All railway stations — nearly 8,500 across the country, including those in rural and remote areas — will be equipped with Wi-Fi facilities at an estimated cost of Rs 700 crore ($110 million). As part of the government’s ambitious Digital India initiative, the national transporter has currently commissioned Wi-Fi services at 216 major stations enabling about seven million rail passengers to log on to the free Internet facility.

“Internet access has now become an important requirement in day-to-day working and we shall be providing this facility at all railway stations in the country,” a senior Railway Ministry official said. As per the plan finalized at a recent meeting, while 1,200 stations have been identified for this facility to primarily cater to rail passengers, about 7,300 stations have been earmarked to not only serve passengers but also local people in rural and remote areas.

New Delhi: With brick walls failing to solve the problem of garbage being thrown on tracks, the Railways has decided to deal with the menace once and for all by building concrete walls along the tracks.

Officials said that there is a rampant problem of throwing of garbage and plastic bags inside the railway boundary on railway tracks and the national transporter has been grappling with different ideas to deal with it over the years.

“The problem is very acute in metros where slums and habitation has come around railway tracks. We have tried to build brick walls and they have been damaged, said a senior Railway Board official.

“We also proposed wire meshes, which was shot down because they could be tampered with and were not durable. So now we have decided on concrete walls,” the official said.

The Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), under the ministry of railways, has already provided drawings of concrete walls that can be built by zonal railways across its boundaries.

The Civil Engineering department had written to the various zonal railways last November proposing to provide wire meshes along the boundary line to restrict throwing of garbage and plastic bags.

The zones were asked to explore the feasibility of the idea and provide their feedback.

Sources said the chief engineers of zonal railways had rejected the proposal and conveyed to the board that wire meshes would offer little resistance for people who threw garbage on the tracks as they can be tampered with.

Most of them recommended building concrete walls.

“Concrete walls are more durable and long lasting and hopefully they will be a deterrent,” the official said.

The railways is planning standardisation of trains in terms of number of coaches so that all trains can run on all routes, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said on Tuesday.

Soon, all trains in the Indian Railway network would have 22 coaches, making them suitable for running on any route, irrespective of the time taken by each to complete the journey, he added.

“All trains will have 22 coaches, the length of the platforms will be increased and other related changes will be carried out. The engineering department is looking into it,” Goyal told reporters.

Currently, coaches are of two kinds — ICF and LHB — and the number of coaches in a train could be 12, 16, 18, 22 or 26, depending on its demand, making it difficult for the railways to substitute one with the other, particularly in case of a delay.

“If the number of coaches is the same in every train, we can press any train — which is ready, has arrived at the station and undergone maintenance — into operation, instead of waiting for the same train to get ready,” a senior railway official explained.

He added that the railways had identified over 300 groups of trains and their routes in the first phase. The changes in the number of trains operating on a route and their timings will reflect in the new time-table, to be published in July.

“The advantage of having standard trains — all of the same composition — for example, the same number of general, sleeper and air-conditioned coaches, is that they can run on any route.

“In the first phase, we have segregated over 300 groups of trains and identified routes on which they can be run — mostly mainline, busy routes,” the official said.

He added that for a successful implementation of the plan, the railways would also have to standardise its infrastructure — the length of the platforms, filling and washing lines etc.

Railway Board Chairman Ashwani Lohani on Monday said that train accidents had come down by 40-45 per cent in the current financial year as compared to the previous fiscal.

Hoping that train mishaps would further decrease, Mr Lohani said the transporter’s prime focus this year was to address safety and maintenance issues.

Speaking to reporters here, Lohani said that priority would be given to electrification, food served in trains and cleanliness of trains and railway premises.

He informed that by June, 500 railway stations would get Wi-Fi facility as part of the Union government’s Digital India initiative.

Train services were severely disrupted across West Bengal because of fog and blockades by tribal organisations across the state.

Thousands of passengers were stranded for hours, mostly at railway stations. Many were scrambling for food and water as the wait was indefinite.

From early morning, the Jharkhand Disham Party blocked roads and rail lines in the Malda-North Dinajpur sector, paralysing trains to and from north Bengal.

They also blocked trains on the Bengal-Jharkhand border in Purulia and East Burdwan districts.

The tribals were protesting against changes made in 2016 to land laws that allow non-tribals to buy tribal land in Jharkhand. However, no such changes have been made to land laws in West Bengal but the state was hit too.

Major trains from Kolkata to north Bengal, including Padatik Express and Darjeeling Mail, were held up at Malda and the Kolkata-bound Shatabdi Express were stopped at Kishanganj in Bihar.

While Eastern Railway services were worst hit by the blockades, Northern Railway services were thrown out of schedule by fog. Some trains were cancelled because corresponding trains were hours late.

Drones will now monitor railway projects, aid in crowd management and oversee maintenance work across its zones, railway officials said today.

Cameras (UAV/NETRA) will be used for various railway activities especially project monitoring and maintenance of tracks and other railway infrastructure, the national transporter said in a statement.

“Directions have been given to Zonal Railways to procure such cameras. This is in-line with Railways’ desire to use technology to enhance safety and efficiency in train operations”, it said.

Unmanned aerial vehicles or drones shall be deployed to undertake monitoring activities of relief and rescue operation, project monitoring, progress of important works, conditions of track and inspection related activities, the statement said.

It shall also be used to assess preparedness of non- interlocking (NI) works, crowd management during fairs, to identify scrap and also for aerial survey of station yards. It is going to be instrumental in providing real time inputs related to safety and maintenance of tracks and other railway infrastructure.

All railway stations, nearly 8,500 across the country, including those in rural and remote areas – will be equipped with Wi-Fi facilities at an estimated cost of Rs 7 billion.

As part of the government’s ambitious Digital India initiative, the national transporter has currently commissioned Wi-Fi services at 216 major stations enabling about seven million rail passengers to log on to the free Internet facility.

“Internet access has now become an important requirement in day-to-day working and we shall be providing this facility at all railway stations in the country,” a senior Railway Ministry official said.

According to the the plan finalised at a recent meeting, while 1,200 stations have been identified for this facility to primarily cater to rail passengers, about 7,300 stations have been earmarked to not only serve passengers but also local people in rural and remote areas.

The Wi-FI facility at these stations in rural and remote areas will be offered to the local population as part of the digital makeover of rural India to promote e-governance.

Railway stations in rural areas will have kiosks with Wi-Fi that will become digital hot spots offering services like digital banking, Aadhaar generation, issuing government certificates, including birth and death certificates, and filing taxes and paying bills, among others.

The kiosks will also enable the local populace to order and receive goods from e-commerce portals.

“These kiosks will be operated at stations with private participation for the local population,” said the official, adding, “The modalities of setting up such digital hot spots are being worked out with the Telecom Ministry.”

As per the timeline, while 600 stations are targeted to be provided with the Wi-FI facility by March 2018, the Railways aim to cover all 8,500 stations by March 2019.

Our aim is to ensure that more and more people get connected to the rail Wi-FI system as the Wi-Fi broadband access to these rail users will aid in implementing the government’s Digital India initiative, he said.

The environmental impact assessment (EIA) report on the high-speed rail connecting Kuala Lumpur and Singapore is ready for public viewing and feedback, marking another step forward for the multi-billion dollar project.

The EIA study, for the Malaysian side of the project, covers assessments such as noise and vibration, water quality, geology, traffic, risk hazard assessment, public health and safety.

The report itself is broadly positive about the project, noting short-term environmental impact.

The line will pass from its terminus station in Kuala Lumpur through the Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya federal territories and four Malaysian states, before entering Singapore. The high-speed rail or HSR will have only one station in the Republic, in Jurong East.

The EIA report was prepared by private company Minconsult, and it has been submitted to Malaysia’s Department of Environment (DOE) for review, according to the government’s development company MyHSR Corp.

The project would take a big step forward once the study is okayed by the Malaysian government.

The governments of Malaysia and Singapore signed an agreement late last year to embark on the project. According to the bilateral agreement, the HSR link is expected to become operational by Dec 31, 2026, and will cut travel time between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore to just 1½ hours, down from about four hours by car.

“We have outlined the necessary measures to address and minimise the potential impacts throughout all phases of the project, which covers pre-construction, during construction and operations,” MyHSR Corp chief executive officer Mohd Nur Ismal Mohamed Kamal said in a statement on Tuesday.

He said public feedback would be incorporated into an updated EIA report to the DOE.

The public can view the report until Jan 25, 2018, at the Land Public Transport Commission headquarters in Kuala Lumpur and DOE offices in Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka and Johor. It is also available at town council offices along the KL-to-Singapore rail alignment.

GURUGRAM: Located about 80 km from Delhi, Nuh is mostly inhabited by Meo Muslims (the Muslims considered to be descendants of Arjuna in Mahabharat). Nuh is the most backward region in Haryana marred by poor literacy rate, unemployment and low per capita income. Besides lack of opportunities for higher education in the region, poor connectivity with Delhi is another factor blamed for the present state of affairs of under-development.

Rail connectivity with Delhi has been one of the most long-pending demands of the people of the region. Despite an announcement in the 2013 Railway Budget by then United Progressive Alliance government, the project is yet to see the light of the day.

Former Haryana Transport Minister Aftab Ahmed said an ambitious project to connect Delhi to Alwar via Nuh through a railway line was announced by then Union Railway Minister Pawan Bansal. However, the project was put on the back burner with a change in regime a year later.

“The cost of the project was estimated to be ₹1,000 crore and a letter was given to the Union Ministry on behalf of then Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda offering to bear 50% of the total cost,” he said.

Spearheading a campaign on the issue, Hamara Adhikar Morcha (HAM) convener Mohammad Younus Alvi said: “In reply to a RTI application in July 2013, the Department concerned furnished a map of the project and the estimated cost. As per the reply, the 104-km railway line was slated to pass through 38 villages of Nuh with stations at Sohna, Nuh and Ferozepur Jhirka.”

“When farmers in Rewari, Hodal and Palwal growing vegetables can earn huge profits by selling produce in Gurugram and Faridabad due to better connectivity, farmers in Nuh, if connected by rail, will be able to fetch three times the price for their produce in Delhi compared to what they get now. Railway stations will also create job opportunities for the locals,” said Mr. Alvi.

Alleging that there seemed to be a larger political conspiracy to deny better education opportunities and connectivity to Nuh and keep the people of the region illiterate and poor, the former district councillor said the proposed rail connectivity can turn around the fortunes of the region.

Advocate Akhtar Hussain, a local, said a vast majority of the population in Nuh was involved in agriculture and animal rearing, but was exploited by middlemen. “While milk in bigger cities sells for ₹40-₹50 per litre, it is sold for ₹18-₹20 in Nuh. Better connectivity will help the locals break free from the clutches of middlemen and fetch higher prices for milk and milk products,” he said.

Though several social organisations have been demanding rail connectivity for the region over the past few years, demonstrations became rare after the 2013 announcement. However, HAM, with support from various organisations, has renewed the demand for rail connectivity for Nuh.

Demonstrations are being held at village and block levels to garner support for a bigger demonstration at the district level later this year.

Even the brand of Islam followed by Indian Muslims varies from region to region. Few seem to be aware that there are numerous Muslim communities who profess Islam but remain steeped in the local Hindu ethos. For instance, just outside the city boundaries begins the large pocket where the Meo Muslims live. These Muslims profess Islam but follow a fascinating composite culture that accommodates many Hindu customs. They trace their origins to Hindu figures such as Rama, Krishna and Arjuna and celebrate many Hindu festivals like Diwali, Dussehra and Holi.

And the Meos are no obscure tiny sect; they are a 400,000- strong community found in the region known as Mewat, which is spread across the border areas of the three states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan. In Uttar Pradesh, they are found in the Chhata tehsil while in Haryana, the Meos occupy the Nuh and Ferozepur tehsils of Gurgaon district. But the area where the Meos dominate and have been able to preserve their unique culture is the Alwar district of Rajasthan, just a two-hour drive from Delhi.

The Meos are famous across the Mewat belt for their narration of folk epics and ballads. Their oral tradition is a rich source for studying and understanding the community’s history. Among the epics and ballads sung by the Meos, which are derived from Hindu lore, the most popular is the Pandun ka kada, the Mewati version of the Mahabharata.

The Meos have a distinct identity, separating them from both mainstream Hindu and Muslim society. Their marriages combine the Islamic nikaah ceremony with a number of Hindu rituals – like maintaining exhaustive gotras, a distinctly Hindu practice. One fascinating tradition still preserved by Meos is the tracing of their genealogy by Hindu genealogists known as jaggas. The jaggas are an essential part of any lifecycle ceremony in the Meo community.

The Meos are believed to have gradually converted to Islam between the twelfth and the sixteenth centuries. Their Hindu origins are evident from their names, as most Meos still keep the title “Singh”, revealing the syncretic nature of the community. Ram Singh, Til Singh and Fateh Singh are typical Meo names. Fateh Singh, a Meo balladeer in the village on the outskirts. After reciting the Pandun ka kada, he spoke at length on what he believed to be the community’s origins. Fateh Singh and his fellow villagers firmly believe that they are Kshatriyas descending from Arjuna of Mahabharat times, however gradually converted to Islam under the influence of Sufi Pirs during Moghul regime. But they told me that the Meos are gradually giving up the celebration of Hindu festivals. “If you go into villages in the interior, you will see that the Meos are just like Hindus. You will not be able to make out the difference between Meos and Hindu villagers. But near the city, more and more people are giving up Hindu customs and rituals.” Earlier, all Meos traced their origins to Arjuna through the Pandun ka kada since ages unknown. However as a result of this deliberate Islamisation, epics such as the Shamsher Pathan and Behram Badshah – which suggest that the Meos came from Arabia – are also gaining in popularity. But what is remarkable is that they have still retained much of their old ways of life. One does not have to search too hard to find a Meo singing the Pandun ka kada or celebrating Dussehra. They still remain a fascinating testament to a shared history, a shared culture in the subcontinent.

Japan is making an all-out bid for the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail (HSR) contract to construct Southeast Asia’s largest ever infrastructure project.

The Japanese bid to build the HSR – touted as South-east Asia’s largest infrastructure project – would be a comprehensive package based on Japan’s technological expertise in its renowned Shinkansen bullet train system, Japan’s Ambassador to Malaysia said in an interview with national news agency Bernama.

The Japanese package would be a truly holistic one with the best HSR technology via the first invented and world-renowned high-speed railway system, the Shinkansen, plus total transfer of technology and local vendor development to greatly benefit Malaysian and Singaporean companies, including small and medium enterprises, said the Japanese ambassador to Malaysia, Makio Miyagawa.

“We will be offering our best-suited technologies to Malaysians and Singaporeans as well as full-fledged training for the officials, operators and engineers of both countries so that they can start the operations by themselves from Day One.

“Japan would also like to offer the most comprehensive financial package which would certainly help the two nations to reduce as much of their financial burden as possible in introducing this system,” Miyagawa told in an interview.

Bids for the HSR, described as a game-changing joint venture between Malaysia and Singapore, must be submitted by the middle of this year with the contract expected to be awarded by year-end.

Other bidders for the project may include those from China, South Korea and France.

The 350km HSR is intended to cut travel time between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore to 90 minutes and stimulate the economy of several localities along the route, and it is projected to start operations around 2026.

Malaysia’s MyHSR Corporation Sdn Bhd and Singapore’s HSR Private Ltd announced on December 20 last year that they would start accepting bids for a railway “assets company” which will be responsible for designing, building, financing, operating and maintaining all rail assets.

Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani was reported to have said that the project, which will have eight stations, would cost RM50 billion-RM60 billion.

Miyagawa pointed out that Japan’s engagement posture would tie closely with the country’s long-standing philosophy of economic assistance particularly in Asia.

“The philosophy of our economic assistance has all along been in such a way that Japan has assisted the recipient nations to stand on their own feet. It would not like to dominate the benefits but to share them. It would withdraw from the operation when you are ready to take over. If you would like us to stay on for some years, we would. It is not the Japan’s way to win (a contract) and run away. That would be irresponsible,” the ambassador added.

He said Japan had already been offering technology, human capital and financial resources to enable its companies to collaborate with companies in Malaysia and Singapore so that the all the companies and private sector could go hand in hand to advance together.

“In the high-speed rail system, our government and private sector would be ready and are very keen to collaborate with the local industries in Malaysia and Singapore so that the gradual transfer of technology and human capital will succeed and will help newly-introducing technology nations like Malaysia and Singapore to operate the system right from the start,” he added.

And he said that this long-lasting project would certainly invigorate and reinvigorate as well as reenergise the economies of Malaysia and Singapore linking up the two cities as well as mega cities now prospering in Asia.

“The connectivity will increase and along the alignment many cities will flourish. And that is why we are very happy to participate in this project.”

Japan’s edge over other bidders, Miyagawa said, should be viewed from the most important aspect in any public transport system – safety.

Here, Japan has an impeccable record recognised worldwide.

“Japan invented the bullet train technology. The advantage of the Shinkansen is that it has been operated for almost 50 years without any fatal accident or human capital problems. This is the merit of the system which is based upon the superiority of the hardware as well as the excellence of the software operations based upon the accumulated know-how of the engineers and operators in Japan,” he said.

Mr Makio Miyagawa said the bid will include a total transfer of technology and local vendor development to benefit Malaysian and Singaporean firms, including small and medium-sized enterprises.

“We will be offering our best-suited technologies to Malaysians and Singaporeans, as well as full-fledged training for the officials, operators and engineers of both countries, so that they can start the operations themselves from day one,” he said.

“Japan would also like to offer the most comprehensive financial package, which would certainly help the two nations reduce as much of their financial burden as possible, in introducing this system.”

Bids for the HSR, which has been described as a game-changing joint venture between Malaysia and Singapore, must be submitted by the middle of this year, with the contract expected to be awarded by the year end. Other potential bidders for the project include China, South Korea and France.

The 350km HSR will cut travel time between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore to 90 minutes, and is expected to be completed by 2026.

Malaysia’s MyHSR Corporation and Singapore’s SG HSR on Dec 20 last year said they would start accepting bids for a railway assets firm that will be responsible for designing, building, financing, operating and maintaining all rail assets. Malaysian Second Finance Minister Johari Abdul Ghani was reported to have said that the project, which will have eight stations, is expected to cost about RM50 billion (S$17 billion) to RM60 billion.

Mr Miyagawa said Japan’s involvement in the project was consistent with the country’s longstanding philosophy of economic assistance, particularly to other countries in Asia.

He said: “The philosophy of our economic assistance has all along been in such a way that Japan has assisted the recipient nations to stand on their own feet. It would not like to dominate the benefits but to share them.

“It would withdraw from the operation when you are ready to take over. If you would like us to stay on for some years, we would. It is not Japan’s way to win a contract and run away. That would be irresponsible.

“In the high-speed rail system, our government and private sector would be ready and are very keen to collaborate with the local industries in Malaysia and Singapore so that the gradual transfer of technology and human capital will succeed, and help nations like Malaysia and Singapore, who are introducing new technologies, to operate the system right from the start.”

Japan’s edge over other bidders, he added, should be viewed from the most important aspect in any public transport system – safety.

Said Mr Miyagawa: “Japan invented the bullet train technology. The advantage of the Shinkansen is that it has operated for almost 50 years without any fatal accident or human capital problems.

“This is the merit of the system which is based upon the superiority of the hardware as well as the excellence of the software operations, based upon the accumulated know-how of the engineers and operators in Japan.”