Technology-Bombay (IIT-B) to make its George Fernandes Institute of Tunnel Technology in Goa a world-class centre of knowledge in tunnel and underground structure technologies. Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL) Chairman and Managing Director Sanjay Gupta and IIT-B Director Prof D V Khakhar signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the premier engineering institution here yesterday.

Under the MoU, IIT-B will offer technical support to the Konkan Railway to strengthen the George Fernandes Institute of Tunnel Technology (GFITT) at Madgaon in Goa, a release issued by KRCL said.

Underlining the objectives of the collaboration with IIT-B, a spokesperson of KRCL said they want to develop GFITT into a world-class premier centre of knowledge in tunnel and underground structure technologies.

“We also want to provide an opportunity to under-graduate and post-graduate scholars of IIT-Bombay to gain a practical experience and participate in the research and development programmes in tunnelling and underground spaces,” he said.

The institute has been named after former railway minister George Fernandes, who is said to be the driving force behind the Konkan Railway, the release said.

The Railways Ministry has reduced the size of global tender for rail tracks to 4.87 lakh tonne from 7 lakh tonnes (LT) earlier, an official source said.

State-run Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL), which has been the sole supplier of rails to the Railways so far, will supply the remaining quantity.

The railways ministry had recently floated the global tender to procure 7 lakh tonnes of rails worth Rs 3,500 crore for expediting track renewal.

“The tender has been reduced to 4.87 LT,” a railway ministry official told PTI.

SAIL has stepped up its production and increased supplies, the official said.

M C Agrawal, Executive Director, Corporate Affairs Division, SAIL, said, “Our rail mill in Bhilai is producing rail in full swing and we will increase production. Hence, the supply will also improve.”

Under an MoU, SAIL is the only steel maker which had been supplying rails to the Railways. It manufactures 260-metre long rails at its Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP) in Chhattisgarh.

With the global tender, the Railways has now invited private players and international companies to supply rail tracks.

Naveen Jindal-led Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) is the only domestic private player that has the experience in rail making and it has confirmed its interest in the tender.

“We are fully prepared and well equipped. We can make early deliveries compared to any other player. If we bag the tender today, we can start making deliveries in just three weeks. It would take much longer for a foreign firm to start making deliveries. JSPL has a capacity to supply over 50,000 mt rail per month.” Naushad Ansari, CEO Steel Business, JSPL, had said earlier.

JSPL has a plant at Raigarh with a capacity to produce 1 million tonnes of rails.

North East Frontier Railway (NFR) has tabled a proposal before the Railway Board for upgrading safety infrastructure at an estimated cost of Rs 325 crore.

The proposal, for the year 2018-19, comprises 28 safety works including the improvement of running rooms in 30 stations for an estimated cost of Rs 71 crore and training centres at 13 stations at a cost of Rs 94 crore.

The proposal also suggests extensions of platforms at 18 stations for a cost of Rs 45 crore and foot overbridges at 30 stations for Rs 105 crore. There is also a Rs 10 crore-plan to replace, among other equipments, the LED signals and batteries. “Our focus on safety has so far yielded positive results. The number of derailments came down from four to one last year. No accidents at level crossings or cases of fire hazards were reported,” NFR’s Chief Public Relations Officer Pranav Jyoti Sharma said.

All Railway Stations on the jurisdiction of South Central Railway will be 100% LED lit by March, 2018 said Vinod Kumar Yadav, General Manager, South Central Railway. He was addressing the National Energy Conservation Seminar held at Rail Nilayam, Secunderabad today i.e., 19^th December, 2017 as a part of the Energy Conservation Week being celebrated on SCR.

Giving an insight on the plans of South Central Railway in the aspect of energy conservation, the General Manager stated that the Zone is in the forefront in initiating energy conservation measures on Traction, Non-Traction and Diesel wings. The Zone has been a pioneer in installation of energy efficient gadgets as LED lighting, Brushless DC electric motor energy saving fans, inverter type AC’s etc., SCR is focusing on generating power from renewable resources like Solar, Wind and Day Light Pipe Technology etc., apart from saving with energy efficient systems to save conventional energy resources as part of environmental protection, the General Manager added.

Vinod Kumar Yadav stated that fossil fuel resources need to be saved since they will deplete over time, towards which the need is to augment the requirement by production of alternative energy sources. He informed that SCR has spent Rs.1027 crores towards electrical traction energy, Rs. 1725 crores towards diesel fuel and Rs. 107 crores for non-traction energy during 2016-17. He also highlighted measures adopted on SCR towards energy conservation. SCR has achieved 2.2% reduction in energy consumption.

SCR focus o­n the use of renewable energy sources at stations/service buildings etc., use of star labelled electrical equipments, LED fittings in place of higher wattage fittings, use of energy efficient Pumps, provision of occupancy sensors, energy savers for air-conditioned units, timers for water coolers for rolling examination lights etc., resulted in saving specific energy consumption, he added.

John Thomas, Additional General Manager said that SCR is laying emphasis on implementation of several new initiatives on both electric traction and non-traction areas. He stressed on awareness of consumer in use of energy efficient devices and the big achievement in Ujala Scheme of Distribution of LED Lights.

A.A.Phadke, Principal Chief Electrical Engineer, in his address stated that SCR, which was awarded two prestigious National Energy Conservation Awards for the year 2017 by the Ministry of Power, Govt. of India, has imbibed the culture of energy conservation. The Zone is rated as the best amongst all the Zones on Indian Railways in terms of least specific energy consumption in two vital parameters covering the Electric and Diesel Traction. He stated that, Guntakal Division is the first Division on Indian Railways to complete 100% LED lighting of all the 157 Railway Stations under its jurisdiction.

The overview of energy conservation measures over South Central Railway were presented by S.K.Agarwal, Chief Electrical General Engineer; B.G.Mallya, Chief Electrical Loco Engineer; Ravi Kumar, Chief Motive Power Engineer (Diesel); A. Koteshwara Rao, Senior Divisional Electrical Engineer, Secunderabad Division, SCR and Hemanth Kumar, Manager, EESL. Senior Railway Officials, Staff participated in large number. Earlier, the General Manager, SCR inaugurated an exhibition set up at the venue, showcasing energy efficient equipment available in the market.