The Indian Railways is considering to install CCTV cameras in trains, including in premium trains such as Rajdhani, Duronto and Shatabdi, the government informed Parliament today.

“It is under consideration to installing CCTV cameras in nearly 58,000 coaches of suburban, passenger and mail/express trains including superfast and premium trains like Rajdhani, Duronto and Shatabdi,” Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain said in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.

Gohain said that while policing is a state subject, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) supplements the efforts of the Government Railway Police (GRP) and the district police.

The minister said that on vulnerable and identified routes/sections, 2,500 trains – on an average – are escorted by the RPF daily, in addition to 2,200 trains escorted by the GRP of different states daily.

CCTV cameras, provided at 394 stations, are used for surveillance and ensure the safety of passengers, Gohain said.

“An integrated security system, consisting of surveillance of vulnerable stations through CCTV network, access control, has been sanctioned to improve surveillance mechanism at over 202 railway stations,” he said.

A Chinese consortium led by China Railway Corp will participate in bidding for a high-speed railroad linking Singapore and Malaysia in 2018, marking another step in China’s ambitious strategy to export its high-speed railway technologies to Southeast Asia.

The media office of the Beijing-headquartered China Railway Rolling Stock Co confirmed this move but declined to give any specific details as the matter is still in progress.

The consortium, consisting of eight companies including CRRC, China Railway Construction Corporation Ltd, China Railway Signal and Communication Co and Export-Import Bank of China, covers the design, construction, telecommunication, financing, operating and maintenance sectors for the high-speed rail network.

A joint tender for the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high-speed rail project was issued by the Malaysian and Singaporean government-owned utilities－MyHSR Corp and SG HSR, on Dec 20.

According to a joint statement released by the two companies, the potential bidder would be responsible for the design, construction, financing, operating and maintenance of rolling stock and railway systems for the double-track line with a designed speed of 350 kilometers per hour.

“Judging these companies’ size and resources, they will form the largest group to build a high-speed rail network outside China if they win the bid next year,” said Feng Hao, a researcher at the Institute of Comprehensive Transportation at the National Development and Reform Commission.

The tender is open to all companies, regardless of their location. A tender briefing will be held in Kuala Lumpur on Jan 23, and proposals need to be submitted by June 29.

Submissions will be evaluated based on technical merit, commercial robustness, financial sustainability and price. The preferred bidder will be selected by the end of next year.

The governments of both countries signed a bilateral agreement late last year to embark on the project.

According to the agreement, the high-speed rail link is expected to become operational by Dec 31, 2026, and will cut travel time between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore to just 90 minutes.

“The move indicates that China’s State-owned enterprises have stopped cutthroat competition to hurt each other,” said Du Chunbu, a professor of rail transportation at Beijing Jiaotong University.

“Instead, they have started to form a consortium to better compete with rivals from Japan, South Korea, Germany and Canada by bringing their specialties into play.”

The construction of the first section of the China-Thailand high-speed railway started last week in the northeastern Thai province of Nakhon Ratchasima.

The 253-kilometer first phase of the railway links Bangkok with Nakhon Ratchasima province. China is responsible for designing the railway, supervision of construction and manufacturing of trains and signal systems, among others.

Once completed, the railway with a maximum speed of 250 km per hour will be the first high-speed railway of Thailand.

More than 3,000 trains were delayed due to fog between November 1 and December 21 this year, Parliament was informed today.

In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said 3,119 trains were delayed during the period on account of fog.

“The services of 25 pairs of mail and express trains were cancelled, while the frequency of 29 pairs of such trains was reduced. Further, three pairs of trains were partially cancelled, while two pairs of trains were diverted,” he added.

Goyal said portable global positioning system (GPS)-based fog pass devices were being issued to the loco pilots for the regions which get seriously affected due to fog.

According to the data provided by the minister, the Northern Railways has received 3,185 of such devices, North Eastern Railways has got 975, North Western Railways 802, East Central Railways 617, North Central Railways 282 and the Northeast Frontier Railways has received 183.

“The reported outcome of the fog pass devices from the zonal railways has been satisfactory. The device provides a visual indication of the approaching level-crossing gates and other signal landmarks to the loco pilots, 500 metres in advance,” Goyal said

Due to the single railway line and lack of electrification of lines between Secunderabad-Nizamabad-Manmad, passengers are facing problems.

Nearly 32 trains run from Nizamabad railway station making above 70 trips, but due to the single line and change of engines, trains are taking more time than required.

Daily hundreds of trains run between Secunderabad-Nizamabad-Manmad Railway line, covering Telangana and Maharashtra. Among this corridor there are several major cities such as Secunderabad, Nizamabad, Nanded, Parbhani, Jalna, Aurangabad, Nasik and Manmad, and several pilgrim centres like the ones in Hyderabad, Secunderabad, Basar, Nanded, Aurangabad, and Ajanta Ellora Caves.

Railway board issued permission for doubling of the line in 2013 as well as for electrification works, in two phases and each km work required Rs 10 crore. In first phase, works from Secunderbad to Nizamabad was to be covered and in second phase, works between Nizamabad and Manmad were to be covered.

After starting the first phase works in 2013, Railway officials completed only 40 km works between Secunderabad and Manoharabad, but the remaining 121 km works are pending from last four years.

Second phase works from Nizamabad are pending from last four years. Maharashtra public representative have been putting pressure on Railway officials and due to that 81.43 km second phase works between Mudkhade and Parbhani was started and nearly 20.5 km works have been completed.

Passengers say on a regular basis many trains were found waiting at various stations to cross other trains, due to which express trains were taking additional 30 minutes and passengers trains were taking one hour extra.

Manohar Reddy, Railway Zonal Consultative Committee member, said public representatives and other organisations should put pressure on Union government and Railway officials to speed up doubling and electrification works between Manoharabad-Nizamabad-Manmad.

According to Railway norms, if there are more than 30 trains running in a particular route, immediately double line should be constructed. Even though Secunderabad-Nizamabad-Manmad route has 32 passenger trains running making more than 70 trips, apart from goods trains, it is yet to get a double line.

Come 2018 and the Jaipur-Agra Shatabdi Express coaches, thanks to the Indian Railways project ‘Swarna’, will be equipped with new features.

The coaches, said a top railway official, will have various new features such as disposable head rest cover for passenger seats, automatic odour control (AOC) system, and much more.

“The journey from Jaipur to Agra will be more comfortable in the new year. The Indian Railways has introduced Braille signage in the coaches to make travel easy for visually impaired people. Also, all coaches will be equipped with CCTV surveillance system,” North Western Railway chief spokesperson Tarun Jain said.

There will be Aadhaar enabled biometric attendance system for the staff to ensure their safety and responsibility, he added.

Trying to upgrade in all spheres, the railways has made efforts in improving the aesthetics too.

According to the officer, paintings exhibiting culture and heritage of the region will be displayed in the coaches.

Talking about more of such railway coaches, Jain said in future there are plans to roll out same features in other trains too, especially those running in tourist circuits.

Golden triangle (New Delhi-Jaipur-Agra) is an important tourism circuit in the country attracting scores of domestic and international tourists for witnessing rich cultural heritage.

Notably, India’s first Swarn Rajdhani was launched in New Delhi in November this year.

Chandigarh-New Delhi Shatabdi Turns Gold After ‘Project Swarna’ Upgradation

Under much appreciated ‘Swarn’ initiative which aims to bring gold standard service delivery in railways, the Chandigarh-New Delhi Shatabdi 12046 has been upgraded. The upgradation costed Indian Railways approximately Rs. 50 lakh.

This is the only Shatadbi, which is under the preview of the Ambala division as the other two are under Delhi division.

Major Facilities Revamped Under ‘Swarna’ Initiative in Chandigarh-New Delhi Shatabdi

Following key facilities have been upgraded in the Chandigarh-New Delhi Shatabdi:

• Punctuality – Trains will be on time. The delay is going to be minimized as much as possible.
• Cleanliness – The staff will don new uniforms and have received special training for serving in the revamped trains.
• Linen – Passengers will be given disposable headrest covers in executive class.
• Coach Aesthetics – Vinyl wrapping and florescent strips for easier movement of travellers. Exteriors of the trains have also been covered with an anti-graffiti coating.
• Toilets – Odour control systems have been installed. Automatic hygiene control systems will be installed in all coaches.
• Catering – New additions to the on-train catering menu.
• Staff behaviour – Staff will maintain polite behaviour in every situation.
• Security and safety of passengers –  All coaches are equipped for braille-signage for the visually impaired. Security system will be beefed up by increasing CCTV cameras and railway protection force.
• Entertainment –  New entertainment systems to be included – wi-fi hotspots, HD streaming and more.
• Housekeeping – Headrest to be provided for passengers of executive class.
• Regular feedback – will be collected from the passengers and the staff for the betterment of the services.

About ‘Swarna’ Initiative:

Recently launched ‘Swarna’ project of Indian railways aims to renovate India’s premium trains, including Rajdhanis and Shatabdis. From security to hygiene to aesthetics to entertainment, all aspects of the trains are upgraded to make travel a pleasant experience for passengers.

These elite trains are being upgraded at a cost of Rs 50 lakh each.

South Western Railways and Bengaluru Metro are in talks to exchange parcels of land at Baiyappanahalli to amicably resolve their common requirement of land needed for respective projects.

Until now, the Railways and Metro officials were in a fix over land needed between their stations for future proposals.

While SWR needs space at Baiyappanahalli Railway Station to quadruple the Cantonment to Whitefield Railway line, BMRCL also requires the land in between to launch viaducts for the Baiyappanahalli Phase-1 Metro extension to Whitefield.

“We jointly inspected the area. Railways needs private land to be acquired for laying the 3rd and 4th tracks. They want Metro to acquire the private land in between, in exchange of which, we can utilise 1 acre of their land for our extension towards Whitefield,” said Chanappa Goudar, Land Acquisition Officer of BMRCL.

The Metro line will run on the median of Old Madras Road, parallel to the Railway track, heading towards Jyothipuram and KR Puram.

CPRO of SWR, Vijaya, said, “We have sent a detailed estimate to the Railway Board for quadrupling of Bengaluru Cantonment to Whitefield at a cost of Rs 493 crore. This project will be fully funded by the Railways.”

This is a boost to software professional travelling from the city to the IT corridor as it means increased frequency of suburban trains.

While Metro construction will take until 2020, techies have come to rely on suburban trains to get to work.

Metro trains coming from Silk Board to K.R. Puram (Phase 2A) will connect with Baiyappanahalli depot and commuters can switch to the Phase-1 extension plying to Whitefield as well.

These junctions become even more crucial, as inter-modal connectivity between the corresponding Railway stations at Baiyappanahalli and KR Puram, must be bridged.

This is the first time that the two transport departments have quickly resolved the exchanging of land.

With the railways planning to ramp up production of Linke Hofman Busch (LHB) coaches, the Golden Rock Railway Workshop in Tiruchi is gearing up to carry out periodic overhaul of the coaches when they are sent for servicing.

Engaged in diverse activities, including manufacture of container wagons and POH of diesel locomotives and passenger coaches, this nodal workshop has forwarded a detailed proposal seeking sanction of funds for creation of separate infrastructure facility and procurement of machinery and equipment to overhaul LHB coaches.

Presently, the over 80-year-old workshop established during the colonial era is carrying out periodic overhaul of coaches manufactured at the Integral Coach Factory at Perambur in Chennai.

With increasing number of long distance trains being run with LHB coaches now, the workshop authorities have forwarded a proposal to the Southern Railway headquarters seeking sanction of Rs. 35 crore funds for creation of a dedicated shed and procurement of required equipment to overhaul such type of coaches in the future.

The workshop is awaiting the nod from the Railway Board, New Delhi, for the funds it has sought for setting up the facility to handle LHB coaches, which are longer than the ICF-made coaches with wider bays and doorways.

Trains including the Chennai Egmore–Tiruchi Rockfort Express, the Chennai Egmore–Madurai Pandian Express, Chennai Egmore–Tiruchi Cholan Express and the Lokmanya Tilak–Karaikal Express are being run with LHB coaches.

Ahead of carrying out overhaul of the entire LHB coach, the workshop is gearing up to overhaul bogies of such type of coaches initially possibly from next year, say the workshop authorities.

The new facility is planned to be created in the wake of the proposed move of the railway administration to increase production of LHB coaches keeping in mind the safety features in such coaches, the authorities added.

The workshop has also started overhaul of high horsepower new generation EMD locomotives, which can run up to maximum speed of 140 km per hour. It has transformed from maintenance to manufacturing unit, producing container wagons for the Container Corporation of India, besides manufacturing oil-fired locomotives for the Nilgiri Mountain Railway.

Groundwork on one of the most important milestone of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) – the rehabilitation and upgrading of Main Line-1 (ML-1) from Karachi to Peshawar – is likely to be initiated by March next year, Pakistan’s Ministry of Railways Director General (Planning) Mazhar Ali Shah told on Monday. “Although Pakistan Railways has set an ambitious target for starting the groundwork, it is working hard to meet this target,” Shah said. The DG further said preliminary design of the project was in process and hopefully within three to four weeks, the design would be finalised. He said a feasibility study of the project had already been finalised while the framework agreement with China had also been signed. After finalising the preliminary design, all the procedural arrangements including commercial contract and financial clause would be completed as soon as possible, he added.

Karachi–Peshawar Railway Line is one of four main railway lines in Pakistan, operated and maintained by Pakistan Railways. The line begins from Karachi City station or Kiamari station and ends at Peshawar Cantonment Station. The total length of this railway line is 1,687 kilometers (1,048 mi). There are 184 railway stations from Kiamari to Peshawar Cantonment on this line. The line serves as the main passenger and freight line of the country. 75% of the country’s cargo and passenger traffic uses the line. The line is currently undergoing an six-year ₨.886.68 billion (US$8.4 billion) upgrade and renovation as part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, with average rail speeds expected be doubled to 160 kilometers per hour upon completion.

History of Karachi-Peshawar Railway Line

The present-day Karachi–Peshawar Railway Line was built as a patchwork of different railways of unified India during the 19th century. The Britishers, so as to establish connectivity in this region, had mostly depended on its Bombay Presidency (presently Bombay is in India renamed as Mumbai) by pulling funds to construct the Railway lines in different phases. A majority of the workmen were Indians (importantly Hindus) who toiled to construct the line from Karachi to Peshawar during that time. The Indian Staff comprised of resources in various categories like P-Way, Open Line, Telecom, Operating, Traffic, Accounts, Stores including Gangmen category. Few of the lines were even funded by the then Madras Presidency too (Madras is in India renamed as Chennai). There are Tamilians, Keralites too who migrated to Pakistan. Even today, there is a small community of Tamils in Pakistan who converted their religion and became Muslims (Muslim Tamils in Pakistan) migrated from the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. These Muslim Tamils have integrated with the Urdu speaking Muhajir community. Notably, Schindias had also contributed a lot of fund for laying the lines and Britishers had an arrangement towards this collaboration with Schindias.

The present day line consists of the following historic sections built between 1861 and 1900:

• Karachi–Kotri section, opened in 1861 (Kotri Bridge over the Indus River, opened in 1899)
• Kotri–Rohri section, opened in 1900
• Rohri–Multan section, opened in 1879 (Empress Bridge (near Bahawalpur) over the Sutlej River, opened in 1878)
• Multan–Lahore section, opened in 1861
• Lahore–Peshawar section, opened in 1876 (Attock Bridge over the Indus River, opened in 1883).

Early development

The Scinde Railway was constructed in 1861 as a 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge railway line between Karachi and Kotri. Work on the line had commenced in April 1858 and was the first railway line for public use in the region. Following the completion of the line, the Indus Steam Flotilla began docking in Kotri (instead of Karachi) from Multan. The Punjab Railway was constructed and inaugurated in late 1861 as a 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge railway line between Multan and Lahore, and later extended to Amritsar. Thus the travel time between Sindh and Punjab was greatly reduced together with the Scinde Railway, Indus Steam Flotilla and Punjab Railways; what normally took 40 days to travel between Karachi and Lahore now took 48 hours to transport passengers and cargo.

Mergers & expansion

In 1870, the Scinde, Punjab & Delhi Railway was formed from the incorporation of the Scinde Railway, Indus Steam Flotilla, Punjab Railway and Delhi Railway companies in order to increase efficiency of passenger and cargo transport between Sindh and Punjab. However, the rail gap between Kotri and Multan was considered a hassle as the Indus River and Sutlej River were major obstacles to cross at the time. In 1871, the Indus Valley State Railway was inaugurated and construction began on extending the railway line from Multan south towards Bahawalpur(crossing the Sutlej River) and on wards to Rohri. In 1876, the Punjab Northern State Railway was constructed between Lahore and Peshawar and in 1883 the Attock Bridge over the Indus River was opened. In 1878, the Empress Bridge over the Sutlej River was opened and in 1879 the Indus Valley State Railway reached Rohri. From Rohri, a steam ferry would transport eight rail carriages at a time across the Indus between Rohri and Sukkur. This was found to be cumbersome and time-consuming. In 1889, the Lansdowne Bridge between Rohri and Sukkar was opened and in 1893, work on the Kotri Bridge commenced. It was only in 1900 that the section between Rohri and Kotri was completed. In 1885, all the companies were merged to form the North Western State Railway.

According to the railway officials of Pakistan, in the new development project, China Pakistan economic corridor CPEC total investment volume has been increased to over $51.5 billion for modernized CPEC railway lines in Pakistan from Karachi to Peshawar. The china and the Asian development bank have agreed to lend $8 billion to Pakistan to upgrade the railways infrastructure under the project of CPEC railway lines in Pakistan.

CPEC is around 3,000 kilometer networks of roads, pipelines and railways to transport oil and gas from Gawadar port in Pakistan to Kashgar in Xinjiang Uygur province of china. The project consist the up gradation of 1872 KM railway track from Karachi to Peshawar,  dualization of the roads of Multan, Lahore and Rawalpindi, and double the Lahore- Peshawar railways track.

China took serious to develop and upgrade the dilapidated railway network of Pakistan. The CPEC consist of $46 billion of energy projects, port development and infrastructure development.

The Pakistan’s railways system is in a huge a losses since many years due to lack of funding. Some of the railway track has been destroyed and many of them are not able to use. Bad governance, corruption and negligence are factors too.

Under CPEC Pakistan’s railways will be modernized. CPEC will provide funds to develop railway network from Karachi to Peshawar in Pakistan.  Financing for the railway system has been enhanced to 8 billion dollars from the earlier allocation of 3.5 billion dollars under the 46 dollars CPEC program lifting to the 51.5 billion dollars.

For the up gradation of Lahore- Karachi railway, Beijing will provide Pakistan with a 5.5 billion dollars concessional loan. This modernized railway line is called ML-1. And to double the Lahore- Peshawar railway track, ADB will provide 2.5 billion dollars. These concessional loans will carry less than 2 two percent interest rate.

CPEC project has been divided in three phases, short term, medium and long term. In short term CPEC projects will be completed by 2020 including repairing of main railway lines. The medium term projects will be completed by 2015 including doubling of the railway lines, while the long term projects is consist of railway lines connecting with neighbor countries by 2030.

Working on the first phase of the CPEC short term project has been initiated. The focus on Karachi – Peshawar railway line, has being made signal free and gate free line. Main purpose of this type of railway lines, to make the journey safe and fast to facilitate public and reduce chances of accidents. The track will able for high speed trains.

In CPEC project, the railways is also preparing to link Federally Administrated Tribal Area (FATA) with Peshawar and Torkham.  Later on the railway line will approaches to the rout of Chaman-Spin Boldak rail to link Afghanistan and central Asia through Peshawar Torkham in the third phase of the CPEC.

These railways lines will be modern and safer for traveling of foreigners, fence will built as the motorways to insure its safety and security as international standard. As early the government had no priority to improve the railway network as well management operations but considering the foreign interest now it hopes for better infrastructure of the railways in Pakistan.

Gawadar To Quetta CPEC railway line:

CPEC is an opportunity for Pakistan to make itself sustainable and profitable railways for the future. Pakistan claims that this project will develop the less developed areas of Pakistan especially Balochistan whereas the actual ground realities are different. Balochistan people were tortured, killed and are being fled away with coercion for building CPEC railway track from Gawadar to Quetta and Jacobabad via Besima. Around 560 KM of track will be made from Bostan to Kotla Jam on main line-2 via Zhob and Dera Ismail Khan, while around 680 KM of track will be laid from Havelian to Khunejrab.

The Karachi- Peshawar railways are almost processed almost 80 percent of the passenger and freight traffic, but its efficiency has decline to around 60 kilometer per hour due to mismanagement and bad track. The up gradation will took six years to complete replacement of bridges and double the tracks and improve the signals. But it efficiency will to around 160 km per hour. It will ensure fast traveling and shifting goods to the regional markets.

The CPEC railway lines will then be extended in the next phase to link Gawadar with Peshawar and then Haveilian, Abbottabad, with Khunjerab.

Plan for reconstruction and up gradation of around 50 railway stations has been started, which, It would be helpful for generating revenue and modernizing the public utility.

Under the mega project, the construction work on two (Narowal and Nankana Sahib) of the three stations of Sikh tourism has already been stared with approved cost of Rs 659.99 million while the tenders are in process for upgradation of Hasanabdal station. The stations built over 100 years back were in bad condition.

The Raiwind City railway station will be completed by February 2018 at a cost of about Rs135 million. This was said by Pakistan Railways CEO Javed Anawar said at the ground-breaking ceremony on Saturday of the project.

Rail network in Punjab (Pakistan)

Punjab taking steps to benefit from CPEC’s western route. Housing colonies like satellite towns should be developed in the vicinity of interchanges at Fateh Jang, Pindigheb and Tarap so that mass migration to Islamabad and Rawalpindi is managed and discouraged.

Working paper will present its report to him by April 30 this year The working paper recommended that the future development in this region can be modeled like Noida (New Okhla Industrial Development Authority), a systematically planned development in the suburbs of New Delhi.

The working paper proposed that the provincial roads linking the CPEC western route with M2 and N5 need to be developed and dualism.

The western corridor will provide fast and world class connectivity to southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) like Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, and Karak to Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Similarly the tehsils of Mianwali, Jandh, Pindigheb will by 60-90 minutes commute from Islamabad-Rawalpindi.

A a total 560 kilometers track from Bostan Kotla Jam on the main line-II via Zhob and Dera Ismail Khan and another 682 kilometres track from Havelian to Khunjerab will be laid. The up gradation of 1,872 kilometers track from Karachi to Peshawar via Kotri, Multan, Lahore and Rawalpindi including Taxila-Havelian – along with dualisation of the track from Shahdara to Peshawar will also be carried out.