Latest news with #Railways
The Hindu
an hour ago
- Business
- The Hindu
PM Modi will inaugurate Vande Bharat train service from Katra to Srinagar on June 6
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the first Vande Bharat train service to Kashmir on June 6, railway officials said on Tuesday (June 3, 2025). While earlier the plan was to inaugurate the 272-km Udhampur - Srinagar - Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project on April 19, the programme got deferred due to unsuitable weather conditions. The Pahalgam attack on April 22 led to further deferment of the inauguration. Prior to the terror attack, Mr. Modi was set to travel to Srinagar for the inauguration. Now, he will flag off the train from Katra on Jammu side, officials said. The Vande Bharat train journey from Katra to Srinagar will reduce the travel time to merely three hours. 'Currently the road route takes at least six to seven hours,' railway officials said. Currently railway services are operational between Barammulla - Srinagar to Sangaldan in the Kashmir valley. 'Now that Sangaldan has been connected to Katra in Jammu via rail, trains can run between the whole stretch,' officials said. Mr. Modi is likely to flag off two Vande Bharat trains, with one running from Katra to Srinagar and the other running from Srinagar to Katra. Also read | Railways unveils Vande Bharat, specially designed for winters in J&K, for Katra-Srinagar route The Kashmir version of Vande Bharat is equipped with climate-specific adaptations to provide advance heating systems in sub-zero temperatures, driver's front lookout glass embedded with heating elements for defrosting, and to ensure clear visibility during harsh winters. While the ambitious project to connect Kashmir by train began in 1997, it was commissioned in bits and parts and faced multiple delays due to geographical challenges posed by the terrain. In 2009, Qazigund - Baramulla section in Kashmir was rendered operation, following which in 2013, the 18-km Banihal - Qazigund section, and in 2014 - the 24-km Udhampur - Katra section was started. In 2023, the section between Banihal and Sangaldan was started and now the connectivity between Sangaldan and Katra, which is believed to be the most difficult of all sections has been completed. The Vande Bharat train will snake through the Chenab Bridge standing 359 meters above mean sea level. At an estimated cost of over ₹40,000 crore, the USBRL project involved laying out ballast less tracks over bridges and tunnels, spanning deep gorges, with 90% of the route traversed over 943 bridges, and 36 main tunnels, including India's longest railway tunnel, T-50 stretching more than 12.7 km. On the Katra - Banihal section, the train will also traverse another engineering marvel, the Anji Khad bridge, which is India's first cable-stayed bridge. Supported by 96 cables, the 725-meter-long bridge stands 331 meters above mean sea level.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Sabarimala rail to become reality, says Kerala minister
Thiruvananthapuram: The long-pending Angamali–Sabarimala railway line, eagerly awaited by the people of the state, is set to become a reality, said state minister in-charge of Railways V Abdurahiman. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Speaking after high-level talks with Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in New Delhi, Abdurahiman announced that procedures for land acquisition will begin shortly. A technical team from the Railways is expected to visit Kerala in July to assess the requirements on the ground. The announcement was made after a meeting led by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in which Abdurahiman and Kerala's special representative in Delhi K V Thomas participated. "This is a long-cherished dream of Kerala's people. We are proud that the project is finally progressing under the leadership of the state govt," Abdurahiman said. The land acquisition process is expected to bring relief to hundreds of families whose properties are affected by the project, addressing long-standing concerns and ensuring fair compensation and rehabilitation. The govt aims to expedite the completion of the rail line, which remained stalled for years. The Angamali–Sabarimala project is now receiving top priority, Abdurahiman added. The state has also requested the Centre to speed up plans for constructing the third and fourth railway lines in Kerala to ease congestion in existing routes. Meanwhile, the minister clarified after the meeting that the LDF govt's ambitious SilverLine semi-high-speed rail project was not part of the discussions held with the Union minister. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Originally announced by the in 1998, the proposed 111km Angamali–Erumeli line is considered a crucial infrastructure project, primarily catering to millions of pilgrims travelling to the Sabarimala temple every year. The line is also expected to catalyse development in Kerala's south-eastern region. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the state and the ministry of railways was signed on Jan 27, 2016. Although the project was estimated at Rs 2,815cr, the state govt after initial hesitation agreed to bear 50% of the project cost. In 2022, the state submitted a revised project estimate of Rs 3,421cr to the Indian Railways, a Rs 600cr increase from the earlier estimate. The Kerala govt has also proposed that the project be executed by the Kerala rail development corporation ltd (K-Rail), a joint venture between the state and the ministry of railways.
India Today
8 hours ago
- Business
- India Today
PM Modi likely to launch Vande Bharat express to Srinagar on June 6
PM Narendra Modi will likely inaugurate Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat train service this week, which will be the first rail connectivity to the Kashmir valley from the rest of India. The PM was set to greenlight the train on April 19, but was unable to do so due to adverse weather opening ceremony was deferred due to the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor, two developments which have given what was intended to be a big infrastructure project much more significance. Coming in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, conceived to undo tourism-based economic progress, the operation of the first train to Srinagar will be perceived as the Centre's ongoing commitment to the border state as well as an indication of defiance, officials month, Railways successfully operated its first "trial special train", carrying troops, on the Katra-Qazigund section, including the Chenab Bridge, which is on the final leg of the stretch connecting Kashmir with the rest of India by rail." Trains and security machinery are ready for operation," a central govt official said. Railways has also modified the Vande Bharat train that will run between Srinagar and Katra. The facility includes heating systems for comfortable operation during winter weather, an anti-spall coating, and automatic doors. The Katra-Srinagar link is part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail project, which spans 272 kilometres and includes 119 kilometres of tunnelling. It features two iconic engineering structures: the Chenab Bridge and the Anji Khad Bridge. The entire corridor has been completed with an investment of Rs 42,930 crores. Tune InMust Watch
New Indian Express
15 hours ago
- Climate
- New Indian Express
28,000 trees at risk of falling on railway tracks in Kerala
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Railways has identified 28,000 trees along the tracks between Nagercoil and Vallathol Nagar as vulnerable to falling and causing traffic disruptions. To mitigate this risk, a special initiative has been launched to either cut, trim, or secure these trees to prevent further damage. This move comes after multiple incidents since May 26, where fallen trees caused significant disruptions and damage. Discussions have already been held with district collectors to address the issue. 'Property owners are reluctant to cut the trees despite receiving notices. We cannot continue like this, as fallen trees not only disrupt train services but also pose a serious public safety concern and lead to substantial financial losses,' said a railway official. Strong actions are being planned, including holding property owners financially responsible for the damages and pursuing legal action against those who refuse to comply. Under the Railway Act, authorities are authorised to seek compensation from tree owners if their trees cause damage to railway property. The Trivandrum Railway Division had conducted pre-monsoon trimming, but the strong winds (over 60 km/h) and heavy rains have increased the risk of tree falls. The financial impact has been considerable. For instance, after a tree fell on the Guruvayur-Punkunnam section, the Railways incurred a cost of Rs 22 lakh to restore the line, covering fuel, manpower, spare parts and extended train delays. Since May 26, there have been 12 incidents of tree falls in this section. On May 29, alone, 5 incidents were reported on the coastal line and Thiruvananthapuram-Kottayam section, leading to a 5-hour disruption. Rectification work, which began at 6pm, continued until 11pm, causing delays in the arrival of pairing trains on Friday.
Time of India
17 hours ago
- Time of India
Kerala passengers top in buying non-veg breakfast in VB
Thiruvananthapuram: People who travel by Vande Bharat in Kerala top the list in buying non-veg breakfasts compared to other Vande Bharat trains operated by Southern Railway. On May 31, 411 non-veg breakfasts were served on the Thiruvananthapuram-Kasaragod VB and 398 on the Mangalore-Thiruvananthapuram VB. MGR Chennai Central-Mysuru VB comes third with 197 orders. Tirunelveli-Chennai Egmore Vande Bharat sold 173 non-veg breakfasts while Coimbatore-Chennai Central sold 77, and MGR Chennai Central-Vijayawada sold 46. Food is often selected by the passenger when booking tickets and is included in the ticket cost. The previous day, Nagercoil-Chennai topped the list with 240 non-veg breakfasts. Chennai-Vijayawada sold the least number of non-veg breakfasts at 35. The statistics show the preference for non-veg in Kerala and also on the southern route from Chennai. A non-veg breakfast is preferred over a veg breakfast because it's mostly bread toast and an omelette, which people consider to be better than idly and sambar or roti. Sources said that most people who start the trip from the originating station buy breakfast from the train because the departure is too early. Nevertheless, some people bring their food as it will help reduce the cost of the ticket. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like They Lost Their Money - Learn From Their Lesson Expertinspector Click Here Undo People depend on railway food onboard because the train has automatic doors, and it's impossible to buy food when the train halts at stations. P Krishnakumar of the Thrissur Passengers Association said that the number of breakfasts is lower when compared to the seats of the train because everyone will not travel from the originating station. "In Kerala, most of the people use the train to travel from Thiruvananthapuram to Kottayam, Thrissur, and Ernakulam and do not travel all the way to Kasaragod or from Mangalore to Thiruvananthapuram," he said. There is also a concern that the food given is not suitable for the Kerala palate. The recent busting of a railway contractor's central kitchen where food was being prepared in an unhygienic way caused a lot of concern among the travellers. Krishnakumar said it's unlikely that Vande Bharat passengers would try to cut back on food to save money as most of its passengers are those who previously travelled by car. Food prepared very early is loaded into the trains before departure. The staff heat the food before serving it. However, the quality of taste is still an issue Railways are struggling to deal with. With the Railways gearing up to launch Vande Bharat sleeper trains from Thiruvananthapuram to Bengaluru, passengers demad improvement in quality of food.
