Latest news with #NorthernRailways


The Print
2 days ago
- Business
- The Print
Northern Railways begins commercial operations of Vande Bharat train between Katra and Srinagar
Passengers who boarded the trains from Katra to Baramulla, or vice versa, expressed immense enthusiasm, with many stating they had eagerly awaited the opportunity to travel to Kashmir by train. The Vande Bharat express train, which was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Katra on June 6, connects Kashmir with the rest of the country through rail. Jammu, Jun 7 (PTI) The Northern Railways on Saturday commenced commercial operations of Vande Bharat trains between Katra and Srinagar, officials said. The first day of commercial operations went smoothly, as the trains reached their destinations by the evening, officials said. They added that public excitement was high, with most of the seats booked within hours of the train's inauguration. According to Northern Railway, two Vande Bharat train sets made four trips during the day between Katra and Srinagar. They said the train has two travel classes — Chair Car (CC) and Executive Class (EC) — with tickets priced at Rs 715 and Rs 1,320, respectively. PTI AB NB NB This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.


Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Northern Railways begins commercial operations of Vande Bharat train between Katra and Srinagar
The Northern Railways on Saturday commenced commercial operations of Vande Bharat trains between Katra and Srinagar, officials said. The Vande Bharat express train, which was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Katra on June 6, connects Kashmir with the rest of the country through rail. Passengers who boarded the trains from Katra to Baramulla, or vice versa, expressed immense enthusiasm, with many stating they had eagerly awaited the opportunity to travel to Kashmir by train. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play War Thunder now for free War Thunder Play Now Undo The first day of commercial operations went smoothly, as the trains reached their destinations by the evening, officials said. They added that public excitement was high, with most of the seats booked within hours of the train's inauguration. Live Events According to Northern Railway, two Vande Bharat train sets made four trips during the day between Katra and Srinagar. They said the train has two travel classes -- Chair Car (CC) and Executive Class (EC) -- with tickets priced at Rs 715 and Rs 1,320, respectively.


India.com
2 days ago
- Politics
- India.com
Meet G. Madhavi Latha, woman who played important role in construction of Chenab bridge, not IIT, NIT, once wanted to become...
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated the world's highest railway bridge over the Chenab river, which was completed at a cost of Rs 1,486 crore in more than eight years. This bridge is a remarkable feat in the fields of engineering and technology. However, many of you do not know that the key contributor behind this monumental project is a woman. Yes, you heard it right! She is a professor from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, who dedicated 17 years to its development as a geotechnical consultant. Her name is Professor G Madhavi Latha. Northern Railways also brought in rock engineering expert Dr. G. Madhavi Latha, who played a crucial role in planning, designing, and constructing the bridge structure, addressing the challenges caused by the terrain and slopes in collaboration with the contractor company, Afcons. Currently, she works as an HAG professor at IISc. Speaking about her educational qualification, Madhavi earned a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Kakinada in 1992. According to the media reports, she secured first class with distinction. Dr. G. Madhavi Latha earned a gold medal during her studies at the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Warangal, where she specialized in Geotechnical Engineering. She went on to complete her Ph.D. in Geotechnical Engineering from IIT Madras in the year 2000, further cementing her academic excellence in the field. 'Madhavi's research interests center around the fundamental aspects of soil reinforcement and understanding the shear mechanisms at a micro level. Her recent work on this subject area is to use image-based techniques to understand the micro-topographical surface changes in geosynthetics sheared by sands and relating them to the macro level strength improvement,' reads the official website of the IISc. 'Other topics explored in this area include seismic response of geosynthetic reinforced retaining walls and slopes through shaking table studies. Madhavi also maintains an active interest in rock engineering, including numerical modelling of jointed rock masses and stability analysis of rock slopes and tunnels,' it further reads. Before joining IISc, Madhavi was an Assistant Professor at IIT Guwahati for a year (2003-2004). She even worked as a postdoctoral researcher at IISc from 2002-2003. Over the years, Dr. G. Madhavi Latha has been the recipient of numerous prestigious accolades recognizing her contributions to geotechnical engineering and education. In 2007, she was honoured with the 'Teacher Extraordinaire' award by the Builders Association of India, Mysore Centre. The same year, she received the Best Paper Award at the First Indian Young Geotechnical Engineers Conference (FIYGEC-2007) for her research paper titled 'Comparison of Different Failure Criteria for Modelling Jointed Rocks.' Earlier, in 2002, the Indian Geotechnical Society awarded her the Best Paper Award for her publication 'Finite Element Analysis of Strip Footing Supported on Geocell Reinforced Sand Beds' in the Indian Geotechnical Journal.


Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
After nearly 28 years, Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link Project fully operational
The 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link Project, which was started in 1997, took almost 28 years to become operational. Its first 55 km long section between Jammu and Udhampur was completed in April 2005. According to Northern Railways, the whole project was completed and operationalised in multiple phases, with the last one being inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday. After opening the Jammu-Udhampur section, the then UPA government focused on sections in Kashmir and operationalised the 68 km long Anantnag-Mazhom rail link in October 2008"Then came a 32 km long Mazhom - Baramulla rail link on which train services started in February 2009. So by 2009, locals availed train journey from the last point of the USBRL project, ie, Baramulla to Anantnag," a Northern Railway official said. He added, 'Since work was going on simultaneously on other sections, Railways was able to extend the train service from Anantnag to Quazigund towards Jammu side by October end in 2009.' The Railways achieved another significant milestone when it further extended the train services from Quazigund to Banihal in June 2013, which involved the construction of an 11.215 km long Pir Panjal tunnel. "Almost a year later, in July 2014, the Udhampur-Katra line from the Jammu side was made operational," the official said. According to a railway source, "When the Modi government came to power, the rail services were operational from Baramulla to Banihal in Kashmir side and Katra to Jammu on the other side. The missing link - Banihal to Katra - needed to become operational for bringing Kashmir on the rail network of the country." "The Modi government completed the Banihal to Katra connectivity in two phases. First, Banihal to Sangaldan in Feb 2024 and then Sangaldan to Katra on June 6, 2025, was made operational, completing the missing link," he added. The Northern Railway said that the Banihal to Katra section has the iconic Chenab and Anji Bridge and some of the toughest and longest tunnels. "For instance, the 12.75 km long country's longest operational rail tunnel is between Banihal and Sangaldan. Many other challenging infrastructure development works were materialised in the past 11 years," another official said.


News18
3 days ago
- Science
- News18
A Very 'Civil' Engineer: IISc Professor Madhavi Latha Spent 17 Years Building Chenab Bridge
Last Updated: Professor Latha's team adopted a 'design-as-you-go' philosophy, continuously adapting and innovating in real time Inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, the Chenab Bridge, a remarkable feat of Indian engineering, stands as the world's highest such arch bridge. While the project's success is attributable to many, a significant contribution to its structural integrity and stability is from Professor G Madhavi Latha from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru. Her expertise in rock engineering proved indispensable over 17 years of dedicated involvement. Dr Madhavi Latha, a distinguished geotechnical and rock engineering specialist from IISc's civil engineering department, was specifically enlisted by Northern Railways and the project contractor, Afcons Infrastructure, to address the exceptionally challenging terrain. The bridge spans a deep gorge in the seismically active and geologically complex Himalayan region, where steep slopes, varied rock conditions, and high wind speeds presented formidable obstacles. Dr Latha's primary role was to consult on slope stabilisation and bridge foundation design. Constructing the bridge's massive arch abutments and piers on the steep, often unstable, rock slopes posed immense challenges. During excavation, engineers frequently encountered unforeseen geological conditions, such as fractured rocks, hidden cavities, and varying rock properties, not apparent during initial surveys. Professor Latha's team adopted a 'design-as-you-go" philosophy, continuously adapting and innovating in real time. This involved complex calculations and design modifications to accommodate the actual rock mass conditions encountered during excavation. Her contributions included advising on techniques like cement grouting (injecting cement into rock joints for reinforcement) and the precise design and placement of rock anchors to enhance stability. These measures ensured the foundations could withstand extreme conditions, including high wind forces and seismic activity. The cumulative length of rock anchors used, tens of thousands of metres, testifies to the scale of the challenge. Madhavi Latha's 17-year commitment, from the planning stages in 2005 through the completion of trials in 2022, was crucial in overcoming the unique geotechnical challenges posed by the project's location. Her work ensured that the Chenab Bridge is not only the world's highest but also robust enough to withstand the harsh Himalayan environment for an estimated 120 years. (With agency inputs)