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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
 Posted - 06/10/2008 : 10:46:09
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Train to Kashmir valley by month-end
Monday, 09 June, 2008, 22:36
New Delhi: The long wait for a train to ply in militancy-hit Kashmir
may end soon as Railways is all set to start its service linking the
northern and southern part in the valley.
Though connecting the valley with rest of the country was still a
distant dream, Northern Railways today said "We will soon approach
Prime Minister to get a date, hopefully in this month itself, for
inaugurating the train services on Anantnag-Budgam section."
The official said a trial run would be conducted on the route to
check whether all safety measures are in place.
The Commissioner Railway Safety will carry out a four-day statutory
inspection of the 30-km-long Anantnag-Kakpora section from tomorrow.
"We are waiting for the clearance from Commissioner Railway Safety.
The CRS will supervise the trial run to check safety aspects on the
Anantnag-Kakpora track in the Qazigund-Baramulla section," the
official said.
The official hoped that rail services would be operational on the 55-
km long Anantnag-Kakapora-Budgam track from this month-end.
The train to be introduced on the route will have air-conditioned
coaches with heating system and push-back seats. This is for the
first time in the history of Indian Railways that a train with all
these facilities will cover short distances, the official added.
The tedious task of connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the
country, however, still remains a distant dream as tunnels on the 300-
km Kashmir-Jammu route are yet to be dug.
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irse
Forum Admin
India
553 Posts |
Posted - 06/13/2008 : 04:06:34
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http://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20080613/j&k.htm#9
Srinagar, June 12
The decks have been cleared for the first train to chug through the
Kashmir valley as the Northern Railway today conducted a safety-cum-
trial run of Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) powered train
between the city and Anantnag.
The first official trial run was conducted in presence of R.K.
Kardam, commissioner Railway Safety, Northern Circle, on the nearly
50-km stretch from the city station at Nowgam to Anantnag.
“We are satisfied with the trial run. The track is good and ready to
go. Now it is up to the Railways,†Kardam told reporters.
The trial run between Srinagar and Anantnag over a distance of 49 km
was completed in 27 minutes with the speed of the train ranging
between 100 and 110 km per hour.
The first train carrying passengers will ply between Anantnag and
Budgam stations, a distance of 55 km, later this month and Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh is expected to flag it off.
A senior railway official said the train should start plying between
these two stations by the end of this month.
Once the train chugs through the valley, it will reduce the
travelling time between Anantnag and Srinagar districts by half and
will also ease the pressure of traffic on the national highway.
However, the crucial link between Katra to Banihal has been further
delayed as the laying of track is proving difficult in view of the
difficult terrain and young mountains.
“The deadline for connecting Kashmir with rest of country is 2012 but
we cannot say anything (with certainty) as the young mountains
between Katra and Banihal are posing problems,†a railway official
said.
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irse
Forum Admin
India
553 Posts |
Posted - 06/13/2008 : 04:10:37
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Jammu | Wednesday, Jun 11 2008
One of the most revered shrines of Mata Vaishnodevi at Katra, about
45 km from here, will be linked with the Indian Railways network by
2010 end.
''The IRCON, responsible for the construction of 42-kms-long rail
track between Udhampur and Katra, is expected to complete work by
2010 end,'' a well-placed official source told UNI.
Work between Udhampur -- the northernmost Indian Railways station --
and Katra was to be completed by the end of this year, but was
delayed, due to the practical hurdles in construction of 3-kms-
long 'T-1' tunnel on the way.
The IRCON and Konkan Railways have undertaken the construction of 292-
km-long Udhampur-Baramulla railway line in Jammu and Kashmir.
Till now, the Indian Railways are operational up to Udhampur station
only. ''However, the IRCON engineers have assured that the work of 'T-
1' tunnel will be completed by 2010, opening the way for trains to
chug up to holy town Katra,'' the source said.
The geologists and geographical experts, who had conducted a survey,
found the mountainous site for three-kms-long tunnel unsuitable for
the construction. ''The work thus got delayed after 1.5 kms-long
tunnel was constructed'' the source added.
Of 119 kms track between Qazigund to Baramulla in Kashmir, 70 kms
from Wampoo to Ompora is already completed, a source said, asserting
that work on rest 49 kms is going on full swing.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner, Railways Safety, has cleared decks for
Qazigund-Baramulla railway track.
Elaborate security apparatus, with 12 companies of the Central
Reserve Police Force (CRPF) had been deployed along Qazigund-
Baramulla rail-line.
''The Union Home ministry has also approved a proposal for creating
2,637 posts in GRP, having one DIG, two SPs, eight DySP rank
officers,'' the source said, adding three police stations, one each
at Awantipora, Anantnag, Srinagar, and three police posts (having
jurisdiction of Hasanpora-Brijbhera; Panzgam-Pulwama and Kokapora-
Pampore-Shalima) will be established.
Besides, special guards, police officers and other security agencies
will also be involved in the security of tracks, bridges, tunnels to
thwart the nefarious designs of anti-national elements.
irse |
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irse
Forum Admin
India
553 Posts |
Posted - 07/31/2008 : 01:25:23
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http://www.greaterkashmir.com/full_story.asp?
Date=31_7_2008&ItemID=4&cat=21
Srinagar, July 30: As railway ministry issued notice for suspension
of work on Qazigund-Udhampur railway track, the Konkan railways, the
executing agency for the project, is stunned by the decision.
A top official of the Konkan railways, who expressed shock at the
decision told Greater Kashmir on Wednesday that according to the
reports, the government was now considering change in the alignment
of the track. The work on the track is going on for past four and a
half years.
He said the change in the alignment of the track would not only
cause loss of jobs to thousands of people in different villages but
it has a huge financial bearing on public exchequer. "We have
completed most of the work on the track. If the project is re-
aligned it would need fresh documentation of the project which would
cause a delay of at least 10-15 years in its completion," the
official said.
About the reports of water logging in tunnels constructed on the
track and damage to it, the official said there has been no such
incident of water overflow or water logging which could be termed as
alarming or beyond control. "It is true that there was some minor
problem but it was solved immediately. Besides it was too small a
problem that could have prompted the authorities to take the
decision," the official said.
The official said authorities have already paid lakhs of rupees to
the land owners whose orchard or paddy land had fallen under the
track. "The re-alignment would mean that government would have to
purchase new land for construction of the track," the official said,
adding government should reconsider the decision.
Sources, however, said the Railway Ministry wants to hand over the
project to IRCON which has completed its work in the valley. "IRCON
has been eyeing the project for a long time," sources said.
irse |
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irse
Forum Admin
India
553 Posts |
Posted - 08/01/2008 : 23:20:30
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Abid Bashir
Srinagar, July 30: The much awaited train will take another five to 10 years to chug in Kashmir owing to the tussle between India’s two major Railway companies, Northern Railways and Konkon Railway Construction Company (KRCC) Limited over Katra-Qazigund railway project, highly placed sources told Rising Kashmir on Wednesday.
They said that KRCC has been working on the project over the past five years in affiliation with a private company (Esponse Infrastructure Constructions) EIFCON and the work on the project was on at full swing. KRCC has already done the alignment of more than 200 km that also include work on nine tunnels.
“Northern Railway in connivance with the Indian Railways Construction Company (IRCON) is trying hard to transfer the project from KRCC. They (Northern Railway) are going to carry out a new survey and will realign the area afresh. It will take another five years to carry out the survey and to start the work again,” said a senior KRCC official wishing anonymity.
He called stopping of work on the project and transferring it to the Northern Railways as “technical terrorism”.
“The present project is Rs 9,000 crore and we have already completed 60 per cent of the total work.
Unfortunately, we received a letter from the Railway Ministry recently stating that the work on this project should be stopped immediately,” J A Barway, Deputy Chief Engineer KRCC told Rising Kashmir over phone from Ramban.
He informed that nearly 50,000 to 60,000 locals who were engaged indirectly in this project were earning their livelihood. “The work on this project was impossible without involving the local people. The area is treacherous and locals are more familiar with the area than us,” Barway said. “These people have to wait now for at least a year till Northern Railways completes its new survey to start work on the project.”
A senior KRCC official said: “As the project is set to be transferred to Northern Railways, it is going to be delayed for another five to 10 years as it takes two to three years to complete the survey and another two years to align the area.
“We had aligned the area properly keeping in view the fragile environment of the area and connectivity of the villages. The alignment we have carried out will be connecting 50 villages and the new survey will connect only eight villages,” said Purshutam Patel, Project Coordinator EIFCON.
He said KRCC had constructed eight underground tunnels that took more than a year to get completed.
“Now the project is set to get transferred to Northern Railways, the cost of the project will also increase three times. The present cost of the project is Rs 9,000 crore and it will rise up to Rs, 25,000 crore,” said a senior KRCC official, who had carried out a survey of the project.
He said since the Northern Railways will be realigning the entire stretch, they will need the fresh clearance from the forest department that would take more than two years owing to the fact that winter is just a few months away.
On why Northern Railways was keen to transfer this project and to carry out new survey and realignment of the area, the KRCC official said, “There are a few people in Northern Railways and IRCON for whom projects like this have become money minting machines. For one, this reason is enough to clear why Northern Railways was keen to transfer this project.”
[Rising Kashmir]
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irse
Forum Admin
India
553 Posts |
Posted - 08/07/2008 : 23:42:37
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Major realignment in Kashmir railway
Thu Aug 7, 2008 11:05 am (PDT)
http://www.indianex press.com/ story/345657. html
As per todays Indian Express, pg 9 "NO FULL STOPS IN THIS TRAIN
JOURNEY" all construction is temporarily suspended in the katra-
Qazigund stretch of Kashmir valley train. They are planning a new
alignment from km 30 (after Katra) to km 100 ( 2 kms before Banihal).
This would mean draining of 750 Cr Rs in Chenab river Contracts
already awarded, it would mean abandoning whatever few metres of lines
done in this stretch.
The new alignment includes a tunnel of 26 kms. This would be (perhaps,
as per my estimations) in Ramkandu. Some quotes of justifyings given
by a senior railway official S K Vij:
"We should make a line which will survive..... If a line gets closed
often, wont it be unfortunate? "
"It'd be safer inside a tunnel than tracks on exposed surfaces, which
are vulnerable to landslides and attacks. It'd be safer from
geological point as well as security."
" We rush into projects and we rush into targets because we are
pressured to do that. Some part of the planning in this project was
missing and corrections are required."
Rly stations Surukot, barala, Sangaldhan will be abandoned and
whatever work was done will be left, if this happens. The proposed new
alignment starts from just a few kms after Chenab bridge (tallest
bridge going on) and ends at banihal town, some 11 km from Pir Panjal
tunnel. The 26 km tunnel will be a verry bigg one (26 kms means Dadar
to Borivali!) Pir Panjal tunnel will be dwarfened by this one! What
about the Karbude, Bhoke tunnels in KR, and another 2.5 kms tunnel in
bhor ghats! They would be nothing in front of this tunnel.
Bad news: This would mean escalating the cost to 50k crores and
pushing the OFFICIAL deadline till 2025.
Bad news 2: It would have a steeper gradient: 1 in 60 against 1 in
100. This means 2 compulsory bankers.
Good news 1: Trial runs of >120kmph done in Kakapora-Badgam stretch of
his railway.
irse |
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irse
Forum Admin
India
553 Posts |
Posted - 09/02/2008 : 05:54:18
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http://www.kashmirl ive.com/story/ Expert-committee -to-suggest- new-
alignment-in- Katra-Qazigund/ 355963.html
September 01, 2008 at 1435
A six-member expert committee has been formed by the railways to
suggest a new alignment in the Katra-Qazigund section of the Kashmir
rail link project.
New Delhi, Sep 1: A six-member expert committee has been formed by
the railways to suggest a new alignment in the Katra-Qazigund
section of the Kashmir rail link project.
Headed by V K Agnihotri, a former railway Board member, the
committee will have T N Singh, IIT Mumbai professor, R P S Chauhan,
DDG Geological Survey of India, Ravinder Kumar, Punjab University, P
K Sud, tunneling expert and Rolf Stadelmann of Amberg Engineering,
Switzerland.
The work has been suspended for more than a month on the 70-km
stretch in Katra-Qazigund section as the proposed alignment work is
found to be too problematic.
The expert team will study the area between Katra and Dharam in the
Qazigund section and suggest an alternative alignment, said a senior
Railways Ministry official.
The earlier survey of the 70 km-long Rs 6,800 crore project was
found to be inadequate. The work could not progress much due to
repeated collapse of tunnels while cutting the mountains for the
rail route.
"The existing alignment is causing so much problem that we decided
to stop the work. In any case very little progress has been made
since the commencement of the work in the last four-and-half years,"
said the official and added "the work was stopped to avoid wastage
of money and resources on the project."
However, suspension of work is expected to further delay the
project. The project is vital for Jammu and Kashmir as it is
expected to boost the development and economy of the state.
The 70-km stretch between Katra and Dharam in the Katra-Qazigund
segment is the most difficult terrain of the project, consisting of
steep slopes intersected by a number of rivers. Besides geological
challenges, climatic condition is also severe in the area.
Work was believed to have been commissioned without a proper
geological survey of the area.
"It was not a full-fledged survey in that Himalayan region because
many locations were not approachable, " said a senior official in the
Ministry adding, "It caused major problems during the execution of
the work."
While the issue has to be examined afresh, the suspension of the
work will result in further delay in completing the project.
Earlier, in a letter written to the Konkan Railway which is the
executing agency of the 70-km Katra-Qazigund line, Railways Ministry
had asked that all work be stopped, except for the construction of a
main road in the segment, till further orders.
The ministry has suggested examination of an alternative alignment
between Katra and Dharam in the Katra-Qazigund section as the
current one faced with major hurdles.
"The future course of action in the section depends upon the reports
of the six-member expert committee," said the official.
The Katra-Qazigund segment is part of the 292-km long Kashmir rail
link project estimated to cost about Rs 11,000 crore.
However, barring this segment, work on rest of the section of this
important national project will continue on the Udhampur-Katra-
Qazigund-Baramulla rail line.
Completion of this project will expand transport facilities to the
state and provide an all-weather means of transport in the area.
irse |
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irse
Forum Admin
India
553 Posts |
Posted - 09/04/2008 : 23:37:56
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http://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20080905/j&k.htm
Jammu, September 4
Seems the 20 years spent on the national project of connecting the
Kashmir valley via rail link have gone waste, as the Ministry of
Railway has plans up its sleeves to realign the Katra-Dharam and
Dharam-Qazigund section.
Official sources told The Tribune that the fate of the project
hanged in balance as work had been suspended on the 90-km-long Katra-
Dharam section and on the 35-km-long Dharam-Qazigund section, which
were being executed by the Konkan Railways and IRCON, respectively.
Sources said the nodal agency - Northern Railways - which had
allegedly goofed up initiating the project without conducting any
geological survey of the Himalayan range, now wanted to realign
these two key sections.
Work on these two sections was suspended on July 25.
Sources said even as change in the alignment had been proposed, the
Konkan Railways had already completed 10 km of the tunnelling work
in the difficult terrain between Katra and Dharam.
Meanwhile, work on major bridges was in the advanced stage, while
two special bridges over the Anji and Chenab had been completed
partially, the sources added.
Similarly, work on the remaining tunnels and bridges, was also in
the advanced stages of tendering and the decision of suspending the
work was a severe blow to the project. They said work to the tune of
Rs 750 crore had already been completed and suspending them would
lead to another Rs 700 crore worth of claims from the contractors.
If major changes in the alignment were adopted, it would not only
delay completion of the project by 13 years, but would also escalate
the cost alarmingly, the sources added. It is worthwhile to mention
here that the project, which initially was pegged at Rs 3,000
crores, was to be completed by 2012. But frequent delays had
escalated the cost to over Rs 13,000 crore.
In the recent past, the Northern Railways after finding difficulty
in exploring the Himalayan range had approached the Geological
Survey of India (GSI) to conduct a workshop for its engineers so as
to acquaint them with the geological aspect of the terrain.
Sources said the railways had thought about realignment on the
ground that the geology of the Himalayan range was very fragile and
progress on the Katra-Dharam section in the past four years had been
very poor. But the proposed alignment also fell in the same geology
and may throw similar problems, sources said, adding the current
alignment touched 50 major villages, including remote villages like
Kouri, Surukot and Sangaldhan.
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irse
Forum Admin
India
553 Posts |
Posted - 09/13/2008 : 01:03:08
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In a bid to undo a Himalayan blunder, the government has scrapped the four-year-old project of building the world’s highest bridge on Chenab (359 metres), a crucial part of the first railway line to Kashmir. The delay in cancelling the bridge, which was supposed to be built for Rs 512 crore, may cost it dearly as the government is already facing claims of Rs 300 crore from an international consortium involved in the project.
The abandonment of the bridge follows a belated discovery that it is unfeasible as the gorge in a high-relief mountainous region is not stable enough to bear the load of the mega steel arch.
In a letter dated September 4, the railway board announced “all existing contracts” with Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL) for a 34-km stretch of the railway link between Jammu and Kashmir, which includes the construction of the Chenab mega arch bridge, have been “short closed” (meaning, terminated before completion of work).
As a corollary, the board’s decision puts a stop to the sub-contract signed by KRCL in 2004 with the international consortium, Ultra-Afcons-VSL, to design and build the Chenab bridge within 30 months. Though the stipulated period for the execution of the project lapsed last year, the consortium is yet to build even the foundation in the mountain slope on either side of the river as Northern Railways, in view of the treacherous geological conditions, could not clear any of its plans for the bridge.
In a tacit reference to the claims of Rs 300 crore submitted by the consortium for the manpower and machinery idling at the site, the board said, “A proper record of material, unfinished work abandoned at the site shall be kept for examining legitimate claims.”
The decision to scrap the bridge was taken by the board’s member (engineering) S K Vij as a sequel to an order passed by him on July 14 suspending all works on the existing alignment of the entire 125 km track between Katra and Banihal skirting the mountains at altitudes ranging from 800 to 1,700 metres.
The suspension was meant to pave the way for a modified alignment proposed in November 2007 by Northern Railways chief engineer Alok Verma. The proposed alignment reduces the route length from 125 to 70 km as it’s based on the new technology of tunnelling through mountains insulating the rail track from landslide-prone slopes.
It also offers the advantage of a double line even as it reduces the cost of the project: while the present alignment with a single tract is estimated to cost Rs 7,300 crore, the proposed one is calculated to incur an expenditure of Rs 6,500 crore over five years.
With the scrapping of the Chenab bridge in the existing alignment, the adoption of the modified alignment seems inevitable.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 09/28/2008 : 03:10:35
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Slowly, but still on track for a Valley train Options
Indian Railway News
27 Sep, 07:47
From: Indian Railway News <harian...@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2008 19:47:10 -0700 (PDT)
Local: Sat 27 Sep 2008 07:47
Though Northern Railway has for the time
being abandoned work on the Himalayan stretch in Jammu, linking the
Valley to the rest of the country, work on the other side of the
Banihal tunnel still is on, though at a slower pace. The effort is
to ensure that Kashmir gets at least a local train by 2010.
But the work in the Valley stretch has slowed down after the turmoil
caused by the Amarnath land row forced many skilled labourers to
flee the state. According to officials, while around 2,000 workers
are required on the stretch, the labour strength has down to 25 per
cent now.
Labourers are needed for linking the tracks as well as manning the
machines. "There is no threat, but the labourers didn't want to
continue. So at present we have a shortage of skilled labourers
trained in track linking. We are doing whatever we can with the
local labour. At present we are doing the fabrication," said the
official. The approaching winter and the festival season are also
keeping the labourers away.
"We have not abandoned work in the Valley and are hopeful of meeting
our 2010 deadline," said a senior official of IRCON, the agency
responsible for the Valley link.
Ads By GooglSrinagar, September 24 Though Northern Railway has for
the time being abandoned work on the Himalayan stretch in Jammu,
linking the Valley to the rest of the country, work on the other
side of the Banihal tunnel still is on, though at a slower pace. The
effort is to ensure that Kashmir gets at least a local train by 2010.
But the work in the Valley stretch has slowed down after the turmoil
caused by the Amarnath land row forced many skilled labourers to
flee the state. According to officials, while around 2,000 workers
are required on the stretch, the labour strength has down to 25 per
cent now.
Labourers are needed for linking the tracks as well as manning the
machines. "There is no threat, but the labourers didn't want to
continue. So at present we have a shortage of skilled labourers
trained in track linking. We are doing whatever we can with the
local labour. At present we are doing the fabrication," said the
official. The approaching winter and the festival season are also
keeping the labourers away.
"We have not abandoned work in the Valley and are hopeful of meeting
our 2010 deadline," said a senior official of IRCON, the agency
responsible for the Valley link.
In fact, at a meeting between Governor N N Vohra and Railway
officials on September 17, IRCON had asked the Government for more
security along the stretch. It has asked for 100 more PSOs as well
as new placements for the CRPF men. The Kashmir rail link is being
guarded by 10 companies of CRPF and about 100 PSOs at present.
A major part of the work—about 70 km—has been completed in the first
two phases of the 119-km Qazigund-Baramulla stretch. Officials are
also hopeful that the work on the third phase would start soon.
Track fitting has been completed from Anantnag in South to
Rajwansher, Tangmarg in North Kashmir.
Work is also progressing on the Qazigund-Banihal stretch, which
includes a 11-km underground tunnel cutting through the Pir Panjal
mountain range—the natural barricade cutting off the Valley from the
rest of India. Once completed, it will become the longest railway
tunnel in Asia. With work underway from both sides, about 40 per
cent of the work has been completed.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Slowly--but-still-on-track-for-a-
Valley-train/365647
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 10/08/2008 : 04:59:47
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Kashmir may still be few years away from getting connected to the country’s railway network but a train nevertheless is all set to make its debut on a 119-km standalone... Related StoriesPangong Lake is border flashpoint between India and China Curfew day 2: security blanket over Srinagar Another airbase set to be reopened in Ladakh Cong and its allies openly supporting SIMI: Jaitley Srinagar freezes under curfew New Delhi, October 6 Kashmir may still be few years away from getting connected to the country’s railway network but a train nevertheless is all set to make its debut on a 119-km standalone stretch in the Valley. In a rushed decision, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is slated to flag off the inaugural train on the Anantnag-Rajwansher section of the Quazigund-Baramulla route later this week, giving Kashmir a train of its own a good 14 years after it was first talked about.
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The PM is expected to inaugurate the Quazigund-Baramulla section on either October 10 or 11. He’s likely to flag off the red-coloured eight-coach Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) train at Srinagar, which now houses one of the most beautiful railway stations in the country.
“Out of the 119-km long section, work has been completed on 70 km between Anantnag and Rajwansher. The Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) has already provided the safety certification for this section, declaring it fit for operating passenger trains at 100 kmph,” a Northern Railway official told The Indian Express. The route from Anantnag to Rajwansher is via Srinagar.
Work on this railway line, often called a “hanging” line since it will not be connecting the Valley to the rest of the country as yet, has been completed over the past few months. However, the fall of the Ghulam Nabi Azad-led Government coupled with the turbulence in the wake of the Amarnath crisis significantly delayed its inauguration. The section, constructed at a cost of Rs 2,400 crore, has 132 major and 594 minor bridges and touches 15 stations en route. “A major station yard, office complex, maintenance facilities and colonies will come up at Badgam where work is in progress,” a railway official said.
The 23 DEMU coaches which will run on the section have special features like internal heating and the locomotive has been modified by equipping it with a snow cutter to clear the tracks off snow. “The DEMU coaches have been transported to the valley by employing a very innovative concept of moving the coaches by road using specially modified road trailers,” a Northern Railway official said.
First talked about in 1994 by the then Railway Minister C K Jaffer Sharief, the idea to build a line in Jammu and Kashmir, thus linking the state to the rest of the country, got a push in 2001 with the Government of India declaring it a “National Project”, thus guaranteeing a steady flow of funds from the Consolidated Fund of India. While connecting the state with the rest of the Indian Railways network appears distant as of now, with major problems being faced in the Katra-Quazigund section, the significance of introducing passenger trains on this standalone section is being felt more than ever before across the milieu.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 10/11/2008 : 03:51:45
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Prime Minister flags off first train in Kashmir Valley
Srinagar (PTI): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday flagged off the first train service in Kashmir valley, realising the decades old dream of the people in the region through the prestigious project launched in 1998.
Singh, accompanied by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra, flagged off the flower-decked train from Srinagar railway station at Nowgam.
The train, which was flagged off 10 years after the project was started by then Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral, carried school children.
Initially, the train will run from Rajwansher in Budgam district to Anantnag, covering a distance of 66 kms, the spokesman said, adding the fare for the travel will be Rs 15.
The regular service of the train will commence from October 12. There will be an eight-coach DEMU rake in the train, he said.
The stoppages will be at Budgam, Srinagar, Pampore, Kakapora, Awantipora, Panjgam, Bijbehara, Rajwansher and Anantnag, the spokesman said.
The train, which is expected to cover the 66-km in about 1 hour and 35 minutes including stoppage time at various stations, will be run twice a day from either side.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 10/12/2008 : 07:30:46
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Kashmir train a hit on first day
Srinagar (PTI): Kashmir's forest train service inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh became an instant hit on the very first day of its commercial operation, forcing the railway authorities to refund the tickets to many who could not board the train due to heavy rush.
"The train is already full with all the eight coaches packed .... most of the passengers have bought tickets upto Anantnag which makes it unlikely for passengers from other stations to board the train," a railway official at Srinagar railway station told PTI. Asked how many tickets would need to be refunded, the official said it was too early to say anything about the numbers. "We will refund tickets of all those passengers who have not been able to make the journey from Srinagar to Anantnag due to the paucity of seats on the train," he said.
He said it would be impossible for passengers to board the train from other stations between Srinagar and Anantnag. The train service, which become commercially operational from today, runs four times a day between Rajwansher in Budgam district and Anantnag district with a maximum seating capacity of 720 persons per train. There is already a demand from general public that the frequency of the train be increased so that the service can be beneficial for people.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 10/30/2008 : 08:42:33
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Train to Kargil? Railways seek report from govt
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20081028/main8.htm
The ambitious plan of the railways to link Kashmir with the rest of India may be
in a limbo, it is now planning to connect the inaccessible Ladakh region, which
shuts down during winter months, with Kullu-Manali in Himachal.
Initially, the central government had thought of rail connectivity between Kullu
district and Leh, which is at 474 km from the Kuluu-Manali, but it is now
thinking of connecting Kargil, another Ladakh district which is a further 230 km
from Leh towards Kashmir, to this proposed route as well.
Kargil district commissioner Satesh Nehru told The Tribune that his office had
been asked to submit a report on how beneficial rail connectivity could be for
the district, the connectivity of which to the rest of country is worse than
Leh, another Ladakh district which receives much less snow and has
round-the-year air connectivity.
The railways had to factor in costs before they give the project green light,
Nehru said, adding that the district would be immensely helped by the new route.
"It's not only about its over one lakh population (and the Army has a massive
presence here), it's strategically important too,''he said.
Poor connectivity is probably the single biggest complaint of localsagainst
authorities and they say they are always made to play second fiddle to Leh.
Asgar Ali Karbalaie, Kargil's former chief executive councillor, who is chairman
of the local development council and is given a cabinet-minister rank, says the
project might be good for them but the central government should first try to
make operational more feasible connectivity projects.
"The rail line is an ambitious plan which might or might not happen but what
about long-pending proposal of blasting tunnels in Zojila, the Himalayan range
that divides Kashmir valley and Ladakh and remains snowbound for close to six
months cutting off the hilly region?" Karbalaie asked.
He said it was announced that commercial flights would start from Kargil from
August 15 this year but the plan came stuck with the fall of Ghulam Nabi Azad
government. Absence of connectivity means that the people in the Muslim-majority
district are forced to live a pitiable life in winter months when parts of the
district like Zanskar valley are disconnected with even the district
headquarter.
Nehru admitted to these issues and said demands of constructing tunnels through
Zojila or reviving old land routes with Kashmir were still at a nascent stage.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2008 : 18:58:34
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Jobs for only those whose 75 pc land acquired: Railways in Kashmir
http://news.webindia123.com/news/ar_showdetails.asp?
id=811050533&cat=&n_date=20081105
Srinagar | Wednesday, Nov 5 2008
Facing the first rail-roko agitation in Kashmir valley recently
since the train service was introduced last month, the Northern
Railway today clarified that only such families are eligible for
jobs whose more than 75 per cent land has been acquired.
The clarification from the Railways came after Governor N N Vohra
took up the issue pertaining to the process of jobs to such families
whose holdings have been acquired for laying the track and creating
the railway infrastructure in the Qazigund-Baramulla section.
According to an official spokesman, the Northern Railways have
informed the Governor that only such families were eligible for jobs
whose more than 75 per cent land had been acquired. The Railways
further clarified that only one job was to be provided per family.
It said only the owner of the land or his wife or son or daughter
were eligible for employment in such cases. The age limit for
service in Group 'D' has been fixed between 18-30 years, with a
minimum qualification of 8th standard. The age limit for appointment
under Group 'C' is 18-30 years, with minimum qualification of 10th
standard. As per the extant instructions of the Railways, only those
persons would be entitled for employment who do not derive any
benefit through the State Government in the form of alternative
cultivable land. Last week about one hundred people staged a dharna
on Anantnag- Baramulla track for few hours, demanding jobs in the
Railways against the land acquired by the it.
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irse
Forum Admin
India
553 Posts |
Posted - 11/30/2008 : 23:04:30
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http://steelguru. com/news/ index/2008/ 11/30/NzMzMjg% 3D/Kashmir_ rail_link_ project_to_ have_modified_ alignment. html
November 30, 2008
Project today reported that India Railways have proposed to start afresh on the Kashmir rail link project after finding it unviable.
The Railways have proposed a modified alignment which will reduce in cost, length and infrastructure on the section. As per the modified alignment, the length of the route has been reduced from 124 kilometer to 70 kilometer and the number of tunnels from 62 to just eight.
Since the route is becoming shorter, number of stations will also be reduced from 9 to 5. The new alignment has been proposed to have fewer curves in comparison to the earlier one. While the number of bridges has been reduced from 90 to10 on the changed route, the much touted Chenab bridge has been shifted further upstream resulting in drastic reduction of its length from 1.4 kilometer to 480 meters. The project cost has also been reduced from about INR 9,000 crore earlier to INR 7,000 crore now.
Barring the construction of a main road, the work on the section remains suspended since August. Though work was commenced more than 4 years ago, much progress could not be made due to repeated collapse of tunnels while cutting the mountains for the rail route. The Katra-Qazigund segment is the most difficult terrain of the project, consisting of large steep slopes intersected by a number of rivers. Besides geological challenges, climatic condition is also very severe in the area.
Meanwhile, Swiss Engineering consultants will do the feasibility study followed by a detailed study of the proposed new alignment and submit the report in December. The Katra-Qazigund segment, part of 292 kilometer long Kashmir rail link project.
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Jammu-Kashmir project
