hyderabad will
stop at the fabled Ajanta caves boasting ancient Buddhist paintings while the
other service would touch important temple towns, a hill station and
Trivandrum city.
Other circuits cover the western state of Goa, the "golden triangle"
touching New Delhi, the Taj Mahal town of Agra and Jaipur in Rajasthan, and a
service running to Hindu pilgrimage centres like Varanasi from Delhi.
Each operator will have to pay a capital cost of 20 million rupees (666,666
dollars), maintainence costs of about 100,000 rupees (3,333 dollars) per trip
and share 15 percent of the gross annual turnover with Indian Railways.
The railways will provide all ground facilities and infrastructure
necessary to run the trains.
The role model for the venture is the money-spinning "Palace on wheels"
trains launched in 1982 by assembling vintage saloons of the former maharajahs
of India.
The 200-dollar a day trips, which visit exotic places in the northwestern
desert state of Rajasthan, are immensely popular with foreign tourists.
From: Dheeraj Sanghi <dheeraj@iitk.email
Subject: Corporate Help for Swanky Stations.
Date: 14 Feb 1995 08:28:00 -0500
ToI, February 8, 1995.
The railways have finally woken up to the possibility of making money
from maintaining spick and span stations. For the first time in India,
under a pilot project, Hazrat Nizamuddin station in the Capital has
been given to a corporate house which will take care of beautification
and provision of passenger amenities in exchange for the right to be
the sole advertiser on the station premises.
The station already bears a polished look, courtesy JK Tyres, which has
bagged the contract. Besides giving publicity to the company, massive
hoardings in striking yellow displayed at strategic points provide
information to the commuter. The new seating arrangement in red catches
the eye.
Under the contract, JK Tyres has to provide chairs and benches, install
and maintain payphones, put up hoardings indicating public amenities
available at the platforms, and maintain digital boards giving
information about trains. They are also supposed to provide water
coolers, waste baskets, spitoons, lamp shades, besides painting the
station walls and maintain a car parking area.
Others to Follow: Northern Railway has finished similar contracts for
the Kanpur, Varanasi, Saharanpur, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar and
Jammu Tawi stations. Under the scheme, NR hopes to earn an additional
Rs 30 lakh per year and save Rs 60 lakh spent on maintenance of these
stations.
The experiment is somewhat different from that of Bandra station in
Bombay which was handed over to a private party for display of
advertisements, on monthly rental basis, without any commitments.
At Nizamuddin, the railways have given sole advertising rights for
five years on the basis of an open tender, in return for an
obligation by the corporate house to provide a model station.
Mr. D P Talwar, a retired IPS officer who is a regular visitor to
the station, says Nizamuddin bears a cleaner and neater look. Col
K S Sandhu, chief commercial manager (general) NR, says, "Our
experiment in maintaining stations through private agencies has
been successful, and maintenance has been of high quality."
The scheme will soon be extended to the New Delhi and Old Delhi
Stations. Tenders for this will be floated this week. The railways
are also keen that corporates take charge of the maintenance of
stations on the ring railway in the city," says NR chief commercial
manager N N Vasudeva.
Sponsors Gain: What do the companies have in such an arrangement?
Says Vikrampati Singhania, director, JK Tyres, "It gives us an
opportunity to bring the station to international standards. We are
spending about Rs. 4 to 5 lakhs per month on maintenance. In due
course the public will identify the station with JK Tyres."
According to railway sources, the annual revenue from advertisement
at Nizamuddin station is expected to go up to Rs 6 lakh from
Rs 84,000. Besides, there will be a saving of Rs 6 to 7 lakh on
maintenance.
"To avoid claustrophobic effect, we have used only 40 percent of the
space allocated to us," says Mr. Ajay Dhawan of AD Junction, the
agency which is handling the work on behalf of JK Tyres.
From: Pushkar Apte <apte@spdc.email
Subject: Re: Corporate Help for Swanky Stations.
Date: 13 Feb 1995 15:15:00 -0500
Dheeraj writes:
> Sponsors Gain: What do the companies have in such an arrangement?
> Says Vikrampati Singhania, director, JK Tyres, "It gives us an
> opportunity to bring the station to international standards. We are
> spending about Rs. 4 to 5 lakhs per month on maintenance. In due
> course the public will identify the station with JK Tyres."
While applauding the trend towards more privatization and cleaner
stations, a semi-amusing thought comes to mind, based on the above
passage. Its not inconceivable that *entire* stations might be named
after corporations that will shell out enough dough. It'll be
interesting to open a time-table and see JK-nagar instead of H-Nzmdn,
Reliance-bad instead of Ahmadabad and Pepsitown in Punjab & so forth.
We already have stations like Tatanagar & Kirloskarwadi, but I think
those industries have done a little more for those towns than clean up
the station. Just random musings ...
Regards,
Pushkar
-------
From: Shrikant Ranade <sranade@hpcuhe.email
Subject: Re: Corporate Help for Swanky Stations.
Date: 13 Feb 1995 13:51:00 -0500
>The railways have finally woken up to the possibility of making money
>from maintaining spick and span stations. For the first time in India,
>under a pilot project, Hazrat Nizamuddin station in the Capital has
>been given to a corporate house which will take care of beautification
>and provision of passenger amenities in exchange for the right to be
>the sole advertiser on the station premises.
Hazrat Nizamuddin may be the first in terms of maintainance of an
existing station, but the railways seem to be experimenting with even
more radical ideas elsewhere.
The last time I was in India (July) we drove past one of the new
stations in New Bombay. (Harbour Branch service has been extended
across Thana Creek). It looked large and ornate, quite unlike what I
would expect of a new suburban station. I was told that it, and the
other stations on that route, had been contracted out to developers to
build and operate as a combination station-cum-shopping-mall, or office
park, or whatever.
(Actually, I'm not sure of the accuracy of what I was told. Does anyone
have more information?)
--Shrikant
From: J.J. Rainbow <J.J.Rainbow@newcastle.email
Subject:
Date: 15 Feb 1995 19:58:00 -0500
As promised some time ago, now the exams have finished, a list of preserved
locomotives in India.
Delhi
outside Rail Bhavan is DHR B Class 799 NBL 23292/1925
Delhi Rail Museum
The following are all Broad Gauge
EIR 22 Fairy Queen 2-2-2WT, Kitson Thompson and Hewitson of Leeds 481/1855
Nizams Guaranteed State Railway A-48 4-6-0 Dubs & Co 2787/1891
Indian Branch Railway Ramgotty 0-4-0T Anjubault of Paris 1862
Oudh and Rohilkund Railway Saloon of 1890 4 wheel saloon
" " " B-26 0-6-0 Sharp Stewart of Manchester 2018/1870
" " " Covered wagon 148 Central Workshops Alambagh,
Lucknow 1879
North Western Railway ST-707 0-6-2T NBL 1904
" " " HG/C-1598 2-8-0 Vulcan Foundry 2461/1909
EIR XT/1-36863 0-4-2T Krupp 1538/1935
GIPR EM-922 4-4-0 NBL 17780/1907
SIR 11-PT 2-6-4T RS 4118/1936
Gaekwar's Baroda State Railway Saloon Parel workshops of BBCI 1886
NWR XG/M-911 2-8-2 BP 650/1928
PWD Punjab 4WG (chain drive) Sentinel 6273/1926
EIR Phoenix 1354 0-4-0WT Nasmyth-Wilson 798/1907
BNR N 815 4-8-0+0-8-4 BP 6594/1930
BBCI hand crane Ransome and Rapier 1883
GIPR Crane Tank 3 0-6-0T HL 3538/1923
MSMR 6 wheel Sallon built by Southern Railway at Perambur
GIPR EA-1-4006 Sir Roger Lumley 1-A-A-A-2 SLM/MetVick 1930
GIPR EF/1-20027 Sir Leslie Wilson C-C MetVick
BBCI EMU-35b Bo-Bo Cammel Laird 1928
EIR Sheep wagon Lilluah Workshops 1929
GIPR 22907-AWE 2-8-2 Baldwin 69703/1943
HPS2-24467 4-6-0 Vulcan Foundry 1950
Sindhri Fertilisers 0-4-0 Fireless Henschell 25630/1953
GIPR WP/P-7200 4-6-2 Baldwin 73408/1947
GIPR Dynamometer Car WRK2483 Met Cammel 1930
The following items are all Meter gauge
SIR (Nilgiri rack Line) X-37385 0-8-2T SLM 1920
Jodphur Railway 31412/HP 4-6-2 Baldwin 1948
BBCI Armoured Train Ajmer Workshops. wagons built 1886-1890
BNWR YB/2-429 4-6-2 Nasmyth-Wilson 1613/1935
Jaipur State Railway TJ-643 0-6-0T WB 2646/1942
Rajputana Malwa Railway F-734 0-6-0 Ajmer Workshops 1895
Nilgiri Railway Composite Coach Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Co
Rajputana Railway E-207 0-4-2ST Dubs 1175/1878
Rajputana Malwa Railway Prince of Wales Saloon Agra Workshops of RMR 1875
Southern Mahratta Railway FMA-37302 0-6-0 Dubs 2373/1888
Mysore State Railway Maharaja's saloon Bangalore Workshop 1899
BBCI M2-162 4-4-0 Ajmer Workshops 1923/24
BBCI Viceregal Dining Car Ajmer workshops 1889
SIR YCG1 21900 Bo-Bo HL/EE 1930
Gondal State Railway 1004 0-6-0 Fowler Diesel 4200031/1949
Rajputana Malwa Railway P-31652 4-6-0 Ajmer Workshops 171/1922/3
Bikaner State Railway ET-1445 4 wheel 3rd class carriage Bikaner workshops 1902
The following Palace on Wheels carriages are in the museum
CT3 Bikaner 1889
CT9s Navanagar built 1922 at Bhavnagar Workshops
CT17 Jaipur 1913
CT34756/56 hyderabad 1917 for Nizams State Railway
CT3457/814 built for Maharajah of Porbinder in 1907
The following items are all 2' 6" gauge
Decauville Railway on North West frontier 2-4-2ST WB 507/1902
Kalka Simla Railway KS12 Petrol engined railcar Wickhams of Ware 1931
Bankura Damodar River Light Railway Sentinel BDR-8 6W Sentinel 8135/1929
Kalka Simla Railway Railcar no 14 diesel electric Armstrong Whitworth 1933
Gaekwar's Baroda State Railway Wt-594 0-6-4T WB/1925
BNR RD-688 2-6-2 Nasmyth-Wilson 1929
Betty Tramways Rajkot, 0-4-0 folwer diesel 390014
Barsi Light Railway Composite brake/third BLR-32 Metropolitian Amalgamated
Railway Carriage and Wagon Co 1905
Mourbhaji Light Railway 8 wheeled composite coach
Karachi Port Trust MTR-2 0-4-2T Dick Kerr 1910
NWR 2-6-2T ZF-107 Henschell 22589/1934
EIR CS-775 2-4-0T WB 1927
The following are all 2' 0" guage
DHR B-777 0-4-0ST Sharp Stewart Glasgow 3517/1889
Matheran Light Railway MLR-738 0-6-0T O&K 2342/1907
Ledo Coal Mines A/885 0-4-2ST WB 1897
Matheran Light Railway Carriage-852 (3rd class) 4 wheeled
Matheran Light Railway Carriage -812 1st class
Matheran Light Railway Railcar No 899 Grashame/1932
DHR 3rd class carriage ET/119 Tindharia workshops 1902
Patiala State Monorail 0-3-0 O&K 1907
At Gwalior at Jai Villas Palace
Gwalior Stae Railcars 11(Wickhams?) and 20(Rolls-Royce?)
Jaipur
outside the station is OJ 641 4-4-0 WB 1943 meter guage
Jhansi
outside the station is ZE 29 2-8-2 KS 4403/1928 2' 6" guage
Mysore museum
The following are Meter guage
South Central Railway Patent centre/side discharge wagon. Leeds Forge Company
1913
Southern railway Travelling Crane 033993 5 ton hand crane by Cowans Sheldon
1885
SR FD 034013 Crane support truck
Mysore Steel Works ? E37244 4-4-4T NBL 22782/1920
TS 37338 2-6-2T WB 1932
SR ECE 07327 inspection car Mysore workshops 1901
SRVH 38163 Brake van Stableford 1923
Mysore State Railway CR 7342 Maharani's saloon
Mysore State Railway CR 7345 Dining/Kitchen car
The following are all narrow guage
NWR E119 2-4-2T WB 1625/1900
ES 506 4-6-2 KS
Mysore State Railway SR TLR No 45 coach of 1927
Austin car converted to run on rails.
Abbreviations
The following builders names were abbreviated to
BP Beyer Peacock of Manchester
KS kerr Stuart of Stoke-on-Trent
HL Hawthorn-Leslie of Newcastle-upon-Tyne
RS Robert Stephenson of Newcastle-upon-Tyne & Darlington
O&K Orstein & Koppel of Berlin
Dubs Dubs & Co Glasgow
NBL North British Locomotive Co Glasgow
Krupp Fredrick Krupp of Berlin
MetVick Metropolitan Vickers
SLM Swiss Locomotive Manufactures Winterfur
EE English Electric
WB Willaim Bagnall of Stafford
The following railways had their names abbreviated
BBCI Bombay, Baroda and Central India
GIPR Great Indian Penisular Railway
BNWR bengal North Western Railway
EIR East Indian Railway
MSMR Madras & Southern Mahratta Railway
SIR South Indian Railway
BNR Bengal Nagpur Railway
DHR Darjeeling Himalaya Railway
From: Dheeraj Sanghi <dheeraj@iitk.email
Subject: Lockers on Wheels.
Date: 18 Feb 1995 04:51:00 -0500
Northern Railway has introduced "Lockers on Wheels" aboard the
brake-van of Delhi-Lucknow Shatabdi, and will introduce this on
other Shatabdis and Rajdhani trains soon.
Under the scheme, any private party can book a locker for a certain
number of days/weeks/months/.. on the specified train. The lockers
come in 3 different sizes - 27, 16 and 8.5 cu. ft. with capacity
of 300, 150, and 60 KG respectively.
The person holding the locker puts in the stuff at Delhi, and his
counterpart removes that in Kanpur or Lucknow. That person can
put something there, which will be removed at Delhi. The private
persons put their lock.
There are total number of 28 lockers in a train - 4 of 27 cu. ft.
12 each of other kinds. Lockers are allocated on first come first
served basis.
The rates mentioned are: 565, 285, and 115 rupees for Delhi-Kanpur
sector. I guess it will be per day (both-ways) basis.
-dheeraj
From: Dheeraj Sanghi <dheeraj@iitk.email
Subject: gauge conversion.
Date: 20 Feb 1995 09:48:00 -0500
MG line from Jodhpur to Jaisalmer is being closed to traffic from
17th feb for conversion to BG. It is expected to be ready within
30 days.
The goods train will start by 31st March, and passenger services
soon thereafter.
-dheeraj
From: Dheeraj Sanghi <dheeraj@iitk.email
Subject: Steam goes off BG track in East.
Date: 20 Feb 1995 10:03:00 -0500
Eastern Rly bid farewell to the steam era, when the last steam
locomotive No. WG 10333 puffed out from the last Steam Loco Shed
at Asansol on October 22.
Other news from that issue:
--------------
Railways to Share 50 per cent cost of Bombay Urban Transport Projects
(BUTP -II). Thirteen projects are likely to be taken up by BUTP -II.
(Note that not all projects are railway projects.) These include:
Kurla-Bandra link, low level plus flyover at Mahim, Borivili-Virar
quadrupling, fifth line between Santa Cruz and Borivili, station/track
remodeling for optimisation of services by use of longer trains
(12-coach each) on Western Rly fast line, optimisation through
strengthening, power and signaling on Western and Central Rly main
line and Kurla-Mankhurd, Vashi-Turbhe-Kalva new construction and for
making the existing section fit for running EMUs, rake improvement,
new depot, new rakes, station improvements, ...
From: glyn_thomas1 <glyn_thomas1@uk.email
Subject: (u) End of broad gauge steam
Date: 07 Mar 1995 11:06:00 -0500
'Steam Railway', a UK-based magazine, reports in its April edition that
broad gauge steam is due to finish in India this month (March). The
final steam sheds are reported as Filrozpu and Jullumdr on the Northern
Railway. WL class Pacifics are mentioned, it's not clear whether other
types such as WGs are also still running.
Has Indian Railways retained any broad gauge steam locos for tourist
or excursion trains?
Regards,
Glyn Thomas,
(glyn_thomas1@uk.email
From: Pushkar Apte <apte@spdc.email
Subject: Phones on Bombay Locals
Date: 07 Mar 1995 08:46:00 -0500
I heard an interesting news item - IR is planning to introduce
phones on Bombay locals. Initially they will be introduced on the
ladies train *** only. I guess they're trying to kill two birds with
one stone - this train has heavy secrity anyway, so they can protect
the phones relatively easily, and plus, they'll get a lot of credit if
this train gets stranded and the said women are able to call home and
tell their folks they're OK.
I think this is a really neat innovation - and its great to read one
positive news about the Bombay local service after a totally
disastrous period. Of course this project sounds like a logistical
nightmare - can the Bombayites on this list imagine the chaos if all
the women in a peak hour crowded train wanted to make a phone call at
the same time! Also, I wonder what the phones will be from a
technology standpoint - cellular is the only thing I can think of.
Perhaps they will be carried by the cops in their pockets...
Regards,
Pushkar
-------
everyday - which is a local only for women.
From: Dheeraj Sanghi <dheeraj@iitk.email
Subject: Re: Phones on Bombay Locals
Date: 08 Mar 1995 12:29:00 -0500
Yesterday, there was an article in ToI about the visit of
some Railway official to some place in UK to study some
technology for providing phones on running train. It seems
they are quite serious about providing phones within a
year or so. But I didn't get the impression that it would
be in local, rather, they might start from Rajdhani and
Shatabdi class trains (though nothing of this sort was
mentioned).
-dheeraj
From: Jishnu Mukerji <jis@summit.email
Subject: Re: Phones on Bombay Locals
Date: 10 Mar 1995 15:30:00 -0500
Excerpts from personal.IRFCA: 7-Mar-95 Re: Phones on Bombay Locals
Dheeraj Sanghi@iitk.email (420*)
> Yesterday, there was an article in ToI about the visit of
> some Railway official to some place in UK to study some
> technology for providing phones on running train. It seems
> they are quite serious about providing phones within a
> year or so. But I didn't get the impression that it would
> be in local, rather, they might start from Rajdhani and
> Shatabdi class trains (though nothing of this sort was
> mentioned).
I don't know what the crowding on Bombay locals are like, but if it is
anything like on the Calcutta locals then it would be an amazing feat
for anyone to get to a phone on the train. This is of course assuming
that the phones are for the use of the public and not just for the train
crew to keep in touch with the section controller etc.
BTW, do the train crew have CB radio to keep in touch with the section
controllers yet? It is said that the availability of such communication
facility could have prevented the Howrah Rajdhani crash a while back.
Jishnu
From: Dheeraj Sanghi <dheeraj@iitk.email
Subject: Railway news.
Date: 11 Mar 1995 22:45:00 -0500
From July 1st 1995, the time for advanced reservation is
being reduced further to only 30 days. (Of course, there
is no change with respect to those trains in which
reservation can be made only 14 days in advance.)
After Prayag Raj Express, Delhi-Howrah Poorva Express has
become the second train to have an AC-3T coach. (Almost
all AC chaircar coaches from Rajdhanis have already been
replaced by AC-3T. I think there are couple of coaches
left on Delhi-Howrah and/or August-Kranti.)
This was on Doordarshan yesterday. But somehow, I don't
believe the 2nd news. I was under the impression that they
had already introduced AC-3T in TN, Kerala, and Karnataka.
Since the budgetary support for Railways is being reduced
further this year, it is expected that there will be some
fare hike in passenger services, and some freight charges
as well. But next year being general elections, the hike
in passenger services is not expected to be substantial,
and freight charges cannot be increased much since they
have already reached levels where road transport has
started giving a real competetion, even for bulk items
like coal and petroleum. It is expected that some of the
items which are charged concessional rates, will now be
charged regular rates.
-dheeraj
PS: I would be leaving on Tuesday for a week. I will try
to post a short summary of budget before I leave.
The budget will be presented on Tuesday.
From: Dheeraj Sanghi <dheeraj@iitk.email
Subject: gauge conversion.
Date: 14 Mar 1995 08:19:00 -0500
Delhi-Jodhpur Mandor Express is now running on BG tracks.
Lucknow-Jodhpur Marudhar Express is also now on BG tracks.
I guess that means Mandor Express is back to Delhi-Alwar-Jaipur
route, and Marudhar is probably taking the Sealdah-Jaipur route
till Jaipur, and then the normal route.
Jodhpur-Jaisalmer BG has been opened for goods traffic. Recall
that this part was closed last month for gauge conversion.
Passenger traffic will probably start next month.
Today's newspapers have reports that tomorrow's budget is likely
to have across-the-board fare hikes, but the blow will be softened
by announcing a scheme by which passengers get relief if the
train is late.
-dheeraj
From: Jishnu Mukerji <jis@summit.email
Subject: Re: Delhi-Jaipur
Date: 13 Mar 1995 09:21:00 -0500
Excerpts from personal.IRFCA: 3-Feb-95 Re: Dlehi-Jaipur Dheeraj
Sanghi@iitk.email (121*)
> No other part of the line seems to be complete. All trains
> mentioned take the MG route and terminate at DEE.
I had an opportunity to travel from DEE to Rewari on the MG Bikaner
Express a couple of weeks back and had a good look at the Broad Gauging
of this section. The situation is as follows:
At Delhi Jn. all the MG platforms except the last one (PF18?) have been
converted to BG. The MG yard beyond the last platform has been removed
and the area is now filled in with construction material. Looks like a
building or something is going to come up there. From Delhi Jn. to just
west of Serai Rohilla there is a single additional BG track layed along
the ROW of one of the MG tracks. Work is progressing on a second track
along the ROW of the second MG track. There are surprisingly few
connections between the parallel electriifed BG tracks and these new BG
track(s). For example the tracks coming in from New Delhi (at what used
to be Subzi Mandi cabin) simply cross these new tracks like they used to
cros the MG tracks. There is a BG track from Sadar Bazar that comes and
joins the new BG track.
There are crossovers from the old BG track and the new between
Kishanganj and Serai Rohilla. and also between Serai Rohilla and Daya
Basti. The Delhi - Rewari BG passenger trains that orginate from
platforms other than 15-17 of Delhi Jn. travel on the old BG track past
Serai Rohilla and then move over to the new tracks. There is a station
on the old BG track adjacent to the MG and new BG Serai Rohilla station
but is not called Serai Rohilla. It is connected by an overbridge to
Serail Rohilla. The Delhi Rewari passenger stops at this new station in
lieu of Serai Rohilla.
what used to be the Rewari to Delhi MG track, i.e. it is on the North of
the MG track. This continues uptil Delhi Cant. just beyond Delhi Cant.
the BG and MG tracks cross each other and thence to Rewari the BG track
is to the South/East of the MG track and parallel to it all the way with
identical stations as the old MG ones. Around Inchapur and Khalilpura in
the flood prone area both the BG and the MG tracks have been layed on a
new higher ROW. Evntually it is clear that the MG track will be replaced
by a BG one.
Just East of Rewari the newly converted BG track from Hissar comes in
from the North, crosses the MG track and joins the BG track before
entering the Rewari BG yard and platforms. The MG platforms are to the
North of the BG platforms in Rewari. Beyond Rewari the BG tracks and
yard curves away sharply to the left towards Alwar, and the MG track
split into the Ringus-Phulera line and the Loharu-Sadulpur line as
before.
None of the new BG track is elctrified anywhere. It appears that the new
BG track belongs to Bikaner Divn (and not to Delhi or Ferozepur
Division). This separation happens just outside Delhi Jn.!
Jishnu Mukerji
jis@summit.email
+1 908 522 5024
From: Pushkar Apte <apte@spdc.email
Subject: News
Date: 13 Mar 1995 12:00:00 -0500
The Reuter European Business Report
March 12, 1995, Sunday, BC cycle
HEADLINE: INDIA PLANS RAILWAY THROUGH HIMALAYAS IN KASHMIR
DATELINE: JAMMU, India, March 12
India's state railway, hoping to realise a century-old dream, plans to
build a 290 km (190 mile) long railroad through a rugged section of the
Himalayan mountains dividing the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Deputy chief engineer of northern railways, Surrinder Koul, told Reuters on
Sunday that the $ 650 million project would link the state's winter capital of
Jammu in the south with the northern capital Srinigar in the Kashmir valley.
In January up to 100 people died in avalanches that buried large sections
of the road between the two cities.
Much of the six-hour train journey would be underground as 93 km (58 miles)
of track would be covered by the estimated 80 tunnels that will have to be
dug, Koul said. The longest tunnel will measure 11 km (seven miles), he said.
"The project is eco-friendly and it would be a noise-free journey between
the two capitals of the state," he said.
The idea of connecting Jammu and Kashmir with a railway line as first
contemplated by British engineers in 1902. Their project would have cost $
800,000 at the time.
A 1987 survey sketched a path that would have allowed trains to travel at
50 to 60 km (32 to 38 miles) an hour.
Engineers have suggested a new route, but some geologists have said it
would require expensive reinforcing of tunnel walls because of weak
surrounding rock formation.
Koul said the project would require the latest tunnelling expertise
available only in a few countries. He cited Britain, France, Germany, Japan,
the United States and Russia.
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Agence France Presse
March 11, 1995 22:59 Eastern Time
HEADLINE: India's longest railway takes a bumpy track
BYLINE: Madhu Nainan
DATELINE: BOMBAY, March 11
India's largest railroad project of the century is finally set for the
whistle-off after being diverted by controversy ever since work on it began
four years ago.
But experts believe the Konkan Railway, hamstrung by alleged poor planning,
technical problems and rising costs, could be running several years late if
not derailed altogether.
The 760-kilometre (475-mile)-long railway will carry freight trains
beginning June and passenger trains starting December, according to the
timetable set by the state-owned Indian Railways.
When it is commissioned, the Konkan Railway will provide a direct rail link
between India's southern and western coasts, slashing travelling time by a
third, as it cuts through the states of Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa.
The longest railroad project undertaken by India in the 20th century, it
will link up the seaports of Mangalore, Bombay and Mormugao as it travels
along the Konkan coast of Maharashtra.
The railway would be a boon to the Konkan region, where about 200 medium-
and large-sized industrial projects worth 634 billion rupees (21 billion
dollars) are in the pipeline.
"We are on schedule and will meet the current deadlines," said E.
Sreedharan, chairman and managing director of the Konkan Railway Corp., which
had originally set an October 1994 launch date.
"We were pushed behind by adverse geological conditions such as hard rocks
and also very soft soils, both of which slowed down work at several places,"
Sreedharan told AFP here.
He said the foundation and piers of most of the 143 major and 1,670 small
bridges had been put in place and about 70 of 88 tunnels bored through.
The cost of the project, construction on which began in 1990, had been
estimated at 13.9 billion rupees (463 million dollars) but the final bill is
expected to come to 19 billion rupees (633 million dollars), he said.
When it was conceived, the railroad ran into protests from green groups and
heritage activists in the former Portuguese enclave of Goa.
The protestors, who said rice fields would be destroyed and ancient
Portuguese churches damaged by the rumble of speeding trains, forced the
railroad to take a different route. The project was delayed by seven months as
a result.
Citizens' groups said the present schedules too would not be met and rising
costs could even derail the project.
"Only about 40 percent of the total work on the railroad has been
completed. In several areas work has yet to be begun," said M.K. Jos,
spokesman for the AllGoa Citizens Committee for Social Justice and Action
supported by the influential Roman Catholic Church.
Jos, an industrial consultant, said the railroad was "moving towards an
inevitable tragedy."
"This is a very risky project," Jos said.
He said large parts of the railroad passed through low-lying lands and soft
soil which had already begun sinking.
"I doubt if they will be able to bear the load of trains running at speeds
of between 120 and 160 kilometres an hour."
Claude Alvares of the Goa Foundation, a left-oriented non-governmental
organisation, alleged that politicians, officials and contractors had teamed
up to milk the railroad.
"It (the railroad) is an exploding scandal," said the firebrand
environmental activist. "It will not be ready until 2000," he said.
"There is even a possibility the railroad might never run as our experts
have estimated its final cost to be about 50 billion rupees (1.66 billion
dollars)," he said. "The cost burden will crush it."
Alvares said work on the railroad had ravaged the countryside. "Entire
hills have disappeared as truckloads of mud are scooped away for the
embankments, which still keep sinking and settling," he added.
"They are in a tearing hurry to somehow lay the railroad. Their tunnels are
collapsing all over. It is going to be the most monumental technological
tragedy of the century," he warned.
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