Digital transactions in passenger ticketing gets a boost in Palakkad Division, says DRM Madhukar Roat
Delivering the Independence Day address at the Divisional headquarters in Palakkad, Mr. Roat said 101 automatic ticket vending machines with 212 facilitators in 26 stations, including Mangaluru Central, account for 66% of unreserved ticket booking while unreserved ticketing system (UTS) on mobile accounts for 11% of tickets bought.
Improved earnings
Mr. Roat said gross earnings from originating revenue up to July 2025 stood at ₹598 crore, up by 3% compared to ₹580 crore last year. Capital expenditure reached ₹230 crore, showing a 45.56% increase compared to last year — a clear indicator of investment in infrastructure and services. Passenger revenue stood at ₹353 crore, reflecting a 6% growth over the same period last year, he added. Up to July 2025, the division carried 29.33 million passengers against the target of 27.42 million, surpassing it by 7%.
Highlighting the division's progress over the past year, including station redevelopment works at 16 locations under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, Mr. Roat said Mahe and Vadakara were already inaugurated and five more stations were set for completion next month. The division maintained a punctuality rate of 94% and recorded zero consequential accidents, supported by rigorous safety measures.
Freight loading exceeded targets, new train services were launched and several existing trains were extended or augmented to meet passenger demand. Passenger amenities saw significant upgrades, including lifts, escalators, air-conditioned waiting halls, advanced ticketing facilities, and digital service enhancements.
In sustainability, 628 kWp of solar power was installed and a 1,700 kWp solar plant was planned, expected to save over ₹1 crore annually. Infrastructure improvements, including complete track renewal between Walayar and Palakkad, replacement of over 3,800 steel channel sleepers, and bridge rehabilitation have strengthened safety and operational efficiency.
The Railway Protection Force enhanced passenger security through initiatives like Meri Saheli and Operation Amanat, assisting over 34,000 women passengers, recovering property worth ₹1.74 crore and seizing narcotics valued at ₹4.09 crore.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
35 minutes ago
- Time of India
Alumnus donates 30,000 sq ft land worth more than Rs 1crore to TN govt school
Govintharaju Ponnusamy THANJAVUR: An NRI octogenarian alumnus of a govt higher secondary school in a village near Thanjavur has donated 30,000 sqft of his land worth more than Rs 1crore for the expansion of the school, where he studied from 1948 to 1953. The donor, Govintharaju Ponnusamy, 83, is a native of Thirumangalakottai in Orathanadu block of Thanjavur district and is a citizen of Singapore. He studied at the Govt Primary School in Keelaiyur in Thirumangalakottai. 'Though I didn't study beyond Class VI, I wanted to contribute to education. I wanted the children in my village to study well,' said Govintharaju, who contributes to various charities. After his primary education, Govintharaju moved to Singapore in the erstwhile Integrated Malaysia to join his father in his spice business. He settled there with his family and received Singapore citizenship after its independence. After experiencing prosperity in business for decades, Govintharaju visited his hometown a few years ago and got to know about his school, which is now a higher secondary institution. You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai | Gold Rates Today in Chennai | Silver Rates Today in Chennai There are 213 students, including 85 boys and 128 girls, studying in the school. Around 21 staff teach at the school. The school has eight classrooms, three labs and a headmaster's room. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo 'I realised the school needed a playground. It could also have more classrooms if they have more land. As my family's agrarian land was adjacent, we donated it to them,' Govintharaju said. On Aug 8, Govintharaju registered the land in the name of the chief educational officer of the district and presented the documents to the staff of the school and parents of students during Independence Day celebrations. S Valarmathi, the school headmistress, expressed her gratitude to Govindtharaju. She said, 'Our students are performing well academically. The land donation can improve their educational standards and aid their skills in sports.' The parents of students and villagers lauded their village elder and his family for their generosity. Thiyaga Ilango, president of the school parents-teachers' association, said, 'Land donation of such a scale is commendable. We are confident that our children will immensely benefit from it.' Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
PM Modi Chairs High-level Meet With Ministers On Next-Generation Reforms
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday chaired a high-level meeting, which included top Union ministers, secretaries and economists, to deliberate on the roadmap for the next generation reforms, one of the key announcements he had made in his Independence Day address. Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, Nirmala Sitharaman, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Piyush Goyal and Lalan Singh attended the meeting, besides senior bureaucrats heading different ministries and economists. Modi said on X, "Chaired a meeting to discuss the roadmap for Next-Generation Reforms. We are committed to speedy reforms across all sectors, which will boost Ease of Living, Ease of Doing Business and prosperity." He had on August 15 announced the formation of a task force for 'next-generation reforms' and revision of GST laws, as he devoted a major part of his 103-minute speech to highlight the goal of making India self-reliant in a host of sectors ranging from semiconductors to fertilisers. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
"Make In India Need Not Become Make All That India Needs": RBI Ex-Governor
New Delhi: Sounding a note of caution, former RBI Governor D Subbarao on Monday said that 'Make in India' should not transform into 'Make all that India needs' as it would hurt investments in the country and impact productivity. Subbarao further said the punitive 50 per cent tariffs on Indian exports imposed by the US will raise the costs of Indian goods in the most important overseas market, which is America. "If 'Make in India' degenerates into 'Make all that India needs', we risk losing the chance to attract investment away from China. "The tariffs remind us that openness, not isolation, is the path to sustainable growth," he told PTI in an interview. Subbarao said the success of 'Make in India' hinges on competitiveness, not protectionism. "Atmanirbhar Bharat, an aspiration that the Prime Minister reiterated in his Independence Day speech, must mean strategic self-reliance in sensitive areas like defence and energy, not blanket self-sufficiency," he said. According to him, 'Make in India' was conceived as positioning the country as an export-driven manufacturing hub-making in India, not just for India, but for the world. "Punitive US tariffs cut directly into this ambition by raising the cost of Indian goods in our most important overseas market," Subbarao said, adding that investors considering India as an alternative to China in their China+1 diversification strategy will hesitate to lock into an India that is saddled with the highest tariffs in Asia. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day address, had said that for a nation, the biggest basis for self-respect ('atmasamman') is still 'atmanirbharta' (self-reliance). "And, the basis for 'Viksit Bharat' is also 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'". Responding to a question on impact on the impact of 50 per cent tariffs on India's exports and competitiveness, Subbarao said America is India's single largest export market, accounting for nearly 20 per cent of our total exports and over 2 per cent of GDP. "A 50 per cent tariff - even after exempting pharma and electronics - would hit at least half of our exports, especially in labour-intensive sectors such as textiles, gems & jewellery, and leather," he said. Subbarao also pointed out that the current exemptions on pharma and electronics are not permanent; ongoing reviews could bring them under tariff in the future "More worrying is that India now faces the highest tariff in Asia, far above Bangladesh (20 per cent), Vietnam (20 per cent), and Indonesia (19 per cent). This undermines our China+1 aspiration at a critical moment," he said. The former RBI Governor noted that the joint pledge by Modi and Trump at their February meeting to more than triple bilateral trade to USD 500 billion by 2030 now looks unrealistic. "While assessing the potential impact on our exports, we must also reckon with the possibility of China dumping in world markets to offset the loss of its US market. "To the extent these are markets where we compete, our exports to destinations outside of the US will also be hit," he said. Asked if it is at all possible for India to yield a little in giving access to the US in the agriculture and dairy sector, Subbarao said agriculture and dairy are politically sensitive sectors in India, providing livelihoods to millions, and tied closely to the country's food security. "A blanket opening to US imports is neither feasible nor desirable. "However, some calibrated flexibility could help unlock the impasse in negotiations," he said. According to him, this might mean limited tariff-rate quotas, selective product lines, and sanitary and phytosanitary alignment in exchange for significant gains in US market access for India's exports. Noting that any such opening should be phased, targetted, and paired with a strong backstop for farmers - investment in cold chains, productivity upgrades, and rural support programs, Subbarao said," India must protect its red lines but should not reject pragmatic compromises that deliver broader trade benefits." Asked if it is possible to pare down Russian oil imports, he said if India were to suddenly pivot from Russia to the Gulf, global oil prices would spike because neither US shale nor OPEC can ramp up supply quickly. "The effect would be to raise the global crude price, hurting India's current account, weakening the rupee, and fuelling inflation pressures," Subbarao said, adding that, in short, moving away is not a simple solution. He observed that the pragmatic course is gradual diversification - adding Middle Eastern and African barrels over time - while retaining flexibility to protect national energy security. "Currently, we import about 1.7 million barrels a day of Russian oil. There is an argument that since the Russian discount has fallen to USD 5 per barrel, the cost of switching away is less than 0.1 per cent of GDP," he added. On the impasse on India-US trade talks and what should be India's negotiating strategy going forward, Subbarao said a balanced agreement is possible if both sides focus on comparative advantages rather than deficits. "Our strategy should be pragmatic: resist emotional reactions, identify win-win sectors, and push for preferential access in labour-intensive industries, while offering selective concessions where feasible," he said. For India, America is the largest partner and one of the few countries with which it enjoys a trade surplus.
