IRFCA Mailing List Archive
Messages 1561 - 1580
From: <sshankarnarayan@kpmg.email
Subject: news2 ...
Date: 15 Jul 1996 16:13:00 -0500
Hi folks,
Our honorable minister Paswan was in Madras recently.
Excerpts from an article in 'The Hindu' dated July 7 ...
---------------------------------------
Chengalpattu - Dindigul guage conversion will be completed by March 98.
Surveys have been ordered for:
Cuddalore - Salem BG conversion
and the following new lines:
Sabarimala - Dindigul
Hogenekkal-Thiruvannamalai
Chamrajnagar-Mettupalayam
Doubling of tracks between Coimbatore and Irugur
MRTS:
Beach-Luz to be complete by year end. Since TN govt. has agreed to share two
thirds of the cost, second phase between Luz -Velachery would be included in
the current budget. Survey to be conducted to extend the system to Koyambedu and
Tiruvotriyur.
On a different note, I was in the Denver area for a couple of weeks. Interstate
highways in the west generally run along main railway lines, and Colorado is no
exception. I-70 from Denver to Grand Junction and then to Utah runs along
Southern Pacific's (ex Denver & Rio Grande) main line. The section from Vail to
Grand Junction runs along I-70 and is especially scenic. This is also the route
taken by a couple of Amtrak trains (California Zephyr and the Desert Wind, I
think). The eastbound Zephyr I ran across was hauled by a UP (Chicago & North
Western) GE C44-9W and a pair of new GE Genesis series amtrak locos. Freight
trains are typically assisted by helper locos in the rear, and some of the east
bounds I saw had due to severe grades upto six SD40/SD45s hauling a fairly
modest train.
Heading south from Denver, I-25 runs along lines operated jointly by SP, Santa
Fe and Burlington Northern. BN runs their 15000 ton Powder River Basin (in
Wyoming) coal trains here hauled by their newest AC traction locos (EMD
SD70MAC). A typical southbound coal train has three such units on the front and
a couple on the rear. On one occasion I noticed a series of southbound freight
trains backed up due to rain and flooding in Peublo. One of them was a Santa Fe
freight which had stopped close to an I-25 exit. The crew were standing by the
tracks, and were nice enough to give me a tour of the lashup, which consisted of
2 brand new 4400hp A/C traction locos in red and silver warbonnet livery (GE
AC44-9W) and 2 older EMD locos. Diesel locos sure have come a long way since our
WDM2, with integrated cab electronics, ac traction and 4000+ horsepower.
------------------
Sridhar Shankar
From: Dheeraj Sanghi <dheeraj@iitk.email
Subject: Railway Budget.
Date: 17 Jul 1996 01:40:00 -0500
I watched the presentation of rail budget. Here is what I remember.
SIX more zones, headquartered at: Allahabad, Jaipur, Hajipur,
Bangalore, Jabalpur. I don't remember the sixth one.
I guess we are going to see every major state becoming an
independent zone.
A smaller than expected hike in fare. 10% hike in upper classes.
No hike in 2nd class (either ordinary or mail/express).
5% hike in sleeper class.
10% hike in freight charges, except certain exempted commodities.
A few new trains. The ones I can recall are: Delhi-Lucknow-Patna
Rajdhani. There was no mention of frequency. So perhaps I can
assume daily. Bangalore-Hubli Shatabdi will be replaced by an
intercity express. Couple of trains on Delhi-Ahemdabad route
will start running on BG this year. This includes Ashram Exp.
Rewa-Bhopal Express, Bikaner-Howrah, Jaipur-Ajmer Link, etc.
Many trains terminating in UP have been extended to serve
North Bihar. A few frequencies have been increased, again
mostly those touching UP and Bihar. But I didn't get the
feeling that there were too many new trains or extensions, etc.
Howrah-Delhi Janata Exp has been re-introduced.
A large number of surveys for all kinds of things: new lines,
gauge conversion, doubling of tracks, couple of rail bridges
(over Ganga near Patna, and one on Brahmputra in upper Assam).
It seems that almost any project that any MP suggested has
been taken up for survey. How many of these will actually be
done remains to be seen.
Executive class to be introduced in superfast trains. There
will be piped music in all executive class coaches.
Phones to be introduced on more trains. Right now, it is only
on Delhi-Bombay Rajdhani.
There seemed quite a bit of emphasis on North-east. He wants to
connect all capitals with a rail link.
-dheeraj
--------------
Dheeraj Sanghi +91 (512) 25-7077 (Off)
Dept. of Computer Science & Engineering +91 (512) 25-8627 (Res)
Indian Institute of Technology +91 (512) 25-0260 (Fax)
Kanpur - 208 016 (UP), INDIA. dheeraj@iitk.email
From: S. Kumar <s.kumar@qm.email
Subject: railway budget
Date: 16 Jul 1996 17:04:00 -0500
>Sridhar Shankar writes:
>Chengalpattu - Dindigul guage conversion will be completed by March 98.
Is Madras-Chengalpattu already converted to BG? I am a little
disappointed by the completion date since I was under the impression
that this conversion would be completed by March 97.
>Surveys have been ordered for:
> Cuddalore - Salem BG conversion
> and the following new lines:
> Sabarimala - Dindigul
> Hogenekkal-Thiruvannamalai
> Chamrajnagar-Mettupalayam
> Doubling of tracks between Coimbatore and Irugur
Any news about conversion of Villupuram-Tiruchi via Cuddalore and
Thanjavur and the Tiruchi-Rameswaram MG lines? Jaffer Sharif had
previously sanctioned Bangalore City-Salem and Tiruchi-Thanjavur-Nagore
conversions.
On the Guntur-Guntakal MG section, conversion on the Guntur-Nandyal
section is complete (just in time for our beloved ex-PM to get
elected from Nandyal!). Secunderabad-Guntakal section is to be BG by
December 1997.
>Dheeraj writes:
> Couple of trains on Delhi-Ahemdabad route will start running on BG this year.
>This includes Ashram Exp.
Good! Atleast this project seems to be on schedule.
> couple of rail bridges
>(over Ganga near Patna, and one on Brahmputra in upper Assam).
Are they going to use the existing road bridge near Patna, or build a
whole new bridge, which would indicate, unfortunately, poor planning.
Any news of the bridge over the B'putra at Jogigopa?
>Pushkar writes
> Konkan railway will get operational for goods traffic after monsoons
> from October and for passenger traffic from December later this year.
What about the sinking track bed in Goa, near the Zuari river? And
the problems with a few tunnels? Have these issues been resolved?
Regards, Kumar
From: Pushkar Apte <apte@spdc.email
Subject: Railway Budget: hot off the press
Date: 16 Jul 1996 11:01:00 -0500
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
RAILWAY BUDGET 1996-97
(Presented to the Parliament on July 16, 1996 from 12 noon onwards)
Railway minister Ram Vilas Paswan spares common man
FREIGHT:
* No increase in freight charges for "common man's commodities" like
public distribution system items, salt, groundnut oil, vegetable oil,
sugar, fruits, vegetables, milk, jaggery, fertilisers, cattle feed,
kerosene and liquified petroleum gas.
* For all other goods, the freight hike will be 10 per cent irrespective
of the distance covered.
PASSENGER FARES:
* No increase in second class passenger fares upto 200 km.
* Second class journey beyond 200 km to cost 5 per cent more.
* o All upper class (AC I, AC II, AC III, AC Chair Car and First)
fares increased by 10 per cent.
o 10 per cent hike in August Kranti, Shatabdi and Rajdhani Express
fares.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Hikes to net Rs 927 crore in the last eight months of the financial
year.
* Hikes necessitated by an increase in petroleum products' prices,
ensuing Pay Commission award for railway employees and fund
requirement for major and new development plans.
* Indian Railway Financial Corporation to raise Rs 1,350 crore through
bonds this year.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Railway ministry will give special focus to the north-eastern region.
Tripura state capital Agartala will be connected by rail soon. Fresh
surveys will be made for connecting Imphal and Itanagar.
* New Delhi-Ahmedabad line to be upgraded to improve movement of export
consignments from the northern region to the Kandla Port in Gujarat.
* Railway line will be extended beyond Jammu to Udhampur in Kashmir by
December, 1997.
* Konkan railway will get operational for goods traffic after monsoons
from October and for passenger traffic from December later this year.
* Video and long-distance telephone facilities to be extended in mail,
express and superfast express trains.
* Metro rail services to be extended in Calcutta and Madras.
* Urban Transport Project - II in Bombay to get special attention.
* New regional offices to be opened in six cities, including Allahabad,
Jaipur, Bangalore and Hadipur.
* 750 women constables to be inducted into the Railway Protection Force.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Prakash Tendulkar <prakasht@VNET.email
Subject: Railway budget
Date: 16 Jul 1996 08:17:00 -0500
Railway Budget Highlights
Source: PTI, July 16,
New Delhi
The United Front Government on Tuesday announced its first Rs 989 crore
surplus Railway Budget.
The Highlights
*A hike of 10% in Upper Class fares and freights charges
*15 essential items exempted from increase in freight charges
*A 5% hike on second class passengers travelling beyond 200 Kms
*No Hike in monthly and seasonal fares for both second and first class
*The 10% revision for upper class covers air-conditioned first class,
three-tier chair car and first class ordinary and Mail and Express trains.
*Fares for Rajadhani Express, August Kranti and Satabdi Trains
increased by 10%
*No increase in existing fares for sleeper class Mail /Express and
ordinary trains for distances upto 200 kms
*Parcel and luggage rates to be rationalised by replacing the existing
scale of rates for all commodities.
The Budget in Mumbai was welcomed as the seasonal railway fares had
been untouched. It is seen as a pro-commuter budget in general.
From: R. Anand <anand@watson.email
Subject: Re: railway budget
Date: 16 Jul 1996 16:50:00 -0500
In message <B9077F33w164w@qm.email write:
>>Sridhar Shankar writes:
>>Chengalpattu - Dindigul guage conversion will be completed by March 98.
>Is Madras-Chengalpattu already converted to BG? I am a little
>disappointed by the completion date since I was under the impression
>that this conversion would be completed by March 97.
>
I wonder if this is because the tight metergauge curves may have to be
eased during the BG conversion. I know from experience that curves
on MG track can have a much smaller radius. Given that it is built
up right upto the tracks in suburban Madras, I dont know where they
could get additional land if it were needed. I also assume that
all long distance MG traffic southward from madras has probably been
halted.
Anand
From: <sshankarnarayan@kpmg.email
Subject: Re:Fw: railway budget
Date: 16 Jul 1996 17:44:00 -0500
Kumar writes ...
>Sridhar Shankar writes:
>Chengalpattu - Dindigul guage conversion will be completed by March 98.
>Is Madras-Chengalpattu already converted to BG? I am a little
>disappointed by the completion date since I was under the impression
>that this conversion would be completed by March 97.
During my last visit to Madras I saw a BG line along side the three MG lines
between Madras and Tambaram. I assume they have now extended a similar setup
upto Chengalpattu. I am not sure if any trains are being run on those BG lines.
They would want to preserve the MG suburban service for the near future.
>Any news about conversion of Villupuram-Tiruchi via Cuddalore and
>Thanjavur and the Tiruchi-Rameswaram MG lines? Jaffer Sharif had
>previously sanctioned Bangalore City-Salem and Tiruchi-Thanjavur-Nagore
>conversions.
Paswan was also quoted as saying that all previously sanctioned projects will be
supported to the extent possible (what ever that means). The original plan was
to take up the Villupuram - Thanjavur- Tiruchi section under the BOLT scheme.
Poor response has forced railways to reconcider that option, and when questioned
the response from Paswan was "funds will be allocated to the extent possible".
-Sridhar
From: S Pai <pai>>
Subject: any Indian railways web sites?
Date: 16 Jul 1996 17:44:00 -0500
A while back there were some sites that had GIF pictures of locos and
maps related to Indian Railways. I do not know whether they still
exist. Does anyone know of any sites related to IR?
-Satish
----------------------------------------------------------------
Please include me in your newsgroup re indian railways. I am interested
in both the hobby side : steam locomotives etc and also the buisness and
technical aspects of modernization : engineering planning finance....
I have found links to a India rail site , but they do not connect , do
you know if it still exists??
thank you
Steven Brown
From: S Pai <pai>>
Subject: forwarded message
Date: 17 Jul 1996 10:48:00 -0500
Am interested in general info on Indian Railways.
Will be travelling in India for two months later this year.
Will do the Dargeeling and Ooty narrow gauge rails for sure, but
am interested in learning about any others.
Would like to know where to get Trains at a Glance in the USA.
From: Dheeraj Sanghi <dheeraj@iitk.email
Subject: Rail Budget
Date: 18 Jul 1996 08:35:00 -0500
In the various analysis of the rail budget in today's newspapers,
almost every single paper has criticised the budget. The major
criticisms are:
1. Six new zones, without any explanation on their need.
2. Keeping 2nd class fares low, while increasing the freight charges.
3. Huge freight subsidy for several goods of middle-class use remains.
3. Large number of surveys ordered, while the money allocated for
surveys remain same as last year.
4. Uneconomical Rail lines approved.
5. Plan budget is reduced in real terms.
6. Seems like a budget for Bihar, Karnataka, and Andhra, with a few
sops for West Bengal, if one looks at new trains, more frequency,
and extensions. The number of trains and fresh investment seems to
be directly proportional to the number of MPs from that state in UF.
7. Not even one statement on how he plans to improve efficiency.
But the public reaction is strongly positive.
-dheeraj
--------------
Dheeraj Sanghi +91 (512) 25-7077 (Off)
Dept. of Computer Science & Engineering +91 (512) 25-8627 (Res)
Indian Institute of Technology +91 (512) 25-0260 (Fax)
Kanpur - 208 016 (UP), INDIA. dheeraj@iitk.email
From: Dheeraj Sanghi <dheeraj@iitk.email
Subject: Re: railway budget
Date: 18 Jul 1996 08:44:00 -0500
> >Dheeraj writes:
> > Couple of trains on Delhi-Ahemdabad route will start running on BG
> >this year. This includes Ashram Exp.
>
> Good! Atleast this project seems to be on schedule.
There is a significant drop in budget for gauge conversion (and
all other development activities, for that matter). And the number
of projects approved have increased. So, one does not really know
whether BG Ashram Express will become reality this year.
> Are they going to use the existing road bridge near Patna, or build a
> whole new bridge, which would indicate, unfortunately, poor planning.
> Any news of the bridge over the B'putra at Jogigopa?
Location of Patna bridge is not specified. In fact, he has allocated
more than a crore for survey of this bridge.
Jogigopa bridge will probably be ready in this financial year.
There is a third bridge I forgot to mention. A smaller one on Saryu
river in UP.
> What about the sinking track bed in Goa, near the Zuari river? And
> the problems with a few tunnels? Have these issues been resolved?
Not really. Again, he is just trying to be popular. Last month, there
was a statement by some big-wig in Konkan Railway that passenger
services will start only in 1997. One can expect goods traffic
earliest by December, and passenger traffic by March 1997.
-dheeraj
--------------
Dheeraj Sanghi +91 (512) 25-7077 (Off)
Dept. of Computer Science & Engineering +91 (512) 25-8627 (Res)
Indian Institute of Technology +91 (512) 25-0260 (Fax)
Kanpur - 208 016 (UP), INDIA. dheeraj@iitk.email
From: S Pai <pai>>
Subject: Horns
Date: 19 Jul 1996 13:57:00 -0500
Forwarded message:
From: Jose Antonio Martin-Salin1 <101610.3043@CompuServe.email
Does anyone know how train horns are tuned?
I frequently hear beatless chords from train horns.
Is there a little old German man in a shed with an oscilloscope???
J.A.M.Salinas
From: <sshankarnarayan@kpmg.email
Subject: Re:Fw:Re: railway budget
Date: 19 Jul 1996 14:32:00 -0500
I read an article in 'The Hindu' dated July 14 which started off with some thing
like Paswan deciding to gift his home state with a new zone. It also mentioned
that of the six new zones, only Bangalore and Bhubaneshwar as being financially
viable. Any one know the composition of the Bangalore based zone? . I would
expect it to have portions of Palghat division (tracks west of Jolarpet and
north of Calicut) and the Hubli division.
-Sridhar
From: Dheeraj Sanghi <dheeraj@csesun1.email
Subject: Rail budget discussions.
Date: 30 Jul 1996 03:36:00 -0500
Lok Sabha created a record by sitting continuously for 17 hours (till
7:30 AM next day) last week, discussing primarily railway budget.
And what is most impressive is that both the ministers for Railways
(Cabinet and State) sat through the entire proceedings.
-dheeraj
From: Rajesh Halarnkar <halarnka@KnK.email
Subject: The Economic Times - Politics Story
Date: 31 Jul 1996 08:15:00 -0500
New rail zone sows seeds of separatism
Gabriel Vaz
-----------
BANGALORE 29 JULY
KARNATAKA has been for long urging the Centre and railway
ministers to create a railway zone for the state. Despite
producing a string of railway ministers - Mr C M Poonacha,
Mr T A Pai and Mr C K Jaffer Sharief - it is only under the
Deve Gowda regime that the state's demand has been conceded.
But instead of earning kudos, the United Front government
seems to be facing a far more serious problem. When railway
minister Ram Vilas Paswan announced the formation of a
railway zone in Bangalore, the prime minister and his
ministerial colleagues from Karnataka must have been as
pleased as punch. But the decision to locate the new
south-western railway zone in Bangalore rather than at Hubli
- in the heart of northern Karnataka - has triggered off
discontent in the region.
To make matters worse, expelled Janata Dal leader
Ramakrishna Hegde is drawing massive support from this
region.
If the combination of these two factors was not enough, MPs
and MLAs of both the BJP and Congress(I) have offered to
quit if asked by the people, and the local leaders have
threatened an agitation with the ultimate aim of pressing
for a separate state for the north Karnataka region.
Though the Gowda regime sought to placate the angry leaders
by offering sops like investing Rs 55 crore for reviving the
110-year-old Hubli rail workshop, laying of the Hubli-Ankola
broad gauge line and other facilities, these have not cut
much ice with the locals.
The people of northern Karnataka, which is dominated by
Lingayats and Dalits, have always nursed grievances of being
accorded a step-motherly treatment by the state's ruling
clique, controlled by the powerful old Mysore region. The
rail zone issue has aggravated their woes.
Along with this, other long-pending issues like establishing
a permanent bench of the Karnataka High Court, preferably in
Hubli, revival of the Hubli workshop, development of road,
rail and other infrastructural facilities, and the failure
to expedite irrigation projects in the Krishna basin have
lent a sharper edge to the campaign for bifurcating the
state.
Though at the moment the thrust is directed more against the
perceived injustice being meted out to the area, it could
gain stridency and go out of control with a little push from
the political leadership.
Incidentally, almost all political parties, barring the
Janata Dal, are in favour of locating the rail zone at
Hubli. Even Mr Gowda, when he was MP representing Hassan on
SJP banner and later as state JD president and chief
minister, had favoured Hubli. The demand for locating a
permanent bench of the high court in Hubli is also gaining
momentum.
From: Rajesh Halarnkar <halarnka@KnK.email
Subject: The Economic Times - Economy Story
Date: 31 Jul 1996 12:54:00 -0500
Railways pulled up for failing to keep on tracks
New Delhi
-----------
29 JULY
THE COMPTROLLER and Auditor General (CAG) has pulled up the
railways for not making ``perceptible improvement'' in the
efficiency indices of utilisation of wagons in spite of
large scale modernisation and technological inputs leading
to huge losses.
Loss of earning capacity noticed in test check during
1991-94 amounted to Rs 174.21 crore mainly on account of
wasteful haulage and non-generation of earning capacity, the
CAG noted with concern in the report on Union government
(railways) tabled in the Lok Sabha recently.
Excessive detention of wagons at marshalling yards caused
loss of earning capacity of Rs 455.76 crore during 1990-91
to 1993-94. Loss on account of stabling of wagons/surplus
empties on central and western railways amounted to Rs
189.95 crore.
Explaining that ready availability, optimum utilisation with
minimum detentions and reduction in empty haulage of wagon
stock are crucial for profitable operation of the railways
since bulk of the railways earnings come from freight
traffic, the CAG lamented in spite of large scale
modernisation and technological inputs, the wagon turnaround
time remained on the run for less than five hours in a day
or 21 per cent of the total wagon time and thus was not put
to optimum utilisation.
Expressing concern over losses incurred by the railways on
the wagon utilisation front in spite of the fact that the
railways held 4.67 lakh wagons as on March 31, 1995, the CAG
noted the freight forwarder scheme introduced in 1969 to
achieve improvement in wagon utilisation did not yield
results.
The loadings and earnings on Central, Eastern, Southern and
South Eastern Railways showed a declining trend under this
scheme. - PTI
From: Pushkar Apte <apte@spdc.email
Subject: Token question
Date: 05 Aug 1996 08:19:00 -0500
A question about the token system on the old single lines without
automatic signalling. Lets say a train is cleared to go from stn A to
B, picks up the token @ A, drops it @ B, and runs on. Now if a second
train is immediately following in the *same* direction, obviously, the
physical token cannot come back to stn. A, although the line is clear.
So how does the station-master of A clear this second train? Does he
get a phone call from station-master of B saying the line is clear?
Or do the token machines on A and B have some mechanical link? It
seems that the phone call method has a chance of compromising the
foolproof quality of the token system. I would much appreciate the
answer! Thanks!
Regards,
Pushkar
-------
From: R. Anand <anand@watson.email
Subject: Re: Token question
Date: 05 Aug 1996 11:01:00 -0500
Actually the system is more like a counting semaphore. There are a
number of tokens stored in the instrument on each end of the line but
only one token may be out. As soon as a token is removed from one
instrument, it sends a signal to the other instrument and both will
lock up. Since many tokens are avilable on each end, you can accomodate
several trains in a row in onde direction. If an excess of tokens
builds up on one side, then a special key releases a bunch of tokens.
Anand
From: Kandaswami, Auroprem* <Kandaswami#m#_Auroprem*@msgate.email
Subject: Re: Electrification on SCR
Date: 05 Aug 1996 13:03:00 -0500
Railway- electrification
Allahabad August 02 (UNI) Electrification of the Kakinada-Samalkot - Rajamundry section in Vijaywada division of South-Central Railway has been completed and train services on electric traction on this section will start soon.
The electrification is part of the Rs 173 crore project for electrifying part of east coast railway route between Vishakhapatnam and Vijaywada.
Commissioner of railway safety granted clearance for introduction of train services on electric traction in this section on July 31.
A release of the central organisation railway electrification said here today that out of 366 km covered by the project, 79 km between Rajamundry and Bhimadoly was also nearing completion and after the commissioning of this remaining patch, the port town of Kakinada will be linked to Madras and Secunderabad through the electrified railway network.
From: Kandaswami, Auroprem* <Kandaswami#m#_Auroprem*@msgate.email
Subject: Re: Railway news (Kerala)
Date: 05 Aug 1996 13:15:00 -0500
Railway-Kerala
New Delhi, July 30 (UNI) Railway Minister Ram Vilas Paswan announced a number of concessions to Kerala during his reply to the debate on the rail budget in the Lok Sabha today.
Members from Kerala thumped the desks when the Minister accepted the demands made by them during the debate.
The Minister said the doubling of line between Mangalore and Shoranur would be completed by March 1999. He said he had decided to take up the work of doubling the line between Shoranur and Kuttippuram right away.
If the state government provided land immediately, the doubling of line between Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram would be completed by March 1998.
Mr Paswan said orders had been issued for the survey of a new Tellicherry-Mysore line via Nanjungud, Wayanad and Vadakara and also
conversion of Kollam-Virudunagar/Tirunelveli and Tirunelveli- Tiruchendur lines from MG to BG.
All other surveys now underway in Kerala would be given priority, he said.
He also announced a new weekly Rajdhani train from Delhi to Thiruvananthapuram via Madgaon and Mangalore after the completion of the Konkan Railway line. With this, Madras and Thiruvanathapuram would have separate, independant Rajdhanis from Delhi.