New train to B’lore to run as a special

Kochi: The Railways has adopted a new strategy to tide over the protests against inconvenient timings of the proposed additional train between Kochuveli and Bangalore by making it a special train. 
However, the new train, which will run for four days a week from Friday for a month, will leave Kochuveli at 9.20pm and will reach Bangalore at 12.45pm the next day. 
The Railways, in a press release, said the new train would leave Kochuveli on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. 
 In its return trips, the train will leave Bangalore at 2.15pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. 
Earlier, there were widespread protests against the timetable of the new train from passengers who wanted it to reach Bangalore in the morning hours and to leave Bangalore in the night.
(Times of India dt 1-9-2012)

Booking of e-tickets in IRCTC to get easier

Mumbai: Booking your ticket may get easier and faster through Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) website. It has plans to come up with a Rolling Deposit Scheme where user can book tickets against the amount deposited with IRCTC. 
Pradeep Kundu, Joint General Manager, Public Relations, IRCTC said, “Under the scheme, a user can deposit money in advance with IRCTC and use RDS as a payment option amongst the other payment options available on IRCTC website for paying money at the time of booking tickets.” 
It is proposed to have a onetime registration fee of Rs. 200 – 250 and minimum deposit of around Rs. 1,500 – 2,000, The top-up of RDS account balance can be done by using any of the available Payment Gateways and a user can transfer the money from his Bank Account to IRCTC Bank account and book tickets using that RDS account. Users can manage his account online and also top up online. 
IRCTC claims that RDS account system will be more efficient and advantageous compared to the transaction carried out through Payment Gateways of banks. 
Kundu said, “As of now, after selecting the payment option, the customer is redirected to the Payment Gateway where he enters the credit card details. Subsequently he is redirected to either VBV (Verified by Visa) service or Master Secure service where he has to enter the transaction password and validate. This entire process consumes substantial amount of transaction time.” 
Moreover, in the payment gateway system very often one enters wrong password and therefore, has to revalidate it. After which when the customer is finally redirected back to IRCTC site the session may time out and as a result his ticket is not booked. 
 Kundu said, “The same can be saved by the user by using the RDS account since the entire transaction is internal and there is no dependency on a third party Payment Gateway.” 
In the RDS system, user's dependency on bank is reduced.

(Manthan K Mehta TNN, Times of India dt 31-8-2012)

SCC Meeting

(Malayala Manorama dt 28-8-2012)

Promote Goods traffic through rail

(The Hindu dt 23-8-2012)

New proposals

(Madhyamam dt 7-8-2012)

Technical Snag

(Malayala Manorama dt 7-8-2012)

A hi-tech solution to cut railway station queues

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Southern Railway (SR) divisional office here is planning to set up automatic ticket vending machines at the Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station soon. The move is expected to cut the long queues in front of ticket counters at the station.
The machines, which employ technology similar to ATMs, will help passengers book tickets using prepaid 'smart cards'. Print outs of the tickets can also be taken on the spot.
Tickets can be procured for daily commutes within the state. Passengers will also be able to book tickets two to three days prior to their journey.
"It was decided to introduce the vending machines after we noticed lengthy queues at the ticket counters here, especially during morning and evening peak hours. The easy-to-use touch screen interface will help passengers choose the destination, class and number of seats. The smart card can be recharged just like pre-paid mobile cards," said a senior commercial department official.
According to the official, after Thiruvananthapuram Central, the facility would be introduced at Ernakulam and Thrissur railway stations.
"In the initial stage, we will post an official with a smart card near the machine to help the passengers. Once the public familiarizes with the system, the smart cards will be made available for all. Southern Railway is planning to launch the facility within two months, which at the moment is only employed at its Chennai suburban system," the official said.
He added that if found successful, the facility would be made available at all stations in the state.
(George Adimathra, TNN | Aug 7, 2012, 02.08AM IST. Times of India dt 7-8-2012)

Kerala government is yet to begin work on railway budget proposals

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As railway divisions across the country begin preliminary discussions to furnish proposals for the next railway budget, the state government which can play a major role in getting things on track has not done anything yet. 

The divisional railway manager offices ofThiruvananthapuram and Palakkad stated that preliminary discussions in view of railway budget proposal submissions had already commenced. "Rail infrastructure development is the need of the hour and not additional trains. If the government makes suggestions few weeks before the final submission, as it normally does, Kerala will fare badly in the coming year too," said railway passengers association general secretary P Krishnakumar. 

"The state government's lethargy in land acquisition process is the main factor that prevents infrastructure development," said divisional railway manager offices of Thiruvananthapuram and Palakkad. "August-September is the right time for the government to jointly work with respective divisional authorities to include its proposals in the railway budget. But such a practice has not been followed for the past many years and this is one major factor that ruins Kerala's prospect for a people-friendly railway budget," said Krishnakumar. "Doubling Ernakulam-Kayamkulam sector via Kottayam and Alappuzha, electrification of Shornur-Mangalore stretch, construction of Guruvayur-Thirunnavaya line, gauge conversion of Palakkad-Pollachi section and Punalur-Shengotta section, track doubling of Shornur-Karakkad section, introduction of automatic signaling system and laying two additional tracks exclusively for suburban service from Mangalore to Nagercoil are few of the projects that need immediate completion," Krishnakumar said. 

"Last week, during a meeting of state MPs, railway was not even mentioned. Their proposal will weigh more than what RPAs submit. But MPs take action barely one week before the budget. This is why neighboring states score better than Kerala in the budget," said Mathew Paul, general secretary, all-Kerala RPA.

(George Adimathra, TNN | Aug 6, 2012, 05.15AM IST. Times of India dt 6-8-2012)

New corporation for HSRCs

(Malayala Manorama dt 30-7-2012)

Service tax from 1-10-2012

(Malayala Manorama dt 28-7-2012)

Train reservation in POs

(Malayala Manorama dt 28-7-2012)

Cameras for Sfety

(Malayala Manorama dt 28-7-2012)

Cheapest travel

(Malayala Manorama dt 21-7-2012)

Finally Cyclists get due recognition

(The Hindu dt 5-8-2012)

Foot Over Bridge

This FOB is a deposit work by Thrissur Corporation to connect Poothole & Kokkalai and Railway has no authority to impose fine.
(Mathrubhumi dt 27-7-2012)

Bio Toilets

(Mathrubhumi dt 26-7-2012)

Passenger Safety concerns

(Malayala Manorama dt 25-7-2012)

Personal Rapid Transit systems

(The Hindu dt 27-7-2012)