News Analysis India

Tag: indian railways

  • With concessions still suspended, almost 4 crore elderly forced to travel on full fare since March 2020

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Almost four crore senior citizens have been forced to pay full fare for their travel since the railways suspended their concessions due to the coronavirus outbreak in March 2020, a RTI has revealed.

    In a reply to a query filed by Madhya Pradesh-based Chandra Shekhar Gaur, the railways has stated that between March 22, 2020 and September 2021, 37,850,668 senior citizens have undertaken journeys on trains.

    During this period, train services remained suspended for several months due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown.

    The concessions, which were suspended from March 2020, have remained suspended to this day.

    In the case of senior citizens, while women are eligible for 50 per cent concession, men can avail 40 per cent in all classes.

    The minimum age limit for a woman is 58 and a man is 60.

    Over the last two decades, railway concessions have been a much-discussed topic with multiple committees recommending their withdrawal.

    As a result of this in July 2016, the railways made elderly concession optional while booking tickets.

    In July 2017, the railways enabled the elderly to even give up their partial or full concession through the “give it up” scheme.

    “The thing is that the concession given to us was significant and is a huge help for those that cannot afford it. Senior citizens in many homes are treated as an extra, with no income of their own. These concessions helped them to get around.

    “Those who can have given up their concessions also. With regular train services running, at least the senior citizen concessions should be restored. Most elderly cannot afford to pay full fares,” said Tapas Bhattacharya, a retired private sector employee, who is travelling to Kolkata with his wife, also a senior citizen, next week said.

    In a letter last month, Madurai MP Su Venkatesan appealed to the Union railway minister to restore passenger concessions for their railway journeys stating that it was necessary for the elderly in a country where 20 per cent live below the poverty line.

    “My parents haven’t seen their grandchildren for more than two years. This year also they didn’t come as they cannot afford the tickets without concessions. It is also too much for me to pay. They used to come every year to Delhi and spent six months here,” said Subhash Singh, a security guard working in a highrise in Noida, whose parents are both senior citizens and stay in Bihar.

    In fact, according to a CAG report of 2019, the response to the ‘give it up’ scheme from the senior citizen passengers was not very encouraging.

    The report said that out of total 4.41 crore senior citizen passengers, 7.53 lakh (1.7 per cent) passengers opted to give up 50 per cent concession and 10.9 lakh (2.47 per cent) passengers gave up 100 per cent concession.

    The railways, over the past ten days, have restored some of its services that it suspended in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.

    This includes the removal of the “special” tag from trains which brought down the prices of tickets and restarted the service of serving hot cooked meals.

    However, the decision on restoring concessions and providing bedrolls is still pending.

  • WATCH | Indian Railways launches new pod-concept retiring rooms in Mumbai Central

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Good news is here for those who travel to Mumbai by trains.They can now avail the new Pod-concept retiring rooms introduced by the IRCTC first time in Indian Railways.

    Minister of State for Railways Raosaheb Patil Danve introducing the Indian Railways’s first ‘pod’ concept retiring room service at Mumbai Central Railway station on Wednesday, said that the railways is striving to provide better services and world class ammenities for the rail users in the country.

    There are 48 Pod concept retiring rooms available at Mumbai Central Railway station under Western Railway under three categories.

    As per an official statement on the side of IRCTC, 30 pod retiring rooms are under classic category while 10 under the private, 7 for women and 1 for differently-abled.

    Sneak Peek!Welcome to the new-age Pod retiring rooms by @RailMinIndia at Mumbai Central. pic.twitter.com/NR7OCsxYeg
    — Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) November 17, 2021
    Each pod room is well equipped with wi-fi, AC, airpurifier, TV sets, mobile charging points, locker, study light and other modern amenities.

    The Pod concept retiring rooms would be operated and run by the M/S Urban Pod Pvt Ltd for next 9 years.

    The Indian Railways has provided more than 3000sqft space for starting the Pod concept retiring rooms service.

  • IRCTC to get ‘sattvik certificate’ for some trains to religious sites, says Sattvik Council of India

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The IRCTC will promote “vegetarian-friendly travel” by getting some trains “sattvik certified”, especially those running on routes connecting religious sites, according to a statement by Sattvik Council of India which is involved with the certification.

    No one from the IRCTC, the catering and tourism arm of the Indian Railways, was available for comment.

    According to a press release issued by the Sattvik Council of India, it has tied up with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to introduce services that fits the requirements of vegetarians and promotes vegan travelling to holy destinations.

    The IRCTC runs the Vande Bharat Express which travels from Delhi to Katra.

    It will be certified as ‘sattvik’, it said.

    The Sattvik Council of India said it will launch the ‘sattvik’ certification scheme along with IRCTC on Monday.

    It will also develop a handbook of vegetarian kitchen jointly with the IRCTC.

    In the release, it said the IRCTC has an “understanding” with it and has has decided to seek “certification” for some of the trains that go to pilgrimage destinations like the Vande Bharat express which goes to in Katra, the end stop for Vaishno Devi temple.

    This formula is likely to be replicated in around 18 trains, it said.

    “IRCTC base kitchens, executive lounges, budget hotels, food plazas, travel and tour packages, Rail Neer plants will be ‘sattvik’ certified to ensure “vegetarian friendly travel,” the statement said.

  • Railways to resume regular train services with pre-covid fares; SOPs to remain in place

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: With reduction of Covid-19 cases across the country, the Indian Railways has decided to restore operations of all mail and express trains to their earlier schedule and revert to pre-pandemic ticket prices with immediate effect.

    As per this decision, taken on Friday evening, around 1,700 mail and express trains will be restored in next few days.

    Director passenger marketing of Railway Board Vipul Singhal directed officials to ensure proper running of all mail/express trains (MSPC) and holiday special trains with their regular numbers and fare.

    An official statement read that Covid-19 restrictions, which were imposed during the pandemic, will continue. Curbs such as — temporary restrictions on concessions, bedrolls and meal services, would remain in effect.

    The status of special trains will be removed from all the MSPC and the HSP trains giving a major relief to passengers.

    “The first digit will now not be zero as was in the case of special trains,” another official said.

    The Railway Board said trains will now be operated with their regular numbers and fares will revert to normal pre-Covid prices.

    “In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, all regular mail/express trains were being operated as MSPC (mail/express special) and HSP (holiday special). It has now been decided that the MSPC and HSP train services, included in the Working Time Table, 2021, shall be operated with regular numbers and with fares as applicable for the concerned classes of travel and type of train, as per the extant guidelines.”

    (Inputs from PTI) 

  • Coming soon to Bhopal! India’s first world-class station

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Habibganj railway station in Bhopal, which has been re-developed as the country’s first world-class station with facilities equivalent of a modern airport, will soon to be dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It will tentatively be on November 15.

    The station has been equipped with modern facilities after being developed on the PPP mode at the cost of Rs 450 crore by the Indian Railways Station Development Corporation. There will be facilities like lounges, ATMs and others. There will also be lifts, escalators and moving walkways.

    “Travelators have been installed in addition to escalators at this station, giving it an ultra modern look,” said a senior official of the Railway Board, adding that arrangements for fire safety, crowd management, access control, CCTV surveillance have also been made.

    The station has been totally revamped following ‘Green Buildings’ norms, wherein lights are operated by an energy-efficient promoting system with solar energy as back-up. Other facilities like washrooms, catering points, drinking water kiosks and senior citizen-friendly amenities have also been provided. There is a water treatment plant for reuse of water other than a 24-hour wi-fi service.

    Sources added that the railway ministry is working to develop 123 world class railway stations in the same mode. According to sources, Prime Minister Modi has been requested to be present and is expected to dedicate this station to the nation on November 15 or on some other day, as per his availability of time.

    Vande Bharat ExpressIf thing go per plan, Indian Railways will introduce the country’s third indigenously manufactured high speed Vande Bharat Express by March 31 next year. Manufacturing of rakes is near completion at Integral Coach Factory in Chennai and would soon be handed over to the Railways.

    This is a semi speed EMU train, manufactured with a running capacity of 160 to 200 kmph per hour. “By 2023, 45 Vande Bharat trains would be rolled out,” said a source. At present, two rakes of Vande Bharat trains run between New Delhi and Varanasi.

  • Country’s first Ramayan circuit train chugs off on 17-day journey

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  Delhi’s Safdarjung railway station on Sunday was decorated with flowers and red carpets were rolled out to accord a warm welcome to people travelling by the first AC deluxe tourist train to religious places associated with Lord Ram under the Ramayan Circuit.  

    From the station entry to the coaches, cutouts of Lord Ram were put up to give a feel of religiosity to the tourists. The train carrying 132 tourists started the first Ramayan Circuit yatra under the centre’s ‘Swadesh Darshan Scheme’.

    Covering a distance of more than 7,500 km, the train will take the pilgrims to all the important places associated with Lord Ram such as Ayodhya, Prayag, Nandigram, Janakpur, Chitrakoot, Sitamarhi, Nasik, Hampi and Rameshwaram.

    The IRCTC has started this yatra service by the train that is equipped with ultra modern onboard facilities like first- class restaurants, library and shower cubicles. Darshana Jardosh, Minister of State for Railways, said the first Ramayan Circuit train was an innovative effort of the Indian Railways.

    “At the first stoppage at Ayodhya, the pilgrims will be taken to have a darshan of Ram Lalla and the Hanumangarhi. The train will then move on to Sitamarhi in Bihar where Sita was born. The passengers will also be taken to the Ram-Janaki temple in Nepal,” a IRCTC source said.

    Railway has plans to run three more Ramayan Circuit trains this month and another on January 20. The IRCTC has charged a fare of Rs 1,02,095  per passenger for AC first class and Rs 82,950 for AC second class. The fares include the cost of food and other services.

  • Another feat for Railways as premier trains to Guwahati go fully electric

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  On the eve of Diwali, the Railways achieved a major feat to facilitate the faster run of prestigious trains like the Rajdhani, the Tejas-Rajdhani and others from the northeast to New Delhi on the seamless electric tractions faster than earlier.  

    This has been possible now with the completion of electrification of 647 km of rail route between Katihar in Bihar and Guwahati.

    The Railways now switch over the Rajdhani, the Tejas-Rajdhani and other superfast trains to run from northeast states to New Delhi on electric traction.  

    From October, the North Frontier zone of the Railways has already started running the Brahmaputra Mail on the electric traction from October 22 after the completion of electrification.  

    Rajiv Jain, additional director general (PR), Railways, said that Guwahati will now be directly connected with big cities like Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai, on 25KV AC railway traction.

    Outlining the economic benefits, he said that the railways will have a net saving on forex reserves to the tune of Rs 300 crore per year following a reduction in consumption of 3,400 kl of High Speed Diesel (HSD) oil per month.

     “Greenhouse gas emission will also fall reducing the carbon footprint,” he said.

  • 110 special trains being run to clear festive season rush: Railways

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The Indian Railways is operating over 100 special trains to various destinations for meeting the heavy rush of passengers in the ongoing festive season.

    In addition to running the festival special trains on various routes falling under 13 different zones, the national transporter has also augmented coaches in regular trains in order to clear the rush of Diwali and Chhath.

    According to official sources, 110 special trains are being run on various routes to take 668 trips right from the time of Durga Puja. Passengers are being made aware of COVID SOPs to be followed during their train journey.

    “The highest number of special trains (26) was introduced in Northern Railway zone followed by Western Railway 18, West Central Railway 12,” said an official.

    Besides running these special trains, the railway authorities have also implemented crowd control measures at almost all the originating railway stations like New Delhi and others where heavy rushes  of train passengers are reported every year during the festive season.  

  • Indian Railways to build 500 multi-modal hubs in 3 years

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Indian Railways will build around 500 multimodal terminals across the country under Prime Minister (PM) Gati Shakti-National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity to facilitate seamless cargo transportation for which it plans to invest Rs 50,000 crore. The target to complete work is 2024-25. Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday, said that 200 integrated cargo facilities would also be ready within three years.

    “Railways has a major role to play in the PM-Gati Shakti scheme, which manifests better services by minimising inconvenience. Integration of transportation modes is required due to logistic costs – coming at 13 per cent of the GDP – which is higher in India in comparison to other countries. Moreover, other modes like hybrid means will also be combined,” said the minister.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched Gati Shakti programme, a Rs 100-lakh crore national master plan to develop infrastructure in the country that aims to reduce logistic costs and boost the economy. The programme envisions a common umbrella platform where projects can be planned and implemented in an effective and coordinated manner between various ministries.

  • To tackle public spitting in trains, Railways push for pocket-sized biodegradable spittoons

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: As public spitting remains a major nuisance despite more stringent provisions introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, a pocket-sized reusable and biodegradable spittoon, with seeds that will grow into plants when it is disposed of, is the latest green innovation being pushed by the Railways to tackle the menace.

    It is estimated that the Indian Railways spends around Rs 1,200 crore and a lot of water annually to clean the stains and marks caused by spitting on its premises, especially by pan and tobacco users.

    To discourage passengers from spitting on railway premises, vending machines or kiosks are being set up at 42 stations to provide the spittoon pouch for as little as Rs 5 to Rs 10.

    Three railway zones — Western, Northern and Central– have awarded contracts to a startup, EzySpit, for this.

    These spittoons can be easily carried in pockets and enable passengers to spit whenever they want and wherever they want while leaving the rail premises without ugly stains.

    The product features macromolecule pulp technology and is equipped with a material that locks in bacteria and viruses present in saliva, according to its manufacturer.

    These biodegradable pouches, which come in different sizes and are reusable up to 15 to 20 times, also contain seeds along with a material that absorbs the spit and turns them into a solid.

    Once used, these pouches when disposed of in mud or soil, encourage plant growth.

    The Nagpur-based company has already started installing EzySpit vending machines at stations.

    They have also entered into contract with Nagpur Municipal Corporation and Aurangabad Municipal Corporation.

    The spittoons are available in three varieties – pocket pouches (reusable 10 to 15 times), mobile containers (reusable 20,30,40 times) and spit bins.

    “This is a win-win for both Railways and passengers.

    We have awarded this contract under the non-fare revenue scheme and at the same time, we are also encouraging innovation.

    “There are passengers, especially the elderly, who will be greatly benefited from this. To top all this, this innovation also discourages people from spitting on rail premises which in itself is a huge gain for us,” a Railway official said.

    Presently, spitting in railway premises could earn a penalty of up to Rs 500.

    Co-founder of EzySpit, Ritu Malhotra said that the product campaign has been created with the idea to grow plants from the waste of human spit.

    “We have entered into a contract with Indian Railways for 42 railway stations. Central, Northern and Western railways. We also have started installing EzySpit vending machines at some stations,” he said.

    Every container has a limit to the times one can spit in it.

    In a pouch, it is 10 to 20 times, glass has 30 to 50 times and bigger dustbins have more.

    Once the quantity is attained, the granular in the box or pouch absorbs the spit and turns it into solid material.

    “And you can throw that material anywhere as it’s biodegradable. Also, if you throw it into mud or soil then it helps in growing plants as the granular have seeds in them as well. One can empty the box/pouch anywhere on the land and the seeds in the box will grow into plants. Nagpur has already taken the product. We are in a contract for one year with Indian Railway and are hopeful that the same will increase,” said Malhotra.