Indian Railways has announced six new trains across its Tejas Express, Humsafar Express and Antyodaya Express services. The six new trains will comprise two new trains each in the Tejas, Humsafar and Antyodaya services, Indian Railways said in a press release. The new trains will run under Indian Railways’ new timetable effective November 1, 2017. The Railways said the date of introduction of the trains will be notified later. Indian Railways has released its new timetable – effective November 1, 2017 – for passenger trains.
How To Get Indian Railways New Train Timetable

The Railways’ new timetable contains information on new train timings. The new timetable can be accessed at the Indian Railways website indianrailways.gov.in.

The railways ministry comes out with a guide, called ‘Trains At A Glance’, every year. The Trains At A Glance publication contains information on the timings of all the Mail/Express trains operated by Indian Railways. However, the tables do not indicate all the stoppages of a train – only stoppages at important stations are shown, according to the Indian Railways website. The latest information can be accessed via a link provided by Indian Railways.
Here are the new trains to be introduced by the Railways:
New Tejas Express trains

1. New Delhi-Chandigarh Tejas Express Train

The train between New Delhi and Chandigarh will operate six days a week except Wednesdays and comprise 12 coaches – nine AC Chair Cars, one Executive AC Chair Car and two Regenerative Cars, according to the Indian Railways.

22425 New Delhi-Chandigarh Except Wed Station 22426 Chandigarh-New Delhi Except Wed
– 930 New Delhi 1730 –
1225 – Chandigarh – 1435
(Train schedule as shared by the Northern Railway on its website)

The carrier said the date of introduction “will be notified later”.
2. Lucknow Junction-Anand Vihar Terminal Tejas Express Train

The train between Lucknow Junction And Anand Vihar Terminal will also operate six days a week except Thursday and comprise 11 coaches including eight AC Chair Cars and one Executive AC Chair Car.
12585 Lucknow Jn -Anand Vihar T Except Thu Station 12586 Anand Vihar T-Lucknow Jn Except Thu
– 650 Lucknow Jn 2205 –
805 810 Kanpur Central 2030 2040
(Train schedule as shared by the Northern Railway on its website)
New Humsafar Express Trains

3. Sealdah-Jammu Tawi Humsafar Express Train

The third among the six new trains announced by the Railways is a weekly Humsafar Express train service between Sealdah (Kolkata) and Jammu Tawi. This 18-coach Humsafar Express train will hail out of Sealdah on Monday, and from Jammu Tawi on Wednesdays, according to the Railways. The train will comprise 16 AC III Tier Cars.
22317 Sealdah-Jammu Tawi Station 22318 Jammu Tawi-Sealdah
– 1520 (MON) Sealdah 1745 (THU) –
2340 (TUE) – Jammu Tawi – 0720 (WED)
(Train schedule as shared by the Northern Railway on its website)
4. Anand Vihar Terminal-Allahabad Humsafar Express Train

The new Humsafar Express train between Anand Vihar Terminal and Allahabad will operate on a tri-weekly basis. The train service will start from Anand Vihar on Mondays and from Allahabad on Wednesdays.
Anand Vihar T – Allahabad Station Allahabad – Anand Vihar T
– 2220 Anand Vihar T 615 –
610 – Allahabad – 2220
(Train schedule as shared by the Northern Railway on its website)
New Antyodaya Express Trains

5. Darbhanga-Jalandhar City Antyodaya Express Train

The Railways will operate a weekly service between Darbhanga (Bihar) and Jalandhar City (Punjab). This Antyodaya Express service will run with an 18-coach train comprising 16 General Class Cars.
(Old No 15567) 22451 DBG-JALANDHAR CITY Station (Old No 15568) 22452 JALANDHAR CITY-DBG
– 0345 (SAT) Darbhanga 1130 (MON) –
0510 (SUN) – Jalandhar City – 1000 (SUN)
(Train schedule as shared by the Northern Railway on its website)

The new Antyodaya Express train will start from Darbhanga on Tuesdays, and from Jalandhar City on Thursdays.
6. Bilaspur-Ferozepur Antyodaya Express Train

The sixth new train announced by the Railways is the weekly Antyodaya Express service between Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh) and Ferozepur (Punjab). This train will have 18 coaches including 16 General Class Cars, according to the Railways.
22895 BILASPUR-FEROZEPUR Station 22896 FEROZEPUR-BILASPUR
– 1000 (SUN) Bilaspur 0320 (WED) –
1300 (MON) – Ferozepur – 2340 (MON)
(Train schedule as shared by the Northern Railway on its website)

The Antyodaya Express will hail out of Bilaspur on Sundays and from Ferozepur on Mondays.

Humsafar, Tejas and Antyodaya were among the four new train projects announced by the government in the Rail Budget of financial year 2016-17, along with Uday Express.
Humsafar Express

Indian Railways’ Humsafar Express is a fully air-conditioned third AC railway service with an optional service for meals. Humsafar trains have facilities including a GPS-based Passenger Information System, Passenger announcement System, a fire and smoke detection and suppression systems, CCTVs, comfortable seats, mobile/laptop charging points, integrated Braille displays and LCD displays above compartment doors.
Tejas Express

Indian Railways’ Tejas Express service is operated using trains capable of running at speeds to the tune of 200 kmph. Tejas Express trains come equipped with features including LCD screens, redesigned seats, CCTV cameras, automatic doors, personalised infotainment systems and an advanced fire alarm system.
Antyodaya Express

Targeted at the common man, Indian Railways’ Antyodaya Express is a long-distance, fully unreserved, super-fast train service. The Antyodaya Express is focused on high density routes. The Antyodaya Express comes equipped with facilities including Cushioned luggage racks, which can also serve as seats , additional hand holds in doorway area, multiple unit cables at both ends of the coach, vestibuled ends for internal movement of the passengers, potable drinking water dispensers, mobile charging points, fire extinguishers with anti-theft locks, modular toilets, toilet occupation indication display boards, LED lights and anti-graffiti coating on the exteriors.Indian Railways has announced six new trains across its Tejas Express, Humsafar Express and Antyodaya Express services. The six new trains will comprise two new trains each in the Tejas, Humsafar and Antyodaya services, Indian Railways said in a press release. The new trains will run under Indian Railways’ new timetable effective November 1, 2017. The Railways said the date of introduction of the trains will be notified later. Indian Railways has released its new timetable – effective November 1, 2017 – for passenger trains.
How To Get Indian Railways New Train Timetable

The Railways’ new timetable contains information on new train timings. The new timetable can be accessed at the Indian Railways website indianrailways.gov.in.

The railways ministry comes out with a guide, called ‘Trains At A Glance’, every year. The Trains At A Glance publication contains information on the timings of all the Mail/Express trains operated by Indian Railways. However, the tables do not indicate all the stoppages of a train – only stoppages at important stations are shown, according to the Indian Railways website. The latest information can be accessed via a link provided by Indian Railways.
Here are the new trains to be introduced by the Railways:
New Tejas Express trains

1. New Delhi-Chandigarh Tejas Express Train

The train between New Delhi and Chandigarh will operate six days a week except Wednesdays and comprise 12 coaches – nine AC Chair Cars, one Executive AC Chair Car and two Regenerative Cars, according to the Indian Railways.

22425 New Delhi-Chandigarh Except Wed Station 22426 Chandigarh-New Delhi Except Wed
– 930 New Delhi 1730 –
1225 – Chandigarh – 1435
(Train schedule as shared by the Northern Railway on its website)

The carrier said the date of introduction “will be notified later”.
2. Lucknow Junction-Anand Vihar Terminal Tejas Express Train

The train between Lucknow Junction And Anand Vihar Terminal will also operate six days a week except Thursday and comprise 11 coaches including eight AC Chair Cars and one Executive AC Chair Car.
12585 Lucknow Jn -Anand Vihar T Except Thu Station 12586 Anand Vihar T-Lucknow Jn Except Thu
– 650 Lucknow Jn 2205 –
805 810 Kanpur Central 2030 2040
(Train schedule as shared by the Northern Railway on its website)
New Humsafar Express Trains

3. Sealdah-Jammu Tawi Humsafar Express Train

The third among the six new trains announced by the Railways is a weekly Humsafar Express train service between Sealdah (Kolkata) and Jammu Tawi. This 18-coach Humsafar Express train will hail out of Sealdah on Monday, and from Jammu Tawi on Wednesdays, according to the Railways. The train will comprise 16 AC III Tier Cars.
22317 Sealdah-Jammu Tawi Station 22318 Jammu Tawi-Sealdah
– 1520 (MON) Sealdah 1745 (THU) –
2340 (TUE) – Jammu Tawi – 0720 (WED)
(Train schedule as shared by the Northern Railway on its website)
4. Anand Vihar Terminal-Allahabad Humsafar Express Train

The new Humsafar Express train between Anand Vihar Terminal and Allahabad will operate on a tri-weekly basis. The train service will start from Anand Vihar on Mondays and from Allahabad on Wednesdays.
Anand Vihar T – Allahabad Station Allahabad – Anand Vihar T
– 2220 Anand Vihar T 615 –
610 – Allahabad – 2220
(Train schedule as shared by the Northern Railway on its website)
New Antyodaya Express Trains

5. Darbhanga-Jalandhar City Antyodaya Express Train

The Railways will operate a weekly service between Darbhanga (Bihar) and Jalandhar City (Punjab). This Antyodaya Express service will run with an 18-coach train comprising 16 General Class Cars.
(Old No 15567) 22451 DBG-JALANDHAR CITY Station (Old No 15568) 22452 JALANDHAR CITY-DBG
– 0345 (SAT) Darbhanga 1130 (MON) –
0510 (SUN) – Jalandhar City – 1000 (SUN)
(Train schedule as shared by the Northern Railway on its website)

The new Antyodaya Express train will start from Darbhanga on Tuesdays, and from Jalandhar City on Thursdays.
6. Bilaspur-Ferozepur Antyodaya Express Train

The sixth new train announced by the Railways is the weekly Antyodaya Express service between Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh) and Ferozepur (Punjab). This train will have 18 coaches including 16 General Class Cars, according to the Railways.
22895 BILASPUR-FEROZEPUR Station 22896 FEROZEPUR-BILASPUR
– 1000 (SUN) Bilaspur 0320 (WED) –
1300 (MON) – Ferozepur – 2340 (MON)
(Train schedule as shared by the Northern Railway on its website)

The Antyodaya Express will hail out of Bilaspur on Sundays and from Ferozepur on Mondays.

Humsafar, Tejas and Antyodaya were among the four new train projects announced by the government in the Rail Budget of financial year 2016-17, along with Uday Express.
Humsafar Express

Indian Railways’ Humsafar Express is a fully air-conditioned third AC railway service with an optional service for meals. Humsafar trains have facilities including a GPS-based Passenger Information System, Passenger announcement System, a fire and smoke detection and suppression systems, CCTVs, comfortable seats, mobile/laptop charging points, integrated Braille displays and LCD displays above compartment doors.
Tejas Express

Indian Railways’ Tejas Express service is operated using trains capable of running at speeds to the tune of 200 kmph. Tejas Express trains come equipped with features including LCD screens, redesigned seats, CCTV cameras, automatic doors, personalised infotainment systems and an advanced fire alarm system.
Antyodaya Express

Targeted at the common man, Indian Railways’ Antyodaya Express is a long-distance, fully unreserved, super-fast train service. The Antyodaya Express is focused on high density routes. The Antyodaya Express comes equipped with facilities including Cushioned luggage racks, which can also serve as seats , additional hand holds in doorway area, multiple unit cables at both ends of the coach, vestibuled ends for internal movement of the passengers, potable drinking water dispensers, mobile charging points, fire extinguishers with anti-theft locks, modular toilets, toilet occupation indication display boards, LED lights and anti-graffiti coating on the exteriors.

The Western Railway yesterday said that contrary to its own earlier RTI replies of 40 per cent drop in seat occupancy coupled with a huge loss in the Mumbai-Ahmedabad sector, it was actually a very profitable sector with over 100 per cent occupancy even during off-season.

In RTI replies provided to activist Anil Galgali, WR’s Chief Commercial Manager Manjit Singh had given detailed figures of the seats going vacant on this sector, resulting in losses of almost Rs. 30 crore between July and September this year.

However, now Chief Public Relations Officer Ravinder Bhakar said that there are nine direct trains and 25 other trains going via Ahmedabad and the total earnings on this sector during that period was Rs. 233 crore, against the losses of nearly Rs. 30 crore as per the RTI replies, which pertained to number of passengers travelling between Mumbai Central-Ahmedabad.

“The information does not include information about en route traffic, passengers from originating station to en route stations, intermediate stations to intermediate and to destination stations between Mumbai Central and Ahmedabad, thereby showing lesser occupancy,” Mr Bhakar said.

Despite the July-September period being a lean season, he said the occupancy on this sector remained 100 per cent plus on all the 34 trains.

Of the nine direct trains, there were 803,150 berths of which actual bookings were 830,978, or 103 per cent occupancy in the Mumbai-Ahmedabad sector, and in return direction, the position remained the same.

Besides, in the 25 trains going via Ahmedabad, the berth availability was 1,070,710 and actual bookings were 1,230,585 or 115 per cent; in the return direction, it was even higher at 121 per cent.

RTI activist Anil Galgali said it is strange that the specific RTI query between Ahmedabad-Mumbai, which implied all stations en route, the number of passengers and revenue records and appropriate information should have been provided.

He said in the data given under RTI, details of all classes were provided but now that is not available. The RTI reply said that in the 32 trains on Mumbai-Ahmedabad sector, there were 735,630 seats and in 31 trains on Ahmedabad-Mumbai sector, there were 706,446 seats.

“Now, the WR is saying the total number of seats on this sector in 34 trains is much higher. Why the huge discrepancy in the figures given by the WR Chief Commercial Manager under RTI and the WR spokesperson?” Mr Galgali said.

Under these circumstances, if the replies provided under RTI are wrong, then the WR should initiate action against the people concerned and Railway Ministry must issue a detailed white paper on the occupancy and revenue status on this crucial sector where the bullet train project is being planned at a cost of over Rs. 1 lakh crore, he said.

Railway Recruitment Cell Jaipur, North Western Railway has invited applications from eligible candidates for recruitment as Act Apprentices. A total of 1164 vacancies are available for recruitment. Candidates can go through the official notification available at the official website before submitting their online application. The last date for submission of application is 29 November 2017 till 5 pm. The vacancies are available in the designated trades at Workshops or Units under the jurisdiction of North Western Railway. Document verification and medical examination of the candidates will be held in the opted divisions or units.

Railway Recruitments: Exam Pattern, Selection Process And Other Details Aspirants Should Know

Eligibility Criteria

Vacancy Details

• Divisional Railway Manager’s Office, Ajmer: 153 posts
• Divisional Railway Manager’s Office, Bikaner: 168 posts
• Divisional Railway Manager’s Office, Jaipur: 84 posts
• Divisional Railway Manager’s Office, Jodhpur: 39 posts
• BTC Carriage Ajmer: 210 posts
• BTC LOCO Ajmer: 126 posts
• Carriage Works Shop Bikaner: 90 posts
• Carriage Works Shop Jodhpur: 294 posts

It was the end of an illustrious legacy yesterday. Once, the Indian Railways used to manufacture war tanks, hand grenades, shells, etc, in its workshops. Yesterday’s decision by Railway Minister Piyush Goyal turned the tradition around. The Army’s help has been sought to finish railways’ job – building three foot overbridges, one each at Elphinstone Road, Currey Road and Ambivli stations.

The Indian Railways has a glorious history of manufacturing sturdy war material, at short notice, that was used in World Wars and battles with China and Pakistan. The workshops of the old Bombay Baroda and Central India Railway (now Western Railway) at Dahod and Lower Parel used to manufacture war material, which is now on display at the Churchgate heritage gallery.

Yesterday, it was Indian Army’s Military Engineering Services (MES) that took charge of the extensive meetings with officials of the Central and Western Railway teams to finalise the locations of the three foot overbridges.

Earlier, during a visit to Elphinstone station a month after the stampede, Goyal, accompanied by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitaraman, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and other top officials, had surveyed the accident site and announced the decision.

Retired Colonel John D’Souza, however, wasn’t pleased.

“Such a task is not meant for a soldier. These are the civilian administration’s responsibilities. The army should not be called upon for such duties, because it amounts to frittering away of their resources. There is plenty of scope for employing these resources for development in border areas,” he said.

Former member of the National Railway Users’ Consultative Committee Subhash Gupta said this was a slap on the face of railway engineers by their own minister. “Because the local officials did not hear commuters’ complaints and ignored their demands, it came to this. The minister wants to show that no one is indispensable… he has belittled his own team,” Gupta added.

Army’s proposal
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitaraman said that when BJP president Ashish Shelar approached them for help, she was curious to know the army’s viewpoint. “Mumbai is always under so much of pressure, and whenever there is a disaster, the army always runs to help. This is probably the first time that it will be doing civil work,” she added.

“I am thankful that the army said yes. They said they were keen to be a part of nation-building; after all, Mumbai is a key city that provides jobs to so many people.

“After the proposal was mooted on October 6, teams from MES, headquartered in Pune, studied the issue and also went to a few stations to assess if work could be done. They then came up with a proposal for three stations.”

In war, Corps of Engineers provides mobility to its forces by constructing bridges, tracks and helipads, and operates major military engineering organisations in the country.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena, which has been targeting the BJP, lobbed another one at it. “The local MPs were not even informed or told about the visit. Elphinstone Road should have got the same attention when two MPs, an MLA and a former mayor from Sena raised the issue,” said local MP Arvind Sawant.

Tatkal facility was first introduced in 1997 for passengers who have to undertake a train journey at a short notice. Later, it was gradually introduced in other trains. Before you check for booking under Tatkal quota, check the general quota availability, according to the IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation) website – irctc.co.in. The bulk of the Tatkal tickets is booked within minutes after the Tatkal facility opens. Today, IRCTC processes about 1,30,000 Tatkal transactions daily. IRCTC has been introducing new payments facilities for booking tickets under both Tatkal and general quota. Remember: No concession is allowed in train ticket booking on a Tatkal basis.

Tatkal Ticket Booking Timings

Booking for Tatkal tickets open one day in advance of the actual date of journey. Bookings for Tatkal tickets of AC classes open at 10:00 am, and for non-AC classes at 11:00 am.

Tatkal Reservation Charges

The Tatkal charges have been fixed as a percentage of fare at the rate of 10 per cent of basic fare for second class and 30 per cent of basic fare for all other classes subject to minimum and maximum as given in the table below:-

Minimum, Maximum Tatkal Charges

Tatkal Train Ticket Cancellation

No refund is granted on cancellation of confirmed Tatkal tickets.

Tatkal Ticket Cancellation For Wait-Listed, RAC Tickets

RAC (Reservation Against Cancellation) or waitlisted tickets booked under Tatkal quota: Refund is made if the ticket is cancelled up to 30 minutes before the scheduled departure, according to the IRCTC website.

Where confirmed reservation has been provided to an RAC or wait-listed ticket holder at any time up to final preparation of charts, such a ticket is treated as confirmed.
TDR Filing In Case of Tatkal Booking

If a train is running late by more than three hours or the train is cancelled, please file Ticket Deposit Receipt (TDR) with proper reason for claiming refund, according to the IRCTC website.
How To Book Tatkal Train Tickets Through New IRCTC Facility

IRCTC has introduced new facilities for payment of e-tickets (including Tatkal tickets). One of these facilities is ‘Paylater’, Powered by Arthashastra Fintech Pvt Ltd, this option enables passengers to book tickets first and pay later.

Bangladesh Railway Minister Mujibal Haque said an initiative has been taken to reconnect railway lines with India in 12 places, which were snapped after partition of the country in 1947.

“We want to restore all the railway lines which existed before the partition of India. Now the initiative is on to restore rail connectivity in twelve places between Bangladesh and India. Both the governments are cooperating with each other in this regard,” he told reporters here last evening.

Haque was in the capital to attend a conference of Rotary Clubs of both the countries. Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar inaugurated the conference.

The Bangladesh minister said the second rail bridge on the Titas and the Bhoirab rivers in Brahmanbaria district of his country was completed with funding from India, and that it would be inaugurated soon.

Apart from the ‘Moitree Express’ which runs between Dhaka and Kolkata, he said another train ‘Bandhan Express’ to run between Khulna in Bangladesh and Kolkata, was likely to be launched next month.

“There is also a proposal from Bangladesh side to launch a train to connect Rajshahi in Bangladesh and Kolkata,” he said.

Haque noted that the progress of the 15-km long ongoing Agartala-Akhaura project was satisfactory and land acquisition for the purpose in Bangladesh side was complete.

Land acquisition for the project in Indian side has also been completed, West Tripura District Magistrate and Collector, Milind Ramteke told reporters earlier.

The central government has released Rs 97.63 crore to acquire the land, he said.

The process of laying railway tracks to connect Agartala with Akhaura in Bangladesh would be completed next year, Haque said.

Out of the 15-km track, five km would be on Indian side and the rest in Bangladesh.

Ramteke stated that the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) was the nodal agency for implementation of the project in Indian side.

Former railway minister Suresh Prabhu and Haque had jointly laid the foundation stone of the project here on July 31 last.

A flyover of 3.7 km will be constructed on the Indian side to save cultivable lands and the entire project cost will be borne by the central government.

New Delhi is keen to establish the rail link as it will connect West Bengal and Tripura through Bangladesh.

The 1,700 km distance between Agartala and Kolkata, which goes through the chicken neck in Siliguri, would be reduced to 350 km if passengers could move through Bangladesh, officials said

Prolonged disruption in rail services to and from the rest of the country due to massive floods in eastern Bihar during August last has affected the finances of the Maligaon-headquartered Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), with the zone registering a double-digit fall in overall revenues on an annual basis during the first half of the current fiscal. However, earnings from the goods segment went up during the period under review.

Latest data shows that the total approximate gross earnings of the NFR on originating basis during the April-September period of 2017-18 stood at Rs 1,550.94 crore as compared to Rs 1,802.65 crore during the corresponding period of the last financial year. This amounted to a decline of 13.96 per cent in total earnings for the railway zone year-on-year.

The NFR’s passenger revenue during the first six months of the current fiscal was Rs 742.04 crore as against Rs 807.26 crore in the April-September period of 2016-17, registering a fall of 8.08 per cent.

Revenue from other coaching also went down by 9.18 per cent annually during the April-September period this year to Rs 108.74 crore. The earning from other coaching was Rs 119.73 crore in the first half of the last fiscal.

Similarly, sundry earnings of the NFR in the first six months of 2017-18 went down by 76.87 per cent to a mere Rs 64.64 crore as against Rs 279.42 crore in the year ago period.

However, earnings from goods on originating basis increased by 6.59 per cent to Rs 635.52 crore in the period under review. The NFR’s goods revenue has stood at Rs 596.24 crore in the same period of the last financial year.

Official sources attributed the annual growth in goods earnings to the low base.

Interestingly, the NFR was among the only six of the total 17 zones of the Indian Railways to have registered a year-on-year decline in its gross earnings during the first half of the current fiscal. The other five zones which have performed badly are the Eastern Railway (Kolkata), the Northern Railway (Delhi), the Southern Railway (Chennai), the South Western Railway (Hubli) and the Western Railway (Mumbai).

The total gross earnings on originating basis of the Indian Railways as a whole increased by over 5.8 per cent on an annual basis to Rs 81,686 crore in the first half of this fiscal.

Meanwhile, the approximate number of passengers booked in the NFR zone touched 51.04 million during the period from April 1 to September 30 this year. This is an increase of 4.21 per cent over the figure of 48.98 million recorded during the corresponding period of last year.

Commenting on the latest numbers, officials said the Bihar floods had severed railway link between the NFR zone and the rest of the country for over three weeks during August and it is the main reason for the poor earnings. Officials further said with services back on track, the revenue figures are expected to get better during the second half of this fiscal.

They added that expansion of railway services to remote parts of the North-east as well as progress in double-tracking will boost both passenger and goods traffic in the region, thus helping the NFR further augment its earnings.

Close your eyes and imagine with us for a moment a mode of transportation whose only emission is water. Imagine that said transportation method could run for 100 kilometers at speeds up to 70 kilometers per hour. That’s right: Foshan, in Guangdong province, is set to be the first Chinese city to operate a hydrogen-powered tram system.

As the world’s biggest polluter, China may have earned its reputation as the big bad wolf of greenhouse gas emissions. That being said, officials left many with their mouths open recently after their rare admission that they are aware of the negative impacts emissions have on global climate, which could threaten the country’s infrastructure projects, crop yields and environment.

Although still reluctant to set a target for slashing emissions, China is investing a substantial amount into green energy and was even a world leader in renewable energy production back in 2013. They generate more wind power than any other country in the world and their contributions accounted for almost 30% of all global investment in clean energy. Now, continuing with their push for clean energy developments, China has just announced the production of the world’s first hydrogen-powered tram.

The vehicle was developed by Sifang, a subsidiary of China South Rail Corporation, and was rolled off the assembly line in Qiangdao, Shandong Province, last week. Although hydrogen fuel cells have been around for a while and are currently being used and tested in various vehicles, including buses, nobody had managed to master the technology for trams before.

“It took two years for Sifang to solve key technological problems, with the help of research institutions,” said chief engineer Liang Jianying, according to Xinhua news agency. But Liang did not give any indication as to when the tram would be in operation.

Hydrogen-powered trams are an attractive mode of transport for numerous reasons. Hydrogen is extremely abundant and can be extracted from a variety of sources, both renewable and non-renewable. Furthermore, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are zero emission, producing only water. The newly designed vehicle will also help slash energy running costs as one tank will last for around 100 kilometers (62 miles), and it only takes three minutes to refuel.

“The average distance of tramcar lines in China is about fifteen kilometers [nine miles], which means one refill for our tram is enough for three

The Central Railway will be cancelling the Pune-Solapur-Pune Intercity Express train (train nos. 12169 and 12170) from November 1for the next 125 days, causing much trouble for passengers travelling along the route. While schedules of several other trains on this route have been changed, the reason behind this cancellation is that the railway track work between Washimbe and Jeur on this route will begin from November 1. Every day, one hour 45 minutes during the afternoon will be set aside for this track work. As the Intercity Express is a major mode of travel for students, office goers and other passengers, they will suffer the most for the next four months.

“Currently, it is a single line railway track on the Daund-Kurduwadi-Solapur route. So, work will start in the first phase on the Washimbe to Jeur stretch for development of the track. For this, daily, a one-hour-45-minute block will be taken by our workers on this route to carry out the work. So, all trains running in the afternoon are being either cancelled or delayed. Other than the Intercity Express, the Sainagar-Pandharpur-Sainagar train that runs thrice a week has also been cancelled. We will be trying to complete the work as early as possible, but the estimated time needed for it is 125 days according to our calculation,” said senior commercial manager of Central Railway R K Sharma.

Regular passenger Shailesh Kshirsagar said, “I work in Pune, but my native place is Kurduwadi and the Intercity Express is a lifeline for a majority of people living on this route. We prefer this train due to its convenient timings and as it runs on all seven days of the week. The railways should not have cancelled this train.” Bhaurao Tandale, a trader from Solapur, added, “Travelling by the Intercity Express to Pune is convenient, cheaper and takes less time than road travel. If it doesn’t ply from November 1, it will be difficult for regular passengers like us as we cannot afford the high fares of state or private buses.”

A long wait of passengers from Chakradharpur to travel on the Bhubaneshwar- New Delhi Rajdhani Express is over. The train will travel via Chakradharpur railway station on every Saturday from February 10 next year. This change has been made in the new railway time table of South Eastern Railway ( SER) which will be effective from November 1.

As per the plans, on Saturdays starting from February 10 the train will leave Bhubaneshwar at 7.10 am and it will reach Chakradharpur railway station at 4.20 pm the same day. The train will reach New Delhi the next day at 10.40 am. On its return journey the train will leave New Delhi at 5.05 pm every Sunday ( with effect from February 11). The train will reach Chakradharpur the next day at 10.37 am. It will reach Bhubaneshwar at 8.35 pm the same day.

Chakradharpur is the highest revenue earning railway division in terms of freight in the country.

Railway officials said that commensing February 10 on every Saturday he train will travel via Sambalpur,Jharsuguda, Rourkela and Chakradharpur. “It has been long waited demand of the people of Chakradharpur. The town has been included in the route of Rajdhani Express keeping in view the demand of passengers,” said an official of Chakradharpur Railway Division.

Moreover, the new railway time table one pair of Weekly Humsafar Express between Santragachi and Pune every Saturday and leaving Pune every Monday will be introduced. The train will travel via Tatanagar railway station. The date of introduction of the train will be notified later.

Similarly, another weekly Humsafar Express train between Santragachi and Jabalpur leaving Santragachi every Thursday and Jabalpur every Wednesday will be introduced.

Located on the Howrah-Mumbai main route Tatanagar is an important station. Several important trains travel via Tatanagar, including the high-profile Rajdhani Express and Duronto Express. The station sees a daily traffic of 90 mail, express and passenger trains, besides a footfall of more than 60,000 passengers.