Before informing about the purpose of the red light, first let us understand the meaning and importance of big ‘X’ written on the last compartment and ‘LV’ board hung on it.
The ‘X’ denotes that the compartment is the last compartment of the train. Similarly, ‘LV’ means ‘Last Vehicle’. These symbols are to tell people that the passing compartment is the last compartment.
In case, anyone finds the last compartment of a train doesn't have ‘X’ of ‘LV’ symbol, s/he should understand that there is something wrong that has happened to the train and immediately alert the nearest railway station.
This apart, only after seeing the last compartment with ‘X’ mark cross the station, the station master gives permission to the station master of the previous station to leave another train.
But the ‘X’ mark and ‘LV’ board works during day time as they are not noticeable in dark.
During night, the red light at the end of the last compartment works the same for ‘X’ mark and ‘LV’ board.
They are not just whistles but more than that. Do you know what they mean?
Let’s understand.
1. One small horn
If you hear a small horn, you have to understand that the motorman is taking the train in the yard for washing and cleaning for the next journey.
2.Two small horns
If you hear, two small horns, it means the motorman is asking the guard to direct the railway signal to start the train.
3.Three smaller horns
In case you hear three smaller horns, it suggests that the motorman has lost control over the train. This also acts as a signal to pull the vacuum break immediately. This signal is rarely heard.
4.Four Smaller horns
If you hear four smaller horns, you have to understand that the motorman finds a technical issue with the train and it also indicates the train wouldn’t go ahead.
5.Continuous horn
If you hear horn is being blown continuously, you have to understand that the train is passing through stations without any halts. This is to alert passengers.
6.One long horn and one shorter horn
If you hear one long horn and one shorter horn, it means the motorman is signaling the guard to set the break pipe system before they start the engine.
7.Two long and two short horns
If you hear two long and two short horns, you have to understand that eh motorman is signaling the guard to take control of the engine.
8.Two horns with two pauses
If you hear two horns with two pauses, it indicates that the train is passing through a railway crossing. And it is to alert the passersby.
9.Two long and short horns
If you hear two long and short horns, you have to understand that the train changing the tracks.
10.Two short and one long horn
If you hear two short and one long horn, you have to understand that either a passenger has pulled a chain or the guard has pulled a vacuum break.
11.Six time short horns
If you hear six time short horns, you have to understand that the train is stuck in a dangerous situation.
Read on to know why.
The mark ‘X’ written on the last compartment of the train suggests the train is moving with its last coach and no coach is left over. It is generally written in effervescence yellow.
If a train passes a station and the Station Master notices that the last compartment doesn’t have a big letter ‘X’ then he becomes sure that the train is in trouble and it is moving without its last vehicle.
He then raises an alert to avoid accident. If a common man finds a train moving without ‘X’ mark on its last compartment, s/he should understand that a few compartments are left behind and should alert the nearby railway station immediately.
Only after seeing the last compartment with ‘X’ mark cross the station, the station master gives permission to the station master of the previous station to leave another train.
Besides the ‘X’ mark, a small board with letters ‘LV’ (black on yellow) is also attached to the last compartment. ‘LV’ means, Last Vehicle.
Both the symbols ‘X’ and ‘LV’ are useful during the day time as in night they are not visible.
The TRAI, in March, 2017, had notified the new regulatory framework for Broadcasting and Cable services and re-notified it on July 3, 2018, prescribing the implementation schedule.
According to the implementation schedule, all the service providers were required to complete the preparation for migration to new framework by December 28, 2018, as the new framework will come into force the next day.
In order to facilitate all service providers to migrate their subscribers from old to new framework without causing inconvenience, TRAI, after consultations with broadcasters, DTH operators, and MSOs (multi-system operators), has given them more time to seek options from subscribers for smooth and interruption-free migrations.
"All existing packs/plans/bouquets to the subscribers will continue uninterrupted till January 31, 2019. No service provider to disconnect any signal or feed to any MSO/LCO (local cable operator)/subscriber till January 2019," TRAI said in a statement.
Distribution platform operators (DPOs) will devise their own mechanism to reach out to all the subscribers and seek options from subscribers, TRAI said adding that DPOs need to migrate all the subscribers to new framework with effect from February 1, 2019.
In order to have a smooth implementation of the new regulatory framework that will come into effect Saturday, TRAI held a series of meetings and consultations with all the stakeholders including Consumers Advocacy Groups (CAG) during last 4-6 weeks, the statement said.
It was noted during those discussions that to make the consumers aware about the new framework and the process of seeking fresh choice of TV channels from about 150 million subscribers would require some time and resources of the service providers.
"Subsequently, the Authority (TRAI) also held meetings on December 19 and December 27 with various service providers of the broadcasting and cable services sector. The preparedness for migration of all subscribers from old to new framework was also assessed," TRAI said.
The Telecom regulator said the issue of smooth migration from the old to new regulatory framework was specifically discussed and it emerged that, by and large, most stakeholders are ready for implementation of the new regulatory framework.
TRAI said DPOs shall declare the Distributor Retail Price (DRP) and Network Capacity Fee (NCF) by December 29.
"Customers can now choose their own channels. In that case they have to pay a lower price than before," senior vice-president of Ortel communication, Bishnuprasad Mahapatra said.
"Villagers will face difficulty because of the changes. They will now have to pay more," a cable operator in Odisha Biranchi Kar said.
The government had said on Thursday that the new regulatory framework for broadcasting and cable services will provide "freedom of choice" and give consumers "direct control" on their monthly bill for television services.
(With PTI inputs)
No casualties, injuries or damage to belongings of any passenger or other railway personnel aboard the train has been reported yet, informed officials of the East Coast Railway.
The luggage bogie was booked by the CRPF and the exact reason behind the flames is yet to be ascertained. On getting information, fire tenders from Keonjhar, Ghatagaon and Harichandanpur rushed to the spot to douse the flames.
Meanwhile, the damaged bogie has been detached from the passenger train by the railway officials.“The smoke was seen billowing out from the luggage bogie of the train near Chilikidara station at around 8 am,” an eyewitness said.
Speaking to OTV, a senior officer of the East Coast Railway Nirakar Dash informed, "The luggage bogie in which the fire mishap took place was booked by the CRPF. However, what triggered the fire is yet to be established. The bogie has been detached adding that the train will leave the Chilikidara railway station soon.
Rayagada: Two minor boys suffered serious injuries after being pushed by an unidentified miscreant from Koraput- Vishakhapatnam train near Leligumma under Kashipur block of Rayagada district today.
The victims have been identified as Santosh Nayak and Lochan Nayak from Dabuda village under Tikiri police station. Both of them have been admitted to the district headquarters hospital.
According to sources, they were allegedly pushed out of the train while they were on their way from Tikiri to Leligumma. However, the motive behind the act is yet to be ascertained.
Speaking to media, Raju Nayak, a relative of one of the injured said, "We don’t know who has done it, but he (the victim) was saying that the man who pushed them was drunk.”
The victims have suffered multiple injuries on their bodies, informed sources. Till last reports came in, the victims were showing some improvement in health.
According to reports, when the herd comprising of one tusker, two female elephants and a calf were crossing over the tracks in the wee hours at around 4 am today near Teladihi level crossing, they were hit by a speeding train leading to the death of the four animals on the spot.
On getting information, forest officials rushed to the spot and initiated a rescue operation.
Three JCB machines have been engaged to clear the tracks as the jumbos are lying dead on the tracks disrupting railway traffic on the route.
The deceased, identified as Radhakrishnan, was a resident of Kerala and posted at the 8th Battalion here in Muniguda.
Getting information, police rushed to the spot and recovered his body. "Preliminary probe reveals Radhakrishnan intentionally came in front of the train and committed suicide. Further investigation into the matter is on," said a police official.
The changes were made following an abnormal delay in connecting train movements and also to adjust train timings, informed ECoR sources.
RESCHEDULED TRAINS
CANCELLED TRAINS
SER spokesman Sanjay Ghosh said, “For a long time, reservation chart has been put up on coach of the Express and Mail trains. But these days it does not look appropriate.”
He added, “With the new decision, train coaches can be kept clean from the outside apart from saving paper.”
Detailed information is available on a confirmed ticket during a booking. However, in case a ticket is not confirmed, a passenger can get information about reservation against cancellation and confirmation through an SMS on the registered phone number.
The new rule is applicable on Mail and Express trains of SER originating from Howrah and running to the western and southern destinations of the country.
Sustaining critical injury, both were rescued with their legs and hands severed. They also sustained critical head injuries. They were rushed to Rairangpur hospital by the eyewitnesses through 108 ambulance.
Love affair is suspected to be the reason behind such drastic step.
Sources said Ganesh Debagama (25) of Gundra village was in love with a minor girl of the same village village for last one year. However, since families of the couple did not agree to solemnise its marriage, they are suspected to have planned to end lives .
Rairangpur police registered a case and started investigation.
The local residents had a harrowing experience while standing in long queue before the retails shops to purchase essential commodities. “We failed to shop due to the curfew as we depend on the daily market to purchase vegetables and other kitchen items. My husband was beaten up by police while he was returning from the market even during the hour of curfew relaxation", Tillottama, a resident of Apartibindha said.
Similarly, Durga Gupta, another resident of the town, has similar pathetic tale to share over the ongoing situation in the strife-torn city. Struggling to pacify her crying kid, Gupta appealed to the energy officials to restore electricity at the earliest. "Electricity has been disrupted for the last two days even as the temperature in day time continues to rise”, she said, adding that milk is needed for the kids, but the milkmen are not coming due to the shutdown.
Life of elderly people, especially ailing one, has been paralysed due to power disruption. "I am suffering from blood pressure due to old age. Restoration of electricity is urgently needed as temperature is rising by the day", 70-year-old Sundarlal Gupta said.
On the other hand, electric workers have toiled hard to restore normalcy. "Some places have already been reconnected after two days of power disruption. Repairing of damaged service cable is in progress. The works were completed in Santhia, Rangamahala and Kajumahala area. We are now proceeding to other areas", an electricity worker said.
The curfew has also brought untold miseries for the train passengers. From kids to elderly or patients, all have to cover a long distance by walking to reach the station. "We have taken the lane and by-lane to reach the station as the vehicles have remained off the roads," said a woman passenger waiting to board train for Paradip at Charampa station.
The passengers, those have landed at Bhadrak station from outside, have distressing time.
"We are trapped in the station as lodges and hotels have remained closed. Even we cannot move out as vehicular communication was badly hit", another passenger said.
As per the statement of the Station Master of Daikallu Station, 15-20 Maoists arrived there at around 1:30 am and first ransacked the office, than they pulled him out of the office. Following it they caused an explosion in the office and snatched away the walkie-talkie used by the Station Master.
Along with this a goods train was also halted by the Maoists and they blasted its engine, said the Station Master.
Later, the Maoists released the Station Master, but did not return the walkie-talkie to him as a result of which train services were affected.
Posters of CPI(Maoists) were found at the railway station that protested on appointment of non-Odia senior police officers. It also mentioned that there are non-Odia Jawans in Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Border Security Force (BSF).
They even protested on appointment of non-Odia administrative officers. The non-Odia officers are exploiting and suppressing the people of Odisha, read the posters.
Meanwhile, DGP KB Singh said, "Such an incident has been caused for the first time in Odisha, we are taking it seriously. Superintendent of Police, Special Operations Group (SOG) and CRPF have reached at the spot." A joint combing operation to nab the Maoists have been initiated.
Several north-bound trains were running late.Travellers faced problems because of bad weather conditions. Rajdhani Express scheduled to leave Bhubaneswar at 9.30 am was rescheduled at 12 noon. Similarly, Purusottam Express was rescheduled at 8 am and Nilachala Express at 10 am and Hirakhand at 9 am.
Several passengers had to wait for hours to start their journey. The people, who were waiting for their journey, had returned to their home and hotels after Railways rescheduled the timing of the train. But some passengers waited at the waiting room of the station for hours to board the train.
The fog enveloped the Capital city till 10 am today following which many vehicles were found plying on road with light. The visibility reduced to around 10to 15 metre
The timings of 10 numbers of trains have been changed and are different from the earlier time at different stations under ECoR jurisdiction.
The timings of 22823 and 22811 Bhubaneswar-New Delhi Rajdhani Express at Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Bhadrak have been changed.
22823 Bhubaneswr-New Delhi Rajdhani Express will leave Bhubaneswar at 0930 hours instead of 0915 hours. Similarly, 22811 Rajdhani Express will leave at 1140 hours instead of 1120 hours.
19454 Puri-Gandhidham Express will leave Puri at 1030 hours instead of 0905 hours. The timings of this train at other stations have also been changed.
18309 Sambalpur-Nanded Express will leave Sambalpur at 0930 hours instead of 0850 hours. The timings of this train at other stations have also been changed.
18473 Puri-Jodhpur Express will leave Puri at 1500 hours instead of 1330 hours. The timings of this train at other stations have also been changed.
18425 Puri-Durg Express will leave Puri at 1845 hours instead of 1715 hours. The timings of this train at other stations have also been changed.
18452 Puri-Hatia Tapaswini Express will leave Puri at 2000 hours instead of 2035 hours. The timings of this train at other stations have also been changed.
12838 Puri-Howrah Express will leave Puri at 2020 hours instead of 2000 hours. The timings of this train at other stations have also been changed.
18447 Bhubaneswar-Jagadalpur Hirakhand Express will leave Bhubaneswar at 2025 hours instead of 1935 hours. The timings of this train at other stations have also been changed.
22854 Visakhapatnam-Shalimar Express will leave Visakhapatnam at 1750 hours instead of 1315 hours. The timings of this train at other stations have also been changed.
Departure timings of trains after the present schedule
22811 & 22823 Bhubaneswar-New Delhi Rajdhani Express, 12819 Bhubaneswar-Anand Vihar (New Delhi) Odisha Sampark Kranti Express scheduled to leave from Bhubaneswar from October 1 will leave in revised timings after the present scheduled time.
12822 Puri-Howrah Dhauli Express, 19454 Puri-Gandhidham Express, 18401 Puri-Okha Express, 18425 Puri-Durg Express, 12838 Puri-Howrah Express, 22890 Puri-Digha Express, 18449 Puri-Patna Baidyanathdham Express, 18419 Puri-Jaynagar Express, 15639 Puri-Guwahati Express, 18473 Puri-Jodhpur Express will leave Puri on revised timings.
18309 Sambalpur-Nanded Express, 22804 Sambalpur-Howrah Express via Angul & Bhadrak, 18311 Sambalpur-Varanasi Express will also leave after the present schedule time.
18108 Koraput-Rourkela Intercity, 58302 Koraput-Sambalpur Passenger, 58537 Koraput-Visakhapatnam Passenger will leave Koraput after the present scheduled time.
18448 Jagdalpur-Bhubaneswar Hirakhand Express, 18006 Jagdalpur-Howrah Samaleswari Express and 18212 Jagdalpur-Durg Express will also leave Jagdalpur on revised timings after the present scheduled time.
22847 Visakhapatnam-LTT, 18509 Visakhapatnam-Nanded, 22854 Visakhapatnam-Shalimar Express and 58526 Visakhapatnam-Palasa Passenger will leave Visakhapatnam in newly revised timings after the present schedule.
Departure timings of trains before the present schedule
18106 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela Inter City Express will leave Bhubaneswar at 1310 hours instead of earlier scheduled at 1335 hours.
18452 Puri-Hatia Tapaswini Express will leave Puri at 2000 hours instead of present scheduled time 2035 hours.
18302 Rayagada-Sambalpur Inter City Express will leave Rayagada at 1415 hours instead of present 1430 hours.
58208 Junagarh Road-Raipur Passenger will leave Junagarh Road at 0155 hours instead of 0200 hours.
18573 Visakhapatnam-Bhagat ki Kothi Express via Rayagada & Titilagarh will leave Visakhapatnam at 0510 hours instead of earlier timing at 0530 hours.
18512 Visakhapatnam-Koraput Express will leave Visakhapatnam at 1350 hours instead of 1425 hours.
22869 Visakhapatnam Chennai Express will leave at 1905 hours instead of 1920 hours.
58506 Visakhapatnam-Gunupur Passenger will leave Visakhapatnam at 0520 hours instead of 0545 hours.
Apart from this, 78533 Palasa-Vizianagaram Passenger, 57226 Visakhapatnam-Vijayawada Passenger will also leave Palasa & Visakhapatnam respectively before the present scheduled timings.
Renumbering of trains
Rourkela-Bhubaneswar-Rourkela Inter City Express, Dibrugarh-Bangalore-Dibrugarh Express, Bhubaneswar-Bhadrak-Bhubaneswar Passenger, Bhubaneswar-Brahmapur-Bhubaneswar Passenger, Bhubaneswar-Balugaon-Palasa-Bhubaneswar Passenger, Palasa-Gunupur-Palasa Passenger, Puri-Khurda Road-Puri Passenger, and Khurda Road-Rajsunakhala-Khurda Road Passengerswill run in revised new numbers from October 1.
New trains
Seven pairs of New Trains have been placed in the new time table of EcoR and the introduction of new trains will be notified in due course.
These trains are 22833/22834 Bhubaneswar-Krishnarajpuram (Bangalore)-Bhubaneswar Weekly Humsafar Express, 22887/22888 Howrah-Yesvantpur-Howrah Weekly Humsafar Express, 12504/12503 Kamakhya-Bangalore Cant.-Kamakhya Weekly Humsafar Express, 22841/22842 Santragachhi-Chennai-Santragachhi Weekly Antyodaya Express, 22877/22878 Howrah-Ernakulam-Howrah Antyodaya Express, 22837/22838 Hatia-Ernakulam-Hatia Super Fast Express via Jharsuguda-Visakhapatnam and 22701/22702 Visakhapatnam-Vijayawada-Visakhapatnam Double-Decker Train.
EcoR has requested all Rail Users especially passengers to check out the timing of their travelling train much before to ensure hassle free journey.
A special train carrying around 1000 senior citizens of ten central Odisha left for Allahabad and Baranasi in a tour as part of the “Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Yatra Yojana” sponsored by the government.
Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister said, “The second phase of “Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Yatra Yojana” was flagged off today for Allahabad and Baranasi. 1000 people of 10 districts are included in the second phase of the programmae. I wish them a happy journey.”
Among others, Culture and Tourism minister Ashok Panda, MP Prassana Patsani, MLA Bijay Mohanty and Priyadarshi Mishra were present on the ocassion
Notably, the state owned Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) has signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) for the pilgrimage programme for senior citizens.
Also read: Pilgrim train for senior citizens flagged off
Besides providing free food and lodging, the government is also engaging nodal officers, doctors and nurses to look after the elderly people during their tour.
On July 25, the chief minister had launched the pilgrimage programme for senior citizens in Berhampur. A special train carrying around 977 senior citizens of ten southern Odisha districts left for Rameswaram and Madurai in a nine-day tour in the first phase of the programme.
The East Coast Railway (ECoR) has appealed to the passengers to book the reserved tickets for a comfortable journey to Puri for the Rath Yatra Festival.
As per the decision taken by the Railways, 08911/08912 Junagarh Road/Bhawanipatna-Puri-Bhawanipatna Rath Yatra Special Express via Sambalpur and Talcher Road will have three AC-3 tiers, nine Sleeper Classes, 4 Second Class Seating and two guard-cum-luggage vans from both the directions.
08913/08914 Kendujhargarh-Puri-Kendujhargarh Rath Yatra Special Express will have 10 Sleeper Class Coaches and four Second Class Seating and guard-cum-luggage vans from both the directions.
08925/08926 Jagadalpur-Puri-Jagadalpur Rath Yatra Special via Rayagada and Vizianagaram will have two AC-3 tiers, six Sleeper Classes, four Second Class Seating and two guard-cum-luggage vans from both the directions.
08917/08918 Bhadrak-Puri-Bhadrak Rath Yatra Special via Cuttack will have two AC Chair Car, 14 Second Class Chair Cars and two guard-cum-luggage vans from both the directions.
12891/12892 Bangiriposi-Bhubaneswar-Bangiriposi Express has been extended to Puri during the period having 10 Second Class Chair Cars, two Second Class Seating and two guard-cum-luggage vans in its composition.
08938/08937 Puri-Sambalpur-Puri Rath Yatra Special via Naraj Marthapur and Talcher Road will have three AC-3 tier compartments, nine Sleeper Classes, four Second Class Seating and two guard-cum-luggage vans from both the directions.
Trains originating from Malda Town and Howrah/Santragachhi (Kolkata) towards Puri will run with complete reserved accommodation, an ECoR release said.
The Congress members alleged that despite repeated requests, the railway authorities continue to turn a blind eye to the legitimate demands of passengers.
"The rail roko will be intensified in the coming days if the railway does not fulfill our demand", an activist said.
On the other hand, passengers raised concerns over the undeclared rail roko leading to inconvenience. "They (Congress activists) staged an agitation for a noble cause. But it could have been done after a formal announcement," a passenger said.
However, the strike was withdrawn after railway officials provided the facility in the first three bogies and assured to provide toilets in other compartments by the end of April.
According to CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive Co. Ltd., a review committee has approved a plan for developing the maglev train and support facilities, Xinhua reported.
Design and construction will begin immediately, said Zhou Qinghe, chairman of the company.
A sample carriage will be built in 2019, and test runs are expected to be completed by 2021.
RRC Zhuzhou has built 100km/h maglev trains that have been running in China's central province of Hunan for two years.
In a letter to Railways Minister Piyush Goyal, a copy of which was released to media, he said the state government is extremely keen to set up the integrated coach factory for these train sets in the state.
"I am writing in the context of production of high speed aluminium bodied 'Train 20' train sets to be rolled out by the Ministry of Railways by 2020. The state government is extremely keen to set up the Integrated Coach Factory for these train sets in the state," he added.
Patnaik said that the state has also identified downsteam and ancillary units in metal sector as one of the five focus sectors and it is committed to provide unmatched facilitation support to manufacturing investments in the state.
"Odisha is the largest producer of aluminium and houses about 56 per cent of the smelting capacity of the country. The state government is developing a dedicated Aluminium Park, where molten aluminium can be directly obtained from the smelter of NALCO for the manufacturing of the train sets," he said.
In view of this unique advantage in the state, the production costs for the coaches could come down substantially through use of committed feedstock from the mother plant in the immediate vicinity, he added.
"The sky will become generally cloudy towards the afternoon and evening, with mist in the morning," an India Meteorological Department (IMD) official said.
Visibility stood at 800 metres at 8.30 a.m. while the humidity was 91 per cent.
At least 10 trains were cancelled, 19 delayed while three were rescheduled due to fog in some parts of northern India, according to northern railways.
The maximum temperature was likely to hover around 24 degrees Celsius.
Sunday's maximum temperature settled at 23.7 degrees Celsius, one notch above the season's average while the minimum temperature was recorded at nine degrees Celsius, a notch above the season's average.
A total of 21 trains were cancelled, 13 rescheduled and 59 delayed due to fog in several parts of northern India, a railway official said.
The India Meteorological Department has forecast clear skies during the day but there would be fog in the evening.
The maximum temperature during the day was likely to hover around 18 degrees Celsius.
Tuesday's maximum and minimum temperatures were 21 and 8.4 degrees Celsius, respectively.
The incident took place at around 8.30 a.m. between Hejjala and Bidadi stations.
"The youths were run over by Golgumbaz Express going to Mysuru from Bengaluru. Witnesses claimed they were taking selfies. We are investigating," General Railway Police Superintendant of Police N. Chaitra told IANS.
The bodies were mutilated and scattered on the tracks over a distance. The victims are yet to be identified.
"Two motorbikes belonging to the victims were parked near the tracks parallel to the Mysuru road where the Wanderla amusement park is located. Two backpacks were also found," Chaitra added.
The facility, recently put into effect, will cover all zones in a phased manner, they said.
"The vendor will have a POS machine with pre-loaded software showing the passenger the menu as well as the prices. These cannot be fiddled with," a senior official said.
The prices will be fixed and passengers can pay for their meals with their cards, he added.
"This gives passengers three advantages - the food will be from an authorised vendor, they will get the meal at a fixed price and would not have to worry about giving the exact amount in cash," the official said.
The trains where such POS machines -- electronic devices used to process card payments -- have been provided include the Karnataka Express which runs between Bengaluru City and New Delhi, the Jammu Tawi-Kolkata Sealdah Express and Telengana Express running between Hyderabad and New Delhi.
The service will also be available on the Aravali Express which runs between Jaipur Junction and Mumbai.
The Railways at present has 76 POS machines and is now assessing on which trains they can be used, another official said.
The decision to introduce such hand-held devices was taken after the ministry received complaints from passengers about being over-charged for food, they said.
The Railways plans to provide each rake of a train with two POS machines to start with and then increase the numbers according to usage and the response from passengers.
The IRCTC is also deploying its officials on-board these trains to monitor the catering services. They are being provided with tablets to be used for collecting passenger feedback, it said.
The service providers managing the on-board services are also being trained at the IRCTC central kitchen at Noida for using POS machines, they said.
As the agitating lawyers resorted to ‘rail roko’ agitation at Bolangir railway station, as many as four trains running on Bolangir and Titlagarh route were cancelled.
Similarly, two trains were short terminated and four diverted. Here’s a list of the trains-
• 18006 Jagadalpur-Howrah Samaleswari Express from Jagadalpur on 03.12.2018.
• 12872 Titlagarh-Howrah Ispat Express from Titlagarh on 03.12.2018
• 18301/18302 Sambalpur-Rayagada-Sambalpur Inter City from both the directions on 03.12.2018.
• 58528 Visakhapatnam-Raipur passenger from Visakhapatnam on 03.12.2018
Also Read: 5 weddings cancelled during mass marriage in Sambalpur
• 12893 Bhubaneswar-Balangir Inter City Express from Bhubaneswar on 03.12.2018 will run between Bhubaneswar and Sambalpur-Angul and will remain cancelled between Sambalpur-Angul and Balangir from both the directions.
• 58530 Visakhapatnam-Durg passenger from Visakhapatnam on 02.12.2018 will run between Visakhapatnam and Rayagada and will remain cancelled between Rayagada and Durg from both the directions.
• 18425 PURI-Durg Express from Puri on 02.12.2018 will run on diverted route via Sambalpur-Ib-Bilaspur-Raipur.
• 17482 Tirupati-Bilaspur Express from Tirupati-Bilaspur on 02.12.2018 will run via Khurda Road-Angul-Sambalpur City and Ib
• 18408 Sainagar Shirdi-Puri Express from Shirdi on 02.12.2018 will run via Raipur-Bilaspur-Ib-Sambalpur-Angul.
• 22827 Puri-Surat Express from Puri on 02.12.2018 will run via Sambalpu-Ib-Bilaspur-Raipur.
As we – I and the rest of the eight-member family – check into a compartment earmarked for ‘ladies’ at the Hatia railway station, I am a little apprehensive. What if the TTE comes and asks us to disembark and get into another non-reserved compartment, I wonder. But the presence of a few men inside reassures me. An adivasi youth asks me to relax, assuring me that my apprehensions are unfounded. And he is right! No TTE bothers to come to the apartment during the journey to Bano (to attend a marriage ceremony) that lasts three and a half hours – nearly an hour and half more than its scheduled traveling time.
A stream of vendors – all of them women – keep entering the compartment at stations with their baskets – some selling neatly sliced pieces of papaya, some slicing and serving fresh water melons, others serving ‘chaarakoli’ or ‘jamukoli’ on cups made of sal leaves…. All the stuff on offer is priced so cheap no one really bothers haggling – something that is such an integral of the Indian marketplace. The best part is everything on sale is organically or naturally grown and fresh and hence infinitely tastier than its counterpart sold in the city. A little inquiry reveals that they are allowed to sell their stuff unhindered by the railway staff for a small price!
It is a world where humans are not the only passengers; goats, chicken and – at times – pigs too travel alongside men and women. There are inanimate objects too: bundles of wood, basketfuls of sundry forest produces and even bicycles hung upside down from the railings of windows (See Picture above). Journey on passenger trains is a leisurely affair, time table be damned. There are times when a train halts for half an hour or more at a station where the scheduled halt lasts just a minute, to give passage to an ‘express’ train that apparently cannot wait. No one travelling on a passenger train appears to be in any particular hurry. They while away their time waiting for the elusive ‘green signal’ on what passes off as a ‘platform’, but is actually no different from the rest of the landscape - except that it is a little more leveled. They munch on peanuts or other stuff on sale on the platform, smoke their bidis or ‘pikas’ without a care in the world (‘No smoking zones’ are an alien concept in these parts) or chat among themselves till it is time to board the train again. Chatting with them while waiting for the train to chug again, I find that someone is going to the weekly haat two stations away to buy or sell his/her stuff, someone is returning home, someone else is visiting a relative nearby.
As the train slows down while approaching a station, I can see people – men, women and children - literally running or furiously cycling their way towards the platform and wonder if they would ‘miss the train’. They don’t. Each one of them manages to get in before the train gathers speed. It is if the train is waiting for them as the one-minute scheduled stop stretches into five, six or seven minutes!
For the vast majority of the people, the passenger train is just about the only mode of local communication. The ‘express’ trains on the route either don’t stop at the stations they want to visit or are too expensive for them to afford. Though the TTEs seldom bother to check, it is gratifying to find that a majority of passengers do buy tickets. They clearly know they cannot afford to sink what is their lifeline!
The incident occurred at around 4.30 am when a lady passenger tried to alight from the moving Tirumala Express, just when it was leaving the station.
The woman slipped and fell down on the platform, but was saved from slipping through the gap between the railway platform and the train by RPF constable Sateesh, who was on platform duty at the time.
Sateesh swung into action and pulled her away from slipping down into the tracks, preventing her from certain death.
Railway officials said that the woman and her family had travelled on the train to Tirupati on a pilgrimage to Tirumala. However, they fell asleep by the time the train reached Tirupati, and woke up after the train started to leave the platform. The incident occurred when she and her husband tried to alight from the moving train.
Fortunately for them, the alert RPF constable turned up in time and pulled the woman away from the jaws of death.
The condition known as cerebral small vessel disease is one of the most common neurological disorders of ageing.
This type of stroke cause changes in the brain's blood flow and damages brain's white matter (responsible for communication among regions), which can cause memory and cognitive issues over time.
Individuals with damage to the brain's white matter, caused by silent strokes, were found to be poor on attentiveness and were distracted more frequently on day-to-day tasks.
Despite these problems, about half of adults (between the ages of 55 to 80), identified with white matter damage scored within the normal range on formal laboratory assessments of attention and executive function, according to a recently published paper in the journal Neurobiology of Ageing.
"Our results indicate that in many cases of people who were at a higher risk of silent stroke and had one, they saw a notable difference in their ability to stay focused, even before symptoms became detectable through a neuropsychological test," said lead author Ayan Dey, a graduate student at the University of Toronto in Canada.
The strokes are "silent" since they do not cause lasting major changes seen with an overt stroke, such as affecting a person's ability to speak or paralysis.
Typically, this type of stroke is uncovered incidentally through MRI scans or once the brain damage has worsened, Dey said.
"There are no effective treatments for Alzheimer's disease, but brain vascular changes can be prevented or reduced through smoking cessation, exercise, diet and stress management, as well as keeping one's blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol under control," said Brian Levine, Professor at the varsity.
"With the right diagnosis, these interventions and lifestyle changes give older adults who are at risk for cognitive decline some options for maintaining brain health."
In a statement, the Indian Rail Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), which manages the online e-ticket booking portal www.irctc.co.in for the national transporter said: "Continuing with its passenger-friendly measures, the IRCTC has taken a new initiative to offer unmatched digital reading experience to its 6.6 crore plus users and visitors on its portal."
"For this, the IRCTC has partnered with Magzter, the world's largest digital magazine newsstand," it said.
It said that under this partnership, IRCTC users can get unlimited access to 5,000+ best selling magazines and select newspapers on their smartphones and tablets in an exclusive offer.
These magazines spread across 40+ categories including automotive, business, comics, education, entertainment, fashion, fitness, lifestyle, news, politics, science, technology and travel, are meant to interest everyone in the family from 6 to 60+ years of age.
The good news is that IRCTC users/portal visitors are being given exclusive advantage of availing this facility at a heavily discounted price alongwith customised affordable packages and an exclusive seven-day free trial package.
One such exclusive offer for IRCTC users/portal visitors starts at Rs 20 plus GST per day journey.
The users can choose their packs from various durations - one day, one week, one month or a year, and indulge in unlimited reading.
In the special introductory offer, the IRCTC is providing its users a chance to choose their packs from various durations, which start at Rs 20 for a day.
For a week's service of Magzter, a user needs to pay Rs 30, a month's subscription is available at Rs 99 and a year's at Rs 499.
The IRCTC said that the users can enjoy unlimited access to superlative content from all the major countries including India, USA, UK, Singapore, Australia, Canada and South Africa on the go.
"And once the magazines are downloaded on a device, they can be accessed even without an Internet connection which will come in handy when the users are travelling," it said.
To enable the service, a user needs to login to the IRCTC website and needs to go into the Digital Magazine link under "IRCTC Exclusive" and from there he/she can select their desired subscription.
(With IANS inputs)
Security has been beefed up on board all trains operating in border areas and on railway premises, he said.
"We have issued an alert to all General Managers of zones in view of the prevailing security scenario. All trains to the mainland and valley in Jammu and Kashmir have additional security personnel on board. We have also identified specific targets related to railways and have beefed up security there," RPF DG, Arun Kumar told PTI.
He also said that no trains to Jammu and Kashmir have been cancelled so far.
Under the HOG system the power is drawn from an overhead electric supply system.
Addressing a press conference here, Railway Board Member (Rolling Stock) Rajesh Agarwal told reporters, "It has planned to convert all LHB (Linke Hofmann Busch) trains to adopt the new environment-friendly HOG system within this year."
He said, till date 342 trains have already been converted into HOG, which has helped the national transporter save Rs 800 crore approximately per year.
Agarwal said, 284 more trains are to be converted into HOG by the year end.
The senior railway official said that in 2017, decision was taken for complete switch over to LHB technology.
"After this decision, adoption of HOG conversion has been taken in mission mode to complete the work in time bound manner," the railway board member said.
According to the railway ministry officals, the power generator cars used to make huge noise and emit fumes. He said, the two generator cars will be replaced with one standby silent generator car for emergency situations.
The official said that in place of the other car, there will be LSLRD (LHB Second Luggage, Guard and Divyaang compartment).
"This LSLRD will also have capability to convert power from the overhead supply to be utilised in the entire train while providing space for luggage guard room and additional passengers," the railway officer said.
"Currently, the cost of power is over Rs 36 per unit and with HOG it will be available at Rs 6 per unit," the officer said.
The officer also pointed out that all new coaches from production units are to be HOG compliant.
"The conversion work has been allotted to Zonal Railways and with the dedicated efforts of field officers. This will provide noise free and environment friendly travel for passengers at stations," Agarwal said.
He said that till date 13 Rajdhani Express, 14 Shatabdi Express, 11 Duranto Express, six Sampark Kranti Express, 16 Humsafar Express and 282 other mail and express trains have been converted to the new HOG system.
All the passengers were safe but the incident delayed the train by an hour, he said.
The detachment took place few minutes after the train had left Jatni Station at 10 PM on Monday, the official said.
Coach numbers S-4 and S-5 got detached due to breakage of a coupling hook.
Jatni and Delang railway stations fall under the East Coast Railway zone.
Delang is about 30 km from Puri station.
The three trains where the Unreserved Sleeper Class Ticket facility will be introduced are Bhubaneswar-Rameswaram Express from 6th March, 2020 between Bhubaneswar and Berhampur, Puri-Ahmedabad Express from 23rd February, 2020 between Puri and Berhampur and Tirupati-Puri Express from 18th February, 2020 between Berhampur and Puri.
According to the East Coast Railway, passengers can avail the Unreserved Sleeper Class journey ticket from the Unreserved Ticket Counters at Puri, Bhubaneswar, Khurda Road, Berhampur Stations and travel in earmarked S-6 Sleeper Class Coaches of the above trains for short journeys.
With the new move, passengers who fail to get seat in General Second Class Coaches and unauthorisedly travel in Sleeper Class Coaches will get the most benefit. At present, the Railway authorities are levying fine on those passengers who used to hop in Sleeper Class Coaches for short journey.
It may be noted that the East Coast Railway introduced this facility in Konark Express between Bhubaneswar and Berhampur in 2011-12. After reviewing the positive response and acceptance by passengers, the ECoR extended this facility in Visakha Express between Bhubaneswar and Palasa, from November 4, 2014.
Currently, the facility of Unreserved Sleeper Class journey tickets for short distance Sleeper Class journey is available in Konark Express between Bhubaneswar and Berhampur, Visakha Express between Bhubaneswar and Visakhapatnam from both the directions, Prashanti Express between Berhampur and Bhubaneswar, Rayagada-Vijayawada Express between Rayagada and Visakhapatnam, Visakhapatnam-Nizamuddin Express between Visakhapatnam and Rayagada from both the directions.
With the addition of three more trains, the list of trains with unreserved Sleeper Class Coaches goes up to 10.
According to sources, at around 12:50 PM, when Bhubaneswar-Anand Vihar Superfast Express was approaching the level crossing, a herd of buffaloes, school children and many local residents were crossing the railway track.
But in no time, gateman A K Tripathy put up a red signal on the track and subsequently the train was stopped by the loco pilot just before the level crossing.
Later, Tripathy was applauded by Railway authorities for his quick response which saved many lives.
In an exclusive report, OTV found out that only two passengers travel in the train which leaves from Bolangir at 6 AM every day and covers a distance of 19 kilometres to reach its destination at Bicchupali station at around 6:25 AM.
“We generally travel in bus. Today we saw you (OTV representatives) and got some courage to board this train,” Ghanshyam Rana, a passenger said.
As shocking as it may sound, while Rs 3.5 lakh is spent by the Indian Railways every month on Bichhupali- Bolangir train service, the total earning is around Rs 600. These numbers were revealed by the responses to an RTI query.
“The Railways should extend the line from Bicchupali to Sonepur and save this nation from financial losses,” said Hemant Panda, who had filed the RTI plea.
Almost a year back, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated the Bichhupali Railway station and the Bichhupali-Bolangir railway line, but till now the route has not been extended beyond Bichhupali.
While some local residents have demanded extension of the railway line to Sonepur and Boudh, others are demanding immediate withdrawal of the train.
“The Khurda-Bolangir railway line has remained a dream. Nobody knows when it will be extended beyond Bichhupali,” said a local resident, Mukesh Rana.
As per reports, three railway employees are engaged on the train every day while four employees handle functioning of the Bichhupali station.
As per reports, 22844 Patna-Bilaspur weekly Superfast Express didn’t halt at the designated stoppage at Rajgangpur at 12:47 PM and kept moving towards Bilaspur leaving passengers who had to disembark at Rajgangpur in a tizzy.
Bewildered relatives and friends who were waiting for the train at Rajgangpur station were left perplexed as the superfast express stopped at Garposh station nearly 15 kms away.
Ajay Kumar Singh, the relative of an elderly passenger travelling in that train said, “My grandfather was coming from Patna and he should have got down here in Rajgangpur, instead the train stopped at Garposh.”
“I can’t communicate with my grandfather. I don’t know whether he got down at Garposh or went ahead,” added an anxious Ajay.
Similarly, another passenger named Deepak Thakur described his ordeal as ‘horrific’. He said, “Me and my 80-year-old uncle suffered a lot due to this. The Railway officials at Garposh didn’t help us.”
Taking stern note of the incident, Chakradharpur DRM suspended Rajgangpur station master on charges of dereliction of duty.
A senior Railway Ministry official said the decision to cancel the trains was taken in view of the low occupancy amid the coronavirus outbreak in several states.
"The railways even increased the prices of the platform tickets at over 250 stations from Rs 10 to Rs 50 to stop the crowding at the railway stations," he said.
"The decision was taken in order to regulate unnecessary crowding at stations, as a temporary measure and railway board has directed all DRM's to raise Platform ticket prices to Rs 50 at important stations that deals with large passengers or visitors rush. The prices of platform tickets also has been increased at New Delhi railway station to Rs 50," informed the official.
"The Western Railway has increased the platform ticket fare to Rs 50 for railway stations of Mumbai, Vadodra, Ahmedabad, Ratlam, Rajkot and Bhavnagar. "The increase in the platform ticket prices is a temporary measure to contain an extra load of people in the railway premises", the official added.
The Central Railway increased the prices of the platform tickets at over 174 stations, while the East Central Railway increased the prices of platform tickets at 10 stations in Bihar.
He pointed out that in March 2015, the railways had delegated power to Divisional Railway Managers (DRMS) to increase the rate of platform tickets beyond Rs 10 to regulate rush at platforms during specific requirements under intimation of its office.
The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT)-Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express in both directions connecting Mumbai with New Delhi will be cancelled on March 20, 23, 27 and 30, and in return direction, on March 21, 24, 26 and 31.
Also Read: Coronavirus Outbreak: Railway Begins Thermal Screening Of Passengers In Running Trains
The Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT)-Nizamabad Express in both directions stands cancelled from March 21 to March 29.
The Howrah-Mumbai Duronto Express connecting Kolkata with Mumbai stands cancelled both ways between March 24 to April 1.
The LTT-Manmad Express is cancelled March 18-31, the Mumbai-Pune Pragati Express in both directions cancelled March 18-April 1, and the Mumbai-Pune Deccan Express cancelled both ways between March 18-31.
Also Read: Coronavirus Outbreak: Railways Withdraw Curtains, Blankets In AC Coaches
The LTT-Ajni Express will not run in both directions from March 20 to March 30, and the Mumbai-Nagpur Nandigram Express is cancelled both ways from March 22-April 1.
Similarly, the Nagpur-Pune Express is cancelled on March 25, the Pune-Nagpur Express on March 26 and April 2, and return journeys cancelled on March 20 and 27, and the Pune-Ajni Express is cancelled on March 21 and 28, and its return journeys on March 22 and 29.
The Bhusaval-Nagpur Express is cancelled in both directions between March 18-30 and the Kalaburagi-Secunderabad Express March 18-31.
With the Covid-19 cases crossing the 110 mark, the Indian Railways have started screening passengers in running trains. According to an official of Railway Ministry, the national transporter officials have started the screening of passengers inside the trains in Thiruvananthapuram with the help of the Kerala government.
On Sunday, as a precautionary measure, Railways decided to remove the curtains from the air-conditioned coaches and decided not to provide blankets to the passengers travelling in AC coaches. The Railways also instructed the officials to disinfect the train coaches at proper frequency and clean the taps, pantry, toilets at regular intervals.
Earlier, as a part of safety-related modernization work at Kiul Station under Danapur Railway Division of East Central Railway for different infrastructure related developmental works, some of the East Coast Railway (ECoR) bound trains and trains originating from ECoR jurisdiction had been diverted, cancelled and partially cancelled.
With 12 new cases of novel coronavirus infections reported in India on Tuesday, the number of COVID-19 patients in India climbed to 126, up from 114 a day earlier, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday.
(With Agency Inputs)
The 5000 coaches offered by Railways would be used as quarantine/isolation facilities. The conversion has been done at different workshops and coaching depots of ECoR e.g. Mancheswar, Bhubaneswar, Sambalpur and Vishakhapatnam.
All the essential amenities have been integrated within the coaches. The patients will be facilitated with the essential amenities along with necessary medical facilities in coaches.
After the conversion of the coaches, trains of these coaches have been kept at different stations across East Coast Railway.
Read: ECoR Produces Masks & Sanitizers To Assist Govt In Fight Against COVID-19
Mancheswar Workshop has converted 51 coaches into isolation wards while the coaching depots at Puri have transformed 39 coaches into isolation wards, Bhubaneswar 46, Sambalpur 32, Vishakhapatnam 60 and at Khurda Road station has set up 33 coaches as COVID-19 isolation coaches and have kept it at various important railway stations.
All essential facilities required by a patient has been set up inside by doing necessary modification in the coaches. The changes include mosquito nets at windows, one bathroom and three toilets in a single coach, removal of the middle berth, six liquid soap dispensers in each coach, four bottle holders and three dustbins in each coupe, laptop and mobile charging facilities, pillow and bedsheets, plastic curtain at both ends of aisle area, mug and buckets in the bathrooms etc.
Apart from these facilities, necessary medical amenities like oxygen cylinders has also be provided set up for emergency needs. The first cabin of each coach will be used as a store/paramedics area and other cabins will be used for patients.
Currently, two trains have been kept at Bhubaneswar, Khurda Road, Puri and Sambalpur each, while one train at Cuttack and Titlagarh. Similarly, three trains have been stationed at Vishakhapatnam and one at Vizianagaram for the purpose. These coaches will serve for isolation and quarantine purposes whenever required.
A senior officer of East Coast Railway, Saktikant Acharya said, “These trains can be sent to any part of the Country whenever required.”
Also Read: India Fights COVID19: Railway Converts 5,000 Coaches Into Isolation Wards
These trains will be run as special trains from New Delhi station connecting Dibrugarh, Agartala, Howrah, Patna, Bilaspur, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar, Secunderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Madgaon, Mumbai Central, Ahmedabad and Jammu Tawi.
All passenger train services were suspended due to a lockdown announced on March 25.
#BREAKING: Indian Railways plans to gradually restart passenger train operations from 12th May 2020, initially with 15 pairs of trains
These trains will be run as special trains from New Delhi Station connecting 15 important cities of the country: Ministry of Railways#Covid19 pic.twitter.com/qwWNotPb7Y
— OTV (@otvnews) May 10, 2020
After the resumption of these 15 services, railways will start more special services on new routes, based on the available coaches after reserving 20,000 coaches for COVID-19 care centres and adequate number of coaches being reserved to enable operation of up to 300 trains everyday as Shramik Special for stranded migrants.
Booking for reservation in these trains will start at 4 pm on May 11 and will be available only on the IRCTC website (https://www.irctc.co.in/).
Ticket booking counters at railway stations will remain closed and no counter tickets (including platform tickets) will be issued, it said.
Only passengers with valid confirmed tickets will be allowed to enter railway stations. It will be mandatory for passengers to wear face cover and undergo screening at departure and only asymptomatic passengers will be allowed to board the trains.
(PTI)
Even years after hanging their boots following retirement from the Indian army, a group of seven ex-servicemen, led by veteran Sukant Kumar Parida continue to serve the motherland in a unique way.
The group has now taken up the responsibility to train and prepare the next generation in the tribal infested Bhalutangara village under Kankadahad Block to join the defence services.
Inspired by the selfless efforts of the battle hardened ex-servicemen, hundreds of youth in the district and the adjoining Keonjhar and Jajpur turn up at the village every day to undergo rigorous training that will help prepare them for the tough selection ahead.
Parida, a resident of the village, started his ‘mission training’ for local youths in November this year following his retirement from the Army.
A well-experienced instructor who had himself undergone various training regimes during his service in the Army, Parida said when he came back to his village he was pained to see youngsters wasting time by loitering around aimlessly. A dangerous social cocktail of poverty, lack of awareness and exposure had strayed them from their life goals.
“The young generation is highly talented and very hardworking. If they get the right motivation and training, they could beat any adversary. The only thing they are lacking is proper guidance,” Parida said, adding that he started with a few boys and the number has swelled to over 100 in a short span of time.
Every day Parida and his group’s training session starts at 6 am and continues till 8 am. It involves long distance run for the students in the shortest possible time. It is followed by physical exercises like bending, stretching, long jump, high jump, crocodile drags and rope exercises.
Some of the selected trainees are also provided the rigorous ‘Commando’ training.
“When I wanted to join the Army, no one was there to guide me about the eligibility tests or the criteria one needs to meet. I had to put in a lot of hard work as I did not even know the selection procedure in defence services. Same is the case with these youngsters. Hence, I chose to train them in physical exercises so that they have a chance to qualify for the Indian Army, Air Force or Navy,” said Parida.
Moreover, the trainees are even taught on current affairs and geography (of the world and India).
“We not only provide physical training but also take care of the mental aspects of the trainees by teaching them current affairs and imparting a lot of motivation,” said another instructor Sahadeba Tudu.
Nitesh Kumar Mahanta, one of the trainees, said he is hopeful to pass the selection test for armed forces.
“I am fully confident of getting the first position in the physical category,” he said.
Another trainee Pokhram Prasad Mahanta said they receive both physical and academic training which would help them in the recruitment drive.
“All our instructors are experts in their own fields. We are fortunate enough to get these facilities at our doorsteps,” he said.
Locals in the village have hailed the efforts put in by the Army veterans to give direction to their wards and inculcate the desire to serve the country.
“The ‘Faujis’ have become part of the local legend now and their popularity has grown among youngsters in the area. They are doing a great job by guiding the boys. It’s a great service to the locality,” said Pratap Chandra Marndi, a villager.
https://youtu.be/ZKHvKuVInVo