IRFCA Mailing List Archive
Messages 1481 - 1500
From: S. Kumar <kumar@qm.email
Subject: Neral-Matheran line
Date: 03 Jan 1996 14:02:00 -0500
The Neral to Matheran line is located in the Western Ghats and
connects Neral on the Bombay-Pune BG line to the hill station of
Matheran. Service is provided by 3-4 pairs of trains depending on
the seaeon. Service in the monsoon season is (I think) limited to
one pair of trains.
An excerpt about the Matheran line from Brian Hollingsworth's
"Railways of the World" is given below.
"The 2ft-gauge Matheran line is remarkable in that problems on the
mountain side are reduced to a minimum by using even sharper curves
than on the Darjeeling line. Special locomotives were used, 0-6-Ts
with patent flexible wheel-base, and travellers are still startled to
be met with notices saying (I quote) 'Oops, what a curve - 45ft
radius!' Diesel Traction is now used, with steam in reserve."
Kumar
From: Sridhar_Shankarnarayan <Sridhar_Shankarnarayan@fcbbs.email
Subject: Some news from India
Date: 04 Jan 1996 11:21:00 -0500
Hi folks,
Some news about IR from 'The Hindu' dated Dec 31, page 6 (actually a New Year
special with over 60 pages).
Excerpts from the article.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
PM inaugurates new rail link in Orissa.
The Prime Minister today dedicated to the nation the 164 km Rayagada-Koraput
rail link in the backward southern Orissa region. The new line built at a
cost of Rs. 442 crores would provide a vital link for NALCO, Asia's biggest
Alumina complex, and would provide an alternative route between Bailadilla
iron ore mines in MP and Vizag port. It would also serve as a lifeline for 17
lakh people of the underdeveloped southern region of the state, besides
promoting tourism in the picturesque districts of Koraput and Rayagada.
The Koraput-Rayagada rail link, described by railway authorities as an
engineering marvel, would connect Kottavalsa-Kirandul line and the Raipur-Vizianagaram
line. Perched on hilly terrain and studded with 36 tunnels, 76 major bridges
and 360 minor bridges, the railway link streaches from Koraput situated at a
height of 895 meters above sea level, on one end to Rayagda, 254 meters high
at the other end. On the way the line winds through hilly ranges with a height
of 1543 meters above sea level.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Sridhar
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From: S Pai <pai>>
Subject: New locos from Canada
Date: 27 Jan 1996 07:54:00 -0500
I hear GM Canada's diesel division has signed a deal with IR for
supply of diesel locos and technology transfer. The specific model
of locomotive is the "GT46CW". Initially 21 of these are to be
delivered in a partially assembled state. DLW Varanasi will take up
production of these later (1997 or 1998).
Any details on this loco model? I believe it is in the 4,000 hp class.
What's the IR classification code?
-Satish
From: S Pai <pai>>
Subject: a train for the very rich
Date: 27 Jan 1996 08:02:00 -0500
Origin: Agence France Presse, Jan 15 1996.
HEADLINE: World's most expensive tourist train to run in India by 1997
An Indian firm has joined hands with Britain's L and R Leisure group
to launch the world's most expensive and exclusive luxury tourist
train in India, the Times of India said Monday.
The tourist train, being launched early next year under the joint
venture, Royal Indian, is primarily aimed at foreign tourists and the
tariff per passenger for one night would be 30,000 rupees (550
pounds), the daily said.
[...]
Indian railway officials said the agreement, which would guarantee the
Indian Railways 22 percent of the profit, would be signed within 10 days.
[...]
The 15-car train would carry about 50 pasengers in "five-star
luxury" and would be built in India, Borgia said.
"We will operate on two circuits, one in the north and another in
the southern part of India. There will be 22-twin cabins and six
single cabins, a library and a meditation car on the train, " Borgia
said.
The southern circuit would cover a distance of 2,118 kilometers
(1,313 miles) in seven days and six nights and the northern circuit
would cover 2,330 kilometers (1,444 miles), he said.
[...]
L and R Leisure group owns one of the world's finest luxury trains, the
Royal Scotsman.
From: J.J. Rainbow <J.J.Rainbow@newcastle.email
Subject: Re: a train for the very rich
Date: 27 Jan 1996 19:06:00 -0500
Who is daft enough to pay these sort of prices? I have just worked out
that I could have three trips to India, each lasting a month, for the
price of one week on this train. I would enjoy myself more as well.
Julian
On Sat, 27 Jan 1996, S Pai wrote:
From: Sridhar_Shankarnarayan@fcbbs.email
Date: Mon, 29 Jan 1996 12:25:22 EST
Subject: Re: New locos from Canada
This is the same deal discussed on IRFCA a while back. The locos will be
manufactured by GM's EMD in LaGrange, IL and London, Ontario. According to
Larry Russell, GT46CW breaks down to ' (GT=>General purpose type; 46= 710
engine 16 cyl.; CW= Co-Co bogies and broad gauge (1435mm or wider)'. This
makes it similar to the SD70 series locos in the US, which also employ a 16
cyl, 710 series prime mover putting out 4000hp.
--------------------
Sridhar Shankar
From: "vikram (v.) pulakhandam" <vikram@bnr.email
To: irfca
Subject: Information needed on trains from Bombay to HYD
I need some information on the trains which run between Bombay and
Hyderabad. I remember about fifteen years back there was a train called
the 'Minar Express' which had very convenient schedules between the two
cities. Is this train still in operation? Are there any additional
trains which will allow me to travel overnight?
Sincerely,
Vikram
From: "Jairaj, Vinod" <vjairaj@blue.email
To: "vikram (v.) pulakhandam" <vikram@bnr.email
cc: irfca
Subject: Re: Information needed on trains from Bombay to HYD
HI!
As far as I know, there are 2 trains running between Bombay and
HYD- one is the Minar Exp, which later goes to Bhubhaneshwar as Konark
exp. This train leaves Bombay at about 21:00 and reaches HYD around
12:00. The other train leaves Bombay in the late afternoon, and reaches
HYD early morning.
Later,
Vinod
From: auro@ix.email (AUROPREM KANDASWAMI )
Subject: Re: Information needed on trains from Bombay to HYD
To: irfca
Here are the trains available from Bombay to Hyderabad :
(Source : Trains at a Glance, July 1, 1995)
TRAIN NO. TRAIN NAME DESTINATION DEP. ARR.
--------- ---------- ----------- ---- ----
7031 Bombay Hyderabad Exp. Hyderabad 12 35 06 30
7001 Hussain Sagar Exp. Hyderabad 21 55 13 30
1019 Konark Exp. Bhubaneshwar 11 20 5 00**
** Arrives Secunderabad - does not touch Hyderabad
The "Superfast" Minar Express was discontinued sometime in 1994/1995 .
Regards,
Auro
0
From: "S. Kumar" <kumar@qm.email
To: irfca
Date: Tue, 13 Feb 1996 13:50:18 +0000
Subject: any info on current status of IR projects?
Does anybody have information on the current status of the following
projects and the expected date of completion?
1. Konkan Railway new BG line.
2. Londa-Vasco MG to BG conversion
3. Secunderabad - Kurnool Town - Guntakal. MG to BG
conversion.
4. Guntur - Guntakal - Hubli MG to BG conversion
5. Hubli - Solapur MG to BG conversion.
6. Secunderabad - Nizamabad - Purna MG to BG conversion.
7. Arsikere - Hasan - Mangalore MG to BG conversion.
8. Madras - Tiruchi - Dindigul MG to BG conversion.
9. Tiruchi - Thanjavur - Nagore MG to BG conversion.
10. Bangalore City - Dharmapuri - Salem MG to BG conversion.
11. Chamarajanagar - Mettur Dam new BG line.
12. Talcher - Sambalpur new BG line. (there are also two other
east-west lines being built in Orissa).
13. Panskura(?) - Digha new BG line in W. Bengal.
14. New Bongaigaon - Jogighopa - Guwahati new BG line.
15. Samastipur - Darbhanga MG to BG conversion.
16. Bajalata - Udhampur new BG line in Jammu.
17. Delhi - Ahmedabad MG to BG conversion.
18. Jodhpur - Samdhari - Bhildi - Mahesana MG to BG conversion.
19. Rajkot - Junagadh - Veraval MG to BG conversion.
20. (Godhra - Dahod) - (Indore - Dewas) - (Maksi -Ruthiyai - Guna
-Kolarus) - {Gwalior - Bhind} - Etawah new BG line. () denotes
existing BG section and {} denotes NG to BG conversion.
21. Any other current or proposed projects.
Thanks
Kumar
From: auro@ix.email (AUROPREM KANDASWAMI )
Subject: First Derailment of the Year
To: irfca
Hi everybody,
It looks like the Derailment Season for the Year 1996 has just
begun. South Central Railway has taken the initiative and effort in
inaugurating it !
13 Coaches of Jayanthi Janatha Derail
-------------------------------------
More than 750 passengers travelling by the 1082 Up Kanyakumari
Bombay Jayanthi Janata Express had a miraculous escape on Tuesday when
11 bogies skipped off the rails while two other bogies overturned,
about 80 Kms from Anantapur. It is said that there was a "minor crack"
at a welded spot between two lengths of rails.
(Source : THE HINDU, dated 13 February, 1996)
Auro
Date: Tue, 20 Feb 96 11:55:49 IST
From: dheeraj@iitk.email (Dheeraj Sanghi)
To: irfca
Subject: Rajdhani derails.
Howrah - New Delhi Rajdhani got derailed last night between
Sasaram and MughalSarai. 7 coaches were off the track. One dead,
several injured.
-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: sanjiv@viewlogic.email (Sanjiv Narayan)
Subject: Remote signalling for Amtrak ???
To: irfca
Date: Tue, 20 Feb 1996 09:40:57 -0500 (EST)
Regarding the recent accident involving a commuter train and Amtrak in
Silver Springs, Maryland over the weekend, I heard on CNN that the
NTSB investigators will be questioning the "track controller" based in
Jacksonville FL !!.
Does that mean that the rail signalling for Amtrak in the Washinton D.C.
area is controlled by a guy sitting as far as away as in Jacksonville ?!@#$
Or am I missing something here ? What is surprising is that this guy
in Jacksonville is also controlling the suburban commuter trains in and
around D.C.
I am glad that Indian train stations have those two "bread box" signalling
cabins at either ends of each station. You know the ones with a stair case
leading up to the cabin, cycles leaning against the walls, clothes hanging to
dry on the staircase railing, and the guy holding a flag leaning out !!
Nostalgia is a great thing.
Sanjiv Narayan
(sanjiv@viewlogic.email
From: thomas@src.email (Vic Thomas)
Subject: Re: Remote signalling for Amtrak ???
To: sanjiv@viewlogic.email (Sanjiv Narayan)
Date: Tue, 20 Feb 1996 13:54:36 -0600 (CST)
Cc: irfca
Sanjiv Narayan writes
>
> Does that mean that the rail signalling for Amtrak in the Washinton D.C.
> area is controlled by a guy sitting as far as away as in Jacksonville ?!@#$
> Or am I missing something here ? What is surprising is that this guy
> in Jacksonville is also controlling the suburban commuter trains in and
> around D.C.
>
I believe it is not uncommon for railroads to switch their entire network from
one or two places. I found out last week that Burlington Northern tracks in
the Minneapolis-St. Paul area were switched from Texas (Dallas?).
Last week, a loaded BNR freight train lost its brakes and crashed into a
stationary freight train at a yard. Some cars ploughed into a office building
in the yards killing about nine people and seriously injuring others. The
engineer on the freight train radioed the fact that he had lost braking power
and asked that they make sure he is switched to the main line and not to a
line leading to the yard. Unfortunately, the line was switched to the yard
for a previous train and could not be switched back to the main line in time.
Apparently there is a time delay built into the switching system--a track will
remain switched for a certain period of time before it can be switched back.
So even though the operator in Texas set the switch to send the runaway train
on to the mainline, the actual switching did not happen in time to prevent the
accident.
< Vic
From: AUROPREM KANDASWAMI <auro@ix.email
Subject: Re: Survey for Rail link to Sabarimalai
Date: 21 Feb 1996 15:33:00 -0500
Sabarimalai pilgrims may have to trek just 10 km in the hills if a
new proposal of the railway fructifies. The railway has
embarked on a reconnaissance survey for a new broad gauge line
between Dindigul and Sabarimalai. The idea is to lay the line via
Periyakulam, Theni, Thekkadi and Vandiperiyar. The new link will
enable lakhs of pilgrims to have a much less strenuous journey
to the shrine. The annual growth rate of pilgrim traffic is
estimated at 20 per cent. Pilgrims visit the shrine almost round
the year. The line will open up the rural areas of Dindigul
and Madurai districts in Tamil Nadu and the reserve forest of
Pathanamthitta to better broad gauge connections leading to
faster regional development. It will also enable tourists to
visit the wildlife game sanctuary at Thekkadi in Kerala.
There was an earlier plan to connect Madurai and Ernakulam/Cochin by
BG. Looks like the railways have dropped that plan.
Auro
From: Sridhar_Shankarnarayan@fcbbs.email
Date: Thu, 22 Feb 1996 20:23:20 EST
Subject: Re: Remote signalling for Amtrak ???
Sanjiv writes ...
Regarding the recent accident involving a commuter train and Amtrak in
Silver Springs, Maryland over the weekend, I heard on CNN that the
NTSB investigators will be questioning the "track controller" based in
Jacksonville FL !!.
Most commuter railroads run on tracks owned by the freight railroads. In the
above case the train was on CSX tracks controlled from Jacksonville, FL.
Similarly Union Pacifics operations are controlled from Omaha, BN's from fort
Worth TX and so on. Technology does take some of the fun out of these things.
Sridhar Shankar
From: Jishnu Mukerji <jis@fpk.email
Subject: Re: any info on current status of IR projects?
Date: 26 Feb 1996 13:21:00 -0500
Excerpts from personal.IRFCA: 13-Feb-96 any info on current status ..
"S. Kumar"@qm.email (1415*)
> Does anybody have information on the current status of the following
> projects and the expected date of completion?
> 13. Panskura(?) - Digha new BG line in W. Bengal.
Actually this one should read Tamluk - Digha. Tamluk is on the Panskura
- Haldia line which already has passenger (EMU) service. The status is
that the State of West bengal has not quite acquired all the land needed
for this project so it is in limbo until all land is acquired and handed
over to the railways.
Excerpts from personal.IRFCA: 13-Feb-96 any info on current status ..
"S. Kumar"@qm.email (1415*)
> 21. Any other current or proposed projects.
>
o Lakshmikantapur - Namkhana: This is an extension of on of the suburban
lines in the Sealdah South section of Sealdah Division of Easter
Railway. Work is progressing well, and EMU passenger service has already
started on part of the line. Expected to be completed late 96/early 97.
Jishnu.
Ps. Could the powers that be at IRFCA please change my Email address to
"jis@fpk.email Thanks. I have just changed jobs and joined
Hewlett-Packard's new OSSD New Jersey Labs in Florham Park NJ.
From: Jishnu Mukerji <jis@fpk.email
Subject: Re: Remote signalling for Amtrak ???
Date: 26 Feb 1996 13:28:00 -0500
Excerpts from personal.IRFCA: 20-Feb-96 Re: Remote signalling for A..
Vic Thomas@src.email (1435*)
> Sanjiv Narayan writes
> >
> > Does that mean that the rail signalling for Amtrak in the Washinton D.C.
> > area is controlled by a guy sitting as far as away as in Jacksonville ?!@#$
> > Or am I missing something here ? What is surprising is that this guy
> > in Jacksonville is also controlling the suburban commuter trains in and
> > around D.C.
> >
No, signalling for Amtrak in Washington DC is done from Amtrak's
Philadelphia CETC. Sgnalling for CSX in Washington DC area is done from
Jacksonville FL. The CSX dispatcher controls only the CSX trackage
around Washington DC. Amtrak's North East Corridor is not controlled by
CSX, it is controlled by Amtrak dispatcher in Philadelphia.
Jishnu.
From: AUROPREM KANDASWAMI <auro@ix.email
Subject: (Election) Railway Budget '96
Date: 27 Feb 1996 07:00:00 -0500
Kalmadi Presents Vote-On-Account Budget: Railway Concessions For Senior
Citizens, Sportsmen
NEW DELHI, Feb. 27.
The Minister of State for Railways, Mr. Suresh Kalmadi, today
sought Parliamentary sanction to incur expenditure for the first four
months of the next financial year. In keeping with the convention of
the vote-on-account, the Minister has not proposed any increase in
freight rates and passenger fares nor has he proposed any new
schemes.
Despite the absence of any fresh proposals to raise
revenue, the vote-on-account has projected a surplus of Rs. 1,274
crores for 1996-97. This is in contrast to the previous such
instance of vote-on-account presented in February 1991, when the then
Railway Minister, Mr. Janeshwar Mishra, had indicated an uncovered
deficit of Rs. 512 crores.
However, projections for 1996-97 do not take into account the
Railways being burdened substantially with the ``likely
implementation'' of the Fifth Pay Commission's recommendations. While
``anticipating'' an increase in working expenses, Mr. Kalmadi
said the actual liability arising out of higher pay scales could
not be determined.
But senior railway officials estimate the burden at over Rs.
2,000 crores which means an increase in freight and passenger fares may
become inescapable to balance the accounts when the full Budget is
presented sometime in the middle of the year.
Emphasis On Mumbai
The only indication of a completely new initiative was about
the need for a detailed study to construct an underground metro
system in Mumbai. A study has been commissioned with leading
foreign consultants and the report will be available in December this
year. ``The first step towards making Mumbai Metro underground a
reality has thus been taken,'' Mr. Kalmadi stated.
Continuing with the emphasis on Mumbai, the Minister
recounted a host of projects in the area which have recently been taken
up and announced the creation of two high-level posts to ensure
coordination between authorities as well as completion of the
projects by the year 2001.
Ambitious Annual Plan
The Minister failed to state the fate of the annual plan for
the current year. However, the figures cited by him indicate that the
Railways might manage to touch the plan size of Rs. 7,500 crores,
thanks to a marginal increase in the contribution from internal
resource generation, borrowings at high rates of interest by the
Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC) and the possibility of
successfully completing a 50 million Euroissue by March-end.
Despite failing to raise the required quantum of
resources from the market mechanism, the railways have decided on an
even more ambitious plan for next year. Pegged about Rs. 600 crores
higher, it does not foresee any increase in funds from the Central
Government at low rates of interest, leaving the Railways at the mercy
of the market mechanism and a new scheme under which the private sector
would be asked to take up projects and supply locos and rolling stock
on lease basis. Internal studies have assailed both these schemes
as being too expensive for the financial health of the Railways in
the long term.
As for the current year, Mr. Kalmadi said the Railways might
earn more than anticipated in the Budget last year, partially
because of an unexpected buoyancy in passenger earnings during each of
the months by a uniform 11 per cent as against expectations of six
per cent.
Though just two months ago the Railways were at a loss to
ascribe reasons for higher passenger growth when the trend was
confirmed, Mr. Kalmadi today said the accent on introducing short haul
trains could be possible for passenger earnings being Rs. 245 crores
higher than the earlier estimates
Freight Target Missed
Despite the shortfall of wagons, the import of
fertilizers and a bumper crop of foodgrains combined to ensure that
the Railways might carry 385 million tonnes of freight traffic
which, Mr. Kalmadi announced, is the ``revised target.'' But it falls
short of the original target of 398 million tonnes announced in the
1995 Railway Budget by a good 13 million tonnes. Due to the stimulus of
moving additional imports of fertilizers besides foodgrains virtually
across the country, the Railways have been fortunate in witnessing
an increase in average lead to 702 km from 684 kms that has also
contributed to the earnings.
The Railway Minister remained non-commital on the fate of the
Konkan Railway project which he had been striving to complete by this
month-end. Physical progress of work so far has been 94 per cent, he
informed while exuding confidence about completing the line ``at the
earliest.''
Token Concessions
Mr. Kalmadi has continued with token concessions for the
under-priviliged that had been the hallmark of Mr. Jaffer
Sharief's previous five Budgets. For instance, while Mr. Sharief had
proposed free education to wards of all porters, Mr. Kalmadi has
suggested 50 per cent concessional fare for rail journeys
undertaken once a year to any part of the country by licensed
porters.
The previous Railway Minister's concession in fare to
senior citizens has been liberalised with the distance
restriction of minimum of 500 km sought to be removed. Similarly the
existing 75 per cent relief for persons afflicted by life
threatening or terminal illnesses would be extended to heart
patients. Gallantry award winners in war would also be granted
concessions on a par with freedom fighters.
Mr. Kalmadi's affinity to sportspersons has resulted in
Arjuna award winners being extended free travel and the
concessions for participants in certain sports events increased from
50 per cent to 75.
Some of these were announced a couple of months ago but will be
implemented in the next financial year. Rules have also been
liberalised for artists while ex-MPs can now travel in Rajdhanis and
Shatabdis also.
From: Pushkar Apte <apte@spdc.email
Subject: Railway Budget: preliminary news
Date: 28 Feb 1996 11:37:00 -0500
Plans on "Mumbai Suburban Railway Development" form the highlight of
the new projects announced in Suresh Kalmadi's '96 budget. A new
underground metro railway linking Colaba to Kurla via Worli has been
announced. (A nightmare of Mumbai's road warriors?) The report I
read was very sketchy - only headlines. If anyone has further
details, please post.
Regards,
Pushkar
-------
From: <sundar@wpc.email
Subject:
Date: 28 Feb 1996 15:57:00 -0500
[1] India to step up railway privatisation
NEW DELHI, Feb 27 (Reuter) - India plans to step up the
privatisation of railway projects following an encouraging
response to efforts to attract private investment, junior
Railways Minister Suresh Kalmadi said on Tuesday.
The state-run railways have already finalised private
investment worth more than $150 million, he said while
presenting a stop-gap railway budget for the 1996/97 financial
year beginning April 1.
``The response so far from the private agencies for investing
in identified projects for gauge conversion, doubling,
electrification, telecommunication, rolling stock has been quite
encouraging,'' Kalmadi told parliament.
Gauge conversion involves increasing the width of railway
tracks from the traditional narrow and medium gauges to the more
efficient broad gauge.
Private projects costing 5.55 billion rupees ($152 million)
have already been finalised and another 11.75 billion rupees
($321 million) worth of proposals are under government
consideration, Kalmadi said.
The interim railway budget covers projected expenditure for
four months pending a full-scale budget to be presented by a new
government following general elections expected in April.
``We are fine-tuning our marketing strategy to further
encourage private investments in railway projects so that the
growing transport demand is fully met,'' Kalmadi said.
India's railway system has opened up spprivate enterprise under four-year-old economic reforms.
Most investments are channelled through a
``Build-Own-Lease-Transfer'' (BOLT) arrangement through which
private firms transfer assets to the government over time.
An ``own-your-wagon'' scheme has also been allowed to help
private firms own carriages run by the state-run railways.
``In this era of global economic integration, railways have
identified international trade as a major marketing thrust
area,'' Kalmadi said.
The government will encourage ``multi-modal transport'' that
combines railways with other modes of transport, and try to get
new business through container movement of goods other than core
items like coal and steel, he said.
The government said in its annual economic survey presented
on Tuesday that it was trying to attract an increasing share of
freight now carried by road to the railways to increase
efficiency, conserve energy and cut pollution.
From: AUROPREM KANDASWAMI <auro@ix.email
Subject: Fw: Moradabad to Varanasi-Train Time?
Date: 03 Mar 1996 18:29:00 -0500
Hi everybody,
I found this posting on rec.travel.asia by "accident".
I am sure this can be answered by a Northern Railway expert.
Thanks,
Auro
---- Begin Forwarded Message
From: alexander dreier <alexander.dreier@the-spa.email
Newsgroups: rec.travel.australia+nz,rec.travel.asia,rec.travel.air
Subject: Moradabad to Varanasi-Train Time?
Date: Sat, 02 Mar 1996 17:00:58 +0100
Organization: Pennsylvania Online [Usenet News Server for Hire]
Lines: 4
Does anybody know how long it takes by train from
Moradabad (india) to Varanasi? Or how to find out?
Thanks
Alexander
---- End Forwarded Message
From: Grad Student <grad@pegasus.email
Subject: Reservation System
Date: 04 Mar 1996 15:11:00 -0500
Hi,
I was just getting a bit ccurious about the railway reservation system
being maintained by the Indian Railways.
Would you be having any idea as to what is the underlying Database
model (i.e. Heirarchical, Network or Relational), who has implemented
this system (I heard that it was done by CMC but I am not too sure).
and finally what has it been implemented in.
Thank you.
Srinivas Rao Kanagala
(srk3@ra.email
From: An IndiaWorld Information Service <headlines@indiaworld.email
Subject: Thu, Mar 7 1996, The A.M. edition
Date: 07 Mar 1996 07:14:00 -0500
Does anyone have details about this joint venture between ABB & Benz?
-- Kartik.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
news from India at your desktop Thu, Mar 7 1996
ABB shifts loco production in India to JV with Daimler-Benz (ET)
From: S Pai <pai>>
Subject: ABB & Daimler-Benz
Date: 09 Mar 1996 07:14:00 -0500
> From: Kartik Pashupati
> Date: Wed, 6 Mar 1996 19:31:51 -0800
> Does anyone have details about this joint venture between ABB & Benz?
> -- Kartik.
>> ABB shifts loco production in India to JV with Daimler-Benz (ET)
ABB and Daimler-Benz underwent a merger some time back and are now one
company, at least as far as their railway operations are concerned.
So I'd think this "shift" is merely an administrative shuffle and will
not change anything in the ABB loco deal. I believe that in Europe,
though, especially in Switzerland and Germany, they are having some
significant consolidation of formerly competing operations.
-Satish
From: <>
Subject: Query
Date: 22 Mar 1996 13:57:00 -0500
What the status of trains currently running on the
Mumbai-Pune-Belgaum-Hubli-Bangalore route? I believe it is all BG now
- so are there any direct Mumbai-Bangalore trains on this route?
If some one has this information, could you please post? Thanks.
Regards,
Pushkar
-------
From: S Pai <pai>>
Subject: Singapore-China link
Date: 24 Mar 1996 20:23:00 -0500
I saw this news article about a Singapore to China railway link which
is in the works and will be completed in the next 2-3 years once a
couple of missing stretches in Vietnam and Cambodia are completed.
From Singapore, the railway line through Malaysia is being
double-tracked and extends into Thailand. From Thailand the proposed
line goes into Cambodia and thence into Vietnam (these are the incomplete
parts). From Vietnam there is already a link to Kunming in China.
Now that looks awfully close to the farthest points of the Brahmaputra
valley in India -- a link there would then mean a route from India all
the way to Singapore!
-Satish
From: J.J. Rainbow <J.J.Rainbow@newcastle.email
Subject: Re: Singapore-China link
Date: 25 Mar 1996 21:09:00 -0500
This is fine, but remember that Malayan and Thai railways are both metre
guage, India is trying to convert all railways to broad guage and I think
that most of China is standard gauge. It is one thing to tranship rolling
stock at guage interchanges such as Spain/France were the difference is
small, but I would not like to be in an Indian broad guage carriage
travelling on metre guage track. I think that there will be severe
safety problems with overhang and stability if broad guage rolling stock
was sent onto the metre guage. It will also mean that all structures on
the line will have to be checked for clearances.
Julian
On Sun, 24 Mar 1996, S Pai wrote:
From: Jishnu Mukerji <jis@fpk.email
Subject: Re: Singapore-China link
Date: 25 Mar 1996 12:23:00 -0500
Excerpts from personal.IRFCA: 24-Mar-96 Singapore-China link "S
Pai"@CS.email. (654*)
> I saw this news article about a Singapore to China railway link which
> is in the works and will be completed in the next 2-3 years once a
> couple of missing stretches in Vietnam and Cambodia are completed.
> From Singapore, the railway line through Malaysia is being
> double-tracked and extends into Thailand. From Thailand the proposed
> line goes into Cambodia and thence into Vietnam (these are the incomplete
> parts). From Vietnam there is already a link to Kunming in China.
> Now that looks awfully close to the farthest points of the Brahmaputra
> valley in India -- a link there would then mean a route from India all
> the way to Singapore!
> -Satish
The biggest problem in going from India to anywhere in the East is
Myanmar, and its isolationism. The most straightforward way to construct
a link from India/Bangladesh to Singapore would be to connect into the
Burmese Railway at some point nearabouts Mandalay from somwhere in
Assam. That would be the most difficult construction of all. In the
South there exists a trackbed connecting existing tracks in Myanmar to
the Thai Railway system through the Three Pagodas Pass, the bed of the
railway of the Bridge on the River Kwai fame that was built by the
Japanese occupation army. The significant portion of it in Thailand is
actually in service. There is regular passenger train service from
Bangkok (Thon Buri) to Kanchanaburi (location of the Bridge on the River
Kwai) and Nam Tok, half way to Three Pagodas Pass from Kanchanaburi. The
connection to Burma (Myanmar) was discontinued at some point after the
war. Possibly part of the old track bed is now used by road through the
Three Pagodas Pass. The border there is closed for foreigners, as are
all other land border points of Myanmar.
Excerpts from personal.IRFCA: 25-Mar-96 Re: Singapore-China link "J.J.
Rainbow"@newcastle (1375*)
> This is fine, but remember that Malayan and Thai railways are both metre
> guage, India is trying to convert all railways to broad guage and I think
> that most of China is standard gauge. It is one thing to tranship rolling
> stock at guage interchanges such as Spain/France were the difference is
> small, but I would not like to be in an Indian broad guage carriage
> travelling on metre guage track. I think that there will be severe
> safety problems with overhang and stability if broad guage rolling stock
> was sent onto the metre guage. It will also mean that all structures on
> the line will have to be checked for clearances.
> Julian
Typically what one does in such cases is use rolling stock that fits
through the most restrictive of the loading gauges on the route and
change wheel bogies or use adjustable axles to change the track gauge at
the border. In England one has to deal with restricted loading gauge
problem for trains coming in from the continent, even though there is no
track gauge difference. The solution is to build trains to British
loading gauge and let them be the only ones that are allowed into
England from the continent (e.g. the Eurostars, and the Nightstars (or
whatever they will be called)).
Actually, if the Indian subcontinent ever gets connected to the railways
of the rest of Asia it will have the gauge problem at its borders all
the way around. With Iran there will be a gauge break between Standard
gauge and Indian BG, with CIS/Afganisthan at some point there will be a
gauge break between Russian BG and Indian BG (which as it turns out are
different by about 6"or so! With China there will be a break between
Standard Gauge and Indian BG, and with Thailand/Myanmar the gauge break
already exists in India i.e. between Indian BG and Meter gauge (BTW I
don't remember if Thailand is 1.000M or 1.067M).
Jishnu.
==================================================================
Jishnu Mukerji
Rm. D-283 Email: jis@fpk.email
Hewlett-Packard Company
New Jersey Laboratories Phone: +1 201 443 7528
P. O. Box 949 Fax: +1 201 443 7602
180 Park Avenue, Bldg 103
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U. S. A.
==================================================================
From: Lee Rogers <lrogers@ids2.email
Subject: Re: Singapore-China link
Date: 25 Mar 1996 07:35:00 -0500
Maps and pictures can be fun, but engineering, economics and traffic
demands should be the basis for real development planning. If the Phnom Penh
Cambodia to Loc Ninh, Vietnam link were built there would indeed be a rail
line from Singapore to Kuming China. It would all be one gauge. The French
built Kuming line is engineering feat for the early 20th Century, but today
is handicapped due to grades, curves and small tunnels. However, there would
be NO significant freight traffic due to 6 nation customs and the extreme
circuity of the route. IF there were any traffic the most logical route
would be via Bumra, as extension from Chaing Mai, but current government
conditions preclude such route. Chaing Mai to Chittagong seems a better
route, but the poor physical conditions of meter gauge in Bangladesh would
seem to rule such option out. For the next 10-20 years if you want improved
transport access to such points then build highways and encourage private
lorry ownership and use.
L H Rogers, railway planner.