15 killed in Andhra Pradesh train inferno

http://www.ibnlive.com/news/15-killed-in-andhra-pradesh-train-
inferno/70107-3.html

Fri, Aug 01, 2008 at 08:21

New Delhi: Three passengers, including two women, were killed when a
fire broke out in a train in Waranagal district of Andhra Pradesh
early this morning.

The incident occurred at 0105 hrs (IST) when Gautami Express was
crossing a forest area between Tallapusalapalli and Mehboobabad
stations in the Waranagal district, about 250 kms from state capital
Hyderabad.

The fire broke out in S-9, one of the sleeper coaches, of the
Secunderabad-Kakinada Gouthami express and soon spread to four other
coaches, railway officials and police said.

The cause of the fire is not clear yet. "The fire broke in one of
the sleeper coaches of the Secunderabad-Kakinada Gautami express
near Mehboobabad early this morning and soon spread to other
coaches," South Central Railway spokesman P Krishnaiah was quoted as
saying by news agencies.

SP, Warangal, V C Sajjanar said investigation is on and all the
injured people been shifted to Warangal hospital.

"We have called in forensic experts to determine the cause of fire.
The major cause of death appears to be asphyxiation,:" Sajjanar told
CNN-IBN.

"The rescue teams from Secunderabad, Kazipet and Vijaywada were
immediately rushed to the spot and burning coaches were detached
from the train," Krishnaiah said.

Andhra Pradesh minister G Surya Rao, who was also travelling in the
ill-fated train was safe, officials said.

Following the accident, several trains on Hyderabad-Vijaywada
section were cancelled while some others diverted.

Gautami Express runs between Kakinara and Sikandrabad. The fire has
been brought under control.
---------------------------
13 killed as train catches fire in Andhra Pradesh

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?
sectionName=&id=d6dc9a12-c0c0-442e-97fc-
a3cd4fa29569&MatchID1=4736&TeamID1=8&TeamID2=6&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1
=1194&MatchID2=4727&TeamID3=2&TeamID4=3&MatchType2=1&SeriesID2=1191&P
rimaryID=4736&Headline=13+killed+as+train+catches+fire+in+AP&strParen
t=strParentID

Thirteen people were charred to death early on Friday when four
coaches of a passenger train caught fire in Andhra Pradesh's
Mehboobabad town.

"The death toll may rise," said a railway official, adding that the
reason for the blaze was yet to be confirmed.

The train was going from Secunderabad to Kakinada when the fire
started in Mehboobabad, about 250 km from Hyderabad.
----------------------------

Gautami express catches fire in Andhra, 13 killed

http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?
id=NEWEN20080059583&ch=8/1/2008%2012:07:00%20PM

Friday, August 01, 2008, (Hyderabad)

Thirteen passengers were killed when a fire broke out in Gautami
express in Waranagal district of Andhra Pradesh early on Friday
morning.

"The fire broke in one of the sleeper coaches of the Secunderabad-
Kakinada Gautami express near Mehboobabad early on Friday morning,"
railway officials said.

Five coaches of the train caught fire. Injured have been admitted in
a hospital at Warangal.

The train was on its way from Secundarabad to Kakinada when the fire
broke out in one of the coaches. But it soon spread to for other
coaches. The cause of the fire is not known.

The train has resumed its journey and is running five hours late.

http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/9432

Islamabad, Aug 1 (ANI): The schedule of the Indo-Pak rail link
Samjhauta Express has been changed. According to the new schedule, the
train will leave for India from Lahore in the morning on Mondays and
Thursdays and return later the same day.

The new schedule would come into effect on August 7, the Daily Times
quoted Railway Chief Operating Superintendent Javed Anwar as saying in
a TV interview.

The train will now leave the Lahore Railway Station at 8:00 am on
Mondays and Thursdays and return at 4:45 pm the same day, added the
paper.

Earlier, last year too the train's schedule was changed on May 31,
after which the 4608 Lahore-Attari Samjhauta Express and the 4002
Attari-Delhi-Attari Special train ran on every Tuesday and Friday.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200808011040.htm

Satna (PTI) Information was received about two bombs being placed on
coach numbers one and two of the Lucknow-bound Chitrakoot Express
today that turned out to be a hoax, police said.

No explosive material was found on the train by police.

Railway police in Satna received an anonymous call around nine p.m.
when the train was about to reach Jukehi station that two bombs were
on it.

The train was stopped immediately and a thorough search was conducted
with the help of sniffer dogs by a joint team of Railway Police and
Madhya Pradesh police.

No explosive material was found and the train continued its journey
from 12.10 a.m.

http://steelguru.com/news/index/2008/08/01/NTY4OTk%
3D/5_firms_bid_for_Indian_Railways_loco_factory_at_Madhepura.html

August 01, 2008

BL reported that Indian Railways has received 5 bids for its
proposed electric locomotive factory to be set up in Madhepura in
Bihar. Wednesday was the last date for receiving applications.

The companies are
1. Alstom
2. Bombardier
3. Siemens
4. A consortium comprising China based CSR Zhuzhou Electric Loco
Works & Monnet International
5. A Japanese consortium comprising Mitsubishi, Kawasaki and Toshiba

Railways will now study the applications and list the qualified
players. It would then invite the request for proposal from the
technically qualified players.

As per the report, Indian Railways would have 26% equity in the JV
while the electric loco company would have rest of the ownership.
The JV has a minimum assured order of 660 electric locomotives of
12,000 HP each from Indian Railways. The locos would be ordered over
an 8 year period ranging from 2008-9 to 2015-16 and the JV has to
maintain the locomotives over a 20 year period.

Land for setting up the factory is being acquired by the railways
and will be leased to the JV company on a long term lease basis for
around 35 years. The locomotives are planned to be used in the
dedicated freight corridor project and the existing routes of the
Railways. Railways estimates the project cost to be about INR 1,000
crore.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Patna/Bomb-
like_object_triggers_false_alarm/articleshow/3312249.cms

PATNA/CHHAPRA: The presence of a bomb-like object on pillar number-8
of Manjhi rail bridge connecting Bihar with Uttar Pradesh, in Saran
district on Thursday forenoon, kept the district police and rail
officials on tenterhooks for hours.

Sources said the bomb-like substance was first detected by a railway
gangman on pillar number 8 of the bridge in the morning. The gangman
immediately apprised the Sonepur and Varanasi rail divisions about
it.

As the news of the bomb-like substance spread in the locality, a
large number of villagers assembled there.

On getting information, local police along with GRP and RPF
officials reached the spot as they did not want to take any risk
after series of bomb blasts in Bangalore and Ahmedabad by
terrorists. The bomb-like substance was placed in a bucketful of
water and taken to Manjhi police station.

The services of trains was also suspended on the section for over
two-and-half-hours and sniffer dog was pressed into action.

According to Varanasi division of North-East Railway PRO Ashok
Kumar, as soon as the news spread, the rail traffic on Chhapra-
Varanasi section of this railway was suspended at about 10.30 am
which was later restored at about 1.30 pm after clearance from the
RPF and the district officials.

He added that the first train which was allowed to steam off from
Chhapra Jn after the incident was Harihar Nath Express running
between Muzaffarpur and Ambala. It recorded late running of the
train by about two hours along with Swatantrata Senani Express
coming from New Delhi and going to Darbhanga.

According to DSP (Rural) Raj Kumar Karn, the rope-tied object was
immediately put into a bucket of water to diffuse it and dog squad
pressed into service to check presence of another bomb, if any, in
the vicinity.

Confirming the identity of the recovered object as speaker of a
transistor, Karn said that in all probability, the magnets of the
speaker must have been used to collect metallic coins dropped in the
Ganga by devotees.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Developmental_Issues/Sabarimala_ra
il_project_ecologically_unviable/articleshow/3311241.cms

31 Jul 2008, 1836 hrs IST

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The long-cherished railway line to the famous
Sabarimala hill shrine seems to have hit a roadblock with an
environmental study finding it ecologically unviable.

"Laying the track to the shrine located on the slopes of the
environmentally sensitive Western Ghats would involve big ecological
and social disruptions," the study conducted by Kerala Forest
Research Institute (KFRI) and the state Biodiversity Board said.

Railway sources, however, expressed surprise over the conclusions of
the study as all the initial works including the survey upto the
final location to Azhutha had been completed.

"The 2008-09 Railway Budget has earmarked Rs 15 crore for the
project, which was estimated to be completed at a cost of Rs 550
crore," a senior railway official said.

Until March 2008, Rs 17 crore had already been spent for preliminary
works like project reports, survey reports, setting work office
buildings and initial works on bridges.

Also, land acquisition work had started at places like Perumbavoor,
Pala and Thodupuzha.

Out of 515 hectares of land required for the project, only 5.20
hectares had been acquired and handed over to the Railways by the
state government, the official said.

The study had found that the alignment proposed from Angamali near
Kochi to Azhutha near Sabarimala would be passing through the
ecologically fragile Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR).

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20080801/haryana.htm#11

Rohtak, July 31

The body of a schoolgirl was found hanging from a fan of a passenger
train at the local railway station this evening. The train had come
from Panipat this afternoon and had to leave for Bhiwani in the
evening.

There was a gap of a few hours in between, during which the train
remained stationed at the Rohtak railway station. Some passengers,
who had to board the train, got suspicious when they found the doors
of a compartment bolted from inside.

They informed the GRP, following which a police team went inside the
coach through emergency window. The cops found a young girl hanging
from a fan inside.

The police also found a schoolbag and a monthly seasonal ticket
(MST). The books contained the name of Seema Khatri, a student of
class XII at SD Senior Secondary School, Rohtak, while the MST bore
the name Sarika Ahlawat.

The GRP later disclosed that a relative of the girl had identified
her as Seema Khatri of Ismaila village. The police maintained that
girl, who was attired in school uniform, would have boarded the
train while it was stationed.

The police had called forensic experts from Forensic Science
Laboratory, Madhuban. The compartment was detached from the train,
which left for Bhiwani in the evening.

The girl's body had not been brought down till the time of filing
this report.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20080801/haryana.htm#15

Yamunanagar, July 31

Hundreds of passengers remained stranded at different stations after
train services between Sahranpur and Ambala were disrupted due to
derailment of bogies of a goods train at Kalanaur in the district here
today.

Sources said the incident took place around 6 am when the train
carrying goods was on its way from Sahranpur to Ambala. As the train
reached Kalanaur near the Uttar Pradesh-Yamunanagar border, two wagons
reportedly derailed. However, train services were resumed after four
hours.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20080801/haryana.htm#14

Yamunanagar, July 31

A bomb hoax created sensation in the district this afternoon. Panic
gripped locals after the news spread that a bomb has been kept in a
briefcase near the railway station chowk.

Three police personnel reached the spot after getting a call from a
local. After struggling for about two hours, they found that there was
no explosive substance in the briefcase. When they opened the
briefcase, they discovered that it was empty and only a five rupee
coin was kept in it. SHO Piara Singh said the police had seized the
briefcase and nothing was found in it.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20080801/himachal.htm

Palampur, July 31

Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal today appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh to expedite the work on the Jogindernagar-Leh rail line
keeping in view the defence requirements of the country.

He said China had already extended its rail network up to Lhasa in
Tibet and Arunachal Pradesh, whereas India had done nothing for the
expansion of the rail or road network up to the Tibet boarder in the
past 40 years.

The road network to Leh was not very good. The area was accessible
only for four months in a year. Most of the defence supplies were
lifted by air from Chandigarh and other places.

This resulted in huge financial burden on the exchequer, he added.
Dhumal said India should never underestimate the defence
preparations of China.

He said he had already written a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh in this regard. The PMO had asked a private company to prepare
a detailed project report (DPR), but a lot more needed to be done.

He said financial crunch should not come in the way of execution of
the project and the Centre should go ahead for global tenders at
earliest.

A meeting was held in this regard in New Delhi last month in which
principal secretary (finance) represented the state, he said.

He said the state government would extend full cooperation in the
speedy execution of the project.

There would be no delay on the part of the state government in the
acquisition of land, if the Centre approved the project.

http://news.webindia123.com/news/ar_showdetails.asp?
id=808010025&cat=&n_date=20080801

Panaji | Friday, Aug 1 2008

South Western Railway Sports Association(SWRSA) is organising for
the first time the 21st All India Railway Chess Championship from
August 4 at EMD Diesel Shed Auditorium in Hubli.

Mr Praveen Kumar, General Manager, SWR inaugurates the prestigious
event.

In all, 16 teams from various Zonal Railways and Production Units
will participate in this mega Championship. Each team comprises of
06 Chess players. Around 150 Chess Players will be participating in
this Tournament.

Many players with Grand Masters title will be in action in this
Championship. M.S. Tejkumar of Mysore Division of South Western
Railway, who has recently won the Grand Master title will be one
among tyhem.

Team Chess Championship matches will be conducted in total 06 rounds
from August 4 to 6. Individual Chess Championship matches will be
conducted in total 09 rounds from August 7 to 11.

On the concluding day Mr.S.K. Saidapur, Vice Chancellor, Karnataka
University, Dharwad will distribute the prizes to team Championship
winners and individual chess players ,according to a SWR release
here today.

http://www.newkerala.com/topstory-fullnews-4550.html

Mumbai, Jul 31: Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh has
said the proposal for extension of the Railway Workshop at
Kurudwadi, that was sent to the Railway Ministry, will be followed
up and discussions will be held on the same.

Mr Deshmukh, while speaking at a meeting on the issue, held at
Mantralaya yesterday, said, ''Kurudwadi is the 'Gateway of
Marathwada', where a huge SRP centre, hospitals and markets are
available. Pomegranate, grape and cereals are especially exported
from here. Therefore, the present Railway Workshop should be
extended.'' He also urged the officers to submit a proposal to the
Railway Ministry.

MPs Babanrao Shinde and Dhanajirao Sathe, who were also present at
the meeting, said the workshop, where 300 workers were engaged,
would be extended and repair of broad gauge, railway compartments
and engines would be carried out, generating employment
oppurtunities.

The Chief Minister said narrow guage railway has been shut down.

Hence, the Municipal Council has demanded the land for railway line.
To avoid encroachment of this land and pursue development work, a
proposal should be sent and followed up accordingly, he added.

http://news.webindia123.com/news/ar_showdetails.asp?
id=808010387&cat=&n_date=20080801

New Delhi | Friday, Aug 1 2008

Railway Minister Lalu Prasad has announced Rs five lakh ex-gratia
for each of the next of kin of those killed and Rs one lakh to
grievously injured, in the fire on Gautami Express going from
Secunderabad to Kakinada this morning, while ordering a statutory
inquiry into the incident. Besides it, the Railway Minister also
announced that one of the family member of the victims who died in
the accident would be provided a job in the Railways.

Thirteen people were killed and six injured when the 2738 Kakinada
down Gautami Express caught fire between kesamudram and
Tadalapusalapalli stations falling in Warangal district of Andhra
Pradesh early this morning. Addressing newspersons, Mr Lalu Prasad
said efforts were being made to ferry passengers to the desired
destinations. He said Chief Commissioner Railway (Safety) had
already left for the site to initiate the statutory enquiry into the
accident. The Railway Minister said the fire was first noticed in
sleeper coach S-10 but soon spread to another four coaches-S-9, S-
11, S-12 and S-13. Unaffected coaches were immediately detached from
the train and taken to the nearby stations to check spread of fire
to other coaches. Minister of State for Railways Naran Bhai J Rathwa
and Railway Board Member (Electrical) Sukhbir Singh had also been
rushed to the spot to oversee relief operations which was in full
swing. Meanwhile, the Railways had set up special telephone lines at
Secunderabad (09701371062,09247028390), Kakinada (0844-2387220) and
Vijaywada (0866-3068941) to provide information to the relatives of
the passengers of the train.

http://news.webindia123.com/news/ar_showdetails.asp?
id=808010389&cat=&n_date=20080801

Hyderabad | Friday, Aug 1 2008

The sudden inferno and the recovery of ten charred bodies from a
single coach of Gouthami Express has puzzled the authorities probing
the mishap.

Railway Protection Force(RPF) authorities said the way the incident
occurred had created many doubts. It was impossible for such an
incident to occur in such a short time. Such a mishap was unlikely
even if it was due to a technical snag, they added.

When contacted, Warangal District SP V C Sajjanar said he did not
rule out the involvement of anti-social elements. However, they
would come to a conclusion only after investigations were completed,
he said.

Special teams were probing the case from various angles, he added.

Meanwhile, South Central Railway has cancelled several trains while
the trains proceeding towards Vijayawada were running late by more
than four hours.

http://news.webindia123.com/news/ar_showdetails.asp?
id=808010422&cat=&n_date=20080801

New Delhi | Friday, Aug 1 2008

Continuing his tirade against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar,
Railway Minister Lalu Prasad today accused him of creating hurdles
in implementing Rs 55,000 crore rail projects, particularly in
acquisition of land, in Bihar. This was one of the reasons that the
Railways was forced to have a special legislation for acquisition of
land for its projects on the lines of the National Highways
Authority of India, Mr Lalu Prasad told newspersons here. He said
there were five major projects amounting to Rs 55,000 crore pending
in Bihar. "We could not take the up because of the non-cooperation
of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar," he charged. The Rashtriya Janata
Dal supremo said that Mr Kumar, his main rival in the state
politics, was not able to get even a single unit of the railways
established in the state during his tenure as the Railway Minister,
although he proclaimed himself to be "development oriented".

The five projects are Electric Engine Manufacturing unit at
Madhepura, diesel locomotive unit at Maghore, near Chhapra, Rail
Wheel Factory at Chhapra, a joint 1000 mw power project of the
Indian Railways Electricity Corporation at Nabi Nagar near Sasaram
and a dedicated freight corridor terminal to be set up at Dalmia
Nagar.

http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=40897&kwd=

Some coaches of 2738 Dn Gautami Express running from Secunderabad to
Kakinada caught fire at 01.10 hrs today while the train was on its
run between Kesamudram and Tadalapusalapalli stations falling in the
Warangal district of Andhra Pradesh under the Secunderabad Railway
division of the South Central Railway. As per the information
available at the headquarters thus far, 13 people have died in the
accident while 6 people are injured. The prima facie cause is
awaited and the Chief Commissioner Railway Safety is on his way to
the site to initiate the statutory enquiry into the accident.

The fire reportdly broke out in the sleeper class coache S-10 and
spread further to another four coaches namely S-9, S-11, S-12 and S-
13. Medical Relief Van along with an Accident Relief Train was
immediately rushed to the site along with senior railway officials.
The Minister of State for Railways, Shri Naran Bhai J. Rathwa and
Member Electrical, Railway Board, Shri Sukhbir Singh have also
rushed from Delhi to the accident site.

Rescue and relief operations are in full swing. Unaffected Coaches
in the front and rear of the train were separated and cleared to the
adjoining stations. Efforts are being made to ferry passengers to
the desired destinations.

The injured are being treated in the MGM Hospital, Warangal.
Telephonic Help lines have been set up at Secunderabad (09701371062,
09247028390), Kakinada (0844-2387220) and Vijayawada (0866-3068941)
for providing further information to the relatives of the passengers.

The Minister of Railways Sh. Lalu Prasad expressed his profound
grief at the tragedy and has announced an exgratia amount of Rs. 5
lakh for the next of kin of the deceased along with a job in the
railways and Rs. 1 Lakh to the grievously injured.

http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=40820&kwd=

Chitranjan Locomotive Works (CLW) produced 36 electric locomotives
against the target of 36 electronic locomotives and Diesel
Locomotive Works (DLW) produced 72 diesel locomotives against the
target of 59 diesel locomotives during April-June 2008. Rail Coach
Factory (RCF) produced 408 coaches against the target of 390 coaches
where as Integral Coach Factory (ICF) produced 222 coaches against
the targets of 226 coaches during the same period. Rail Wheel
Factory (RWF) produced 44276 wheels and 20028 axles during the same
period against the target of 44450 wheels and 17197 axles during
April-June 2008.

During the month of June 2008, Chitranjan Locomotive Works (CLW),
Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW), Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Rail
Coach Factory (RCF) and Rail Wheel Factory (RWF) have produced 13
electric locomotives, 24 diesel locomotive, 80 coaches, 130 coaches,
15991 wheels and 6804 axles respectively against the target of 13
electric locomotives, 19 diesel locomotive, 84 coaches, 125 coaches,
15334 wheels and 5817 axels.

The punctuality percentage of mail/express trains was 91.3 per cent
in Broad Gauge and 99.5 per cent in Metre Gauge during the month of
June 2008 compared to 91.4 per cent and 99.6 per cent respectively
during the same period last year.

Railways have realized an amount of Rs. 34.78 crore approximately
during the month of June 2008 through ticket checking.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/000200808011551.htm

New Delhi (PTI): The Railways Ministry on Friday ordered an inquiry
to ascertain the cause of fire in Gouthami Express train in Andhra
Pradesh.

The Commissioner of Railway Safety will hold the inquiry and submit
the report at the earliest. Forensic experts are also examining the
cause of the fire, said Railways Minister Lalu Prasad.

"Till now no proof of sabotage or use of explosive has come to our
notice. However, the inquiry report will establish the cause of the
fire," Prasad said.

Several passengers, including a pregnant woman, were charred to
death and many others seriously injured when a fire broke out in the
Gouthami Express train early morning.

Terming the incident as very "sad and unfortunate," Prasad said
announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakhs and a job to the next kin of
each victim killed. Those seriously injured will get Rs 1lakh each,
he said.

Since bodies are burnt beyond recognition, DNA tests will be
conducted for identification.

Prasad said the train staff did not hear any explosion sound. "They
only saw thick smoke emerging out of the coach suddenly."

Minister of State for Railways Naranbahi Rathwa, Railway Board
Member Electrical Sukhvir Singh and senior RPF officials have left
for the accident site to coordinate the relief and rescue work.

The mishap occurred in a forest area of Waranagal district, about
250 km from the state capital.

Railway staff disconnected 10 coaches from the front portion and
nine coaches from the back, preventing the fire to spread further.

"The toll could have been higher if passengers had not alighted from
other compartments after the train was stopped," said Prasad.

A special accident relief train reached the site and doctors give
first aid to the injured before rushing them to hospital.

After the accident, several trains on Hyderabad- Vijaywada section
were cancelled and some others diverted.

http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?
id=NEWEN20080059583&ch=8/1/2008%202:12:00%20PM

Friday, August 01, 2008, (Hyderabad)

Twenty passengers were killed and four injured when five coaches of
Gautami Express caught fire in Waranagal district of Andhra Pradesh
early on Friday morning.

Authorities say the number of dead could go up. Thirteen charred
bodies were found in a single coach.

The injured have been admitted in a hospital at Warangal.

Reacting on the tragic accident Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav
has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the kin of dead.

"The fire broke in one of the sleeper coaches of the Secunderabad-
Kakinada Gautami express near Mehboobabad early on Friday morning,"
railway officials said.

The train was on its way from Secundarabad to Kakinada when the fire
broke out in one of the coaches, but it soon spread to for other
coaches. The cause of the fire is not known.

The five burnt coaches have been removed and the train has resumed
its journey to Kakinada. It's running several hours late.

http://www.travelbizmonitor.com/irctc-to-introduce-cois-on-the-
national-enquiry-number-139-by-year-end

Will also have e-ticketing service through 139 by year end

In order to provide relevant information about the location and
speed of trains to passengers and tourists, the Indian Railway
Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) will soon launch
facility of 'Coaching Operation and Information System' (COIS) on
National Enquiry Network 139. In addition, service of e-ticketing on
the same enquiry number will also be started. Both these services
will be operational by the end of the year. Apart from this, the
Corporation is also going for ISO 14001 (Quality Certification)
keeping in view the improvement of ISO 9001-9002 for  the
standardisation of the services provided to passengers.

According to Aneet Dulat, Chief Regional Manager, Indian Railway
Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC), the service of
COIS on National Enquiry Network 139 will be started by end of this
year. "With this facility, passengers will be able to get
information about the exact location of the train and even speed of
the train (in what speed it is running currently). This is basically
going to be real time online monitoring of the trains, with
reference to punctuality and composition of trains. This service
will be linked with our enquiry number 139," stated Dulat. He
further added, "The CRIS, which facilitates only the Railway as per
internal information system is concerned will prepare the software
for this service, with its help passengers will get information with
regards to location and speed of trains."

Dulat also informed that they are in the process to start e-
ticketing service on the National Enquiry Number 139. "After dialing
this number, one will have the option for e-ticketing. The operator
will ask about the desired e-ticketing and the ticket will be booked
over the phone with this service. But the customers will be asked
for all information like their permanent address, identity, bank
account number etc. This service will also be started by end of this
year. Our aim is to provide the customers the service of booking of
the ticket, even on door step," said Dulat. IRCTC is also
considering on offering more attractive and special tour packages
for tourists during the season in North and North East area of the
country.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mumbai/Faster_travel_between_Virar
_and_Dahanu_from_Dec_2009_/articleshow/3313391.cms

1 Aug 2008, 1017 hrs IST

MUMBAI: Commuters travelling from Virar to Dahanu have a reason to
cheer. Railway officials are undertaking technical work on this 30-
km section on the fast track so as to run locals by December 2009.

At present, only outstation trains and 12-coach multiple electrical
movable unit (MEMU) rakes run on this line. MEMU rakes have a lesser
carrying capacity and are slower than the regular suburban trains.

Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation Ltd (MRVC) has earmarked funds to
replace the MEMU trains with regular suburban trains to carry more
commuters in a shorter time. It is part of the Mumbai Urban
Transport Project (MUTP-I ).

With the replacement of trains, the commuter carrying capacity will
increase from 2,500 to 3,500 persons. "Local trains cannot run on
this stretch because the distance between the tracks is too less and
can cause accidents. Local trains are wider and hence the space
between tracks needs to be increased. We have identified 8-9
patches, totalling around 3-4 km where this needs to be done. Work
will start soon,'' said Prakash Rao Vazalwar , chief operations
manager, MRVC.

He said MRVC would also upgrade stations on the route-Vaitarna ,
Saphale, Kelva Road, Palghar, Umroli, Boisar and Vangaon . "We will
improve platforms, provide roof cover and proper approach roads.
Besides, new foot-over-bridges will be constructed,'' said Rao.

http://kannada.galatta.com/entertainment/kannada/livewire/id/Circus_on_
a_train_17521.html

August 1, 2008, 11:51:41 AM

Circus is going to be shot on a running train. The film, beginning at
Mysore Railway station and ending at Bangalore Railway station, is
about a group of friends who always play pranks on others. This time,
they choose to play a prank on the Railways. Later, realizing that
their deeds could have dangerous consequences, they set out on a
journey to undo their thoughtless prank.

Leading the pack of stars is Ganesh in a new hairstyle. He has grown
his hair and tied it at the back, giving a totally different look to
his face.

This is director Dayal's first film as a producer. Earlier, he had
directed films like Sakha Sakhi, Masala and Baa Baro Rasika.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2008/08/02/stories/2008080251570300.htm

Kolkata, Aug. 1 Texmaco has joined hands with Japanese consortium, comprising
Kawasaki, Toshiba, Mitsubishi Corporation and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation,
and has filed request for qualification (RFQ) for the proposed electric loco
project to be located at Madhepura in Bihar.

Mr Ramesh Maheshwari, President and CEO of Texmaco, told Business Line on
Thursday that the company filed the RFQ along with the Japanese partners on
Wednesday.

Without disclosing Texmaco’s share in the five-way Indo-Japanese joint
venture, he said the company has participated in the qualifying bids for setting
up the project as well as the procurement-cum-maintenance contract.

The estimated cost of the project, with a capacity of 120 locomotives, is at Rs
1,460.57 crore.

Australian JT venture


Mr Maheshwari also said a $50 million equal joint venture with UGL of Australia
for manufacturing freight cars and coaches would be signed shortly in August.
This project would be located in West Bengal.

Meanwhile, Texmaco has reported 46 per cent growth in turnover at Rs 280.43
crore and 101 per cent jump in net profit at Rs 22.82 crore for the June
quarter. Texmaco’s order book stands at Rs 2,000 crore.

http://www.hindu.com/2008/08/03/stories/2008080354660500.htm

CHENNAI: Southern Railway recorded a 32 per cent increase in loading in July
this year compared with the same period last year.

A railway release stated that all divisions of Southern Railway showed an
increase in loading. The Trivandrum division registered a 25 per cent increase
in petroleum products and the Palghat division recorded the highest ever loading
of limestone from the Mangalore port. The Chennai division recorded a 23 per
cent increase in coal loading from Chennai and Ennore ports. The Madurai
division showed an 80 per cent improvement in incremental loading.

The loading performance for the first four months (April to July this year)
improved 19 per cent more than the same period last year. The zone achieved
11.15 million tonnes as against 9.4 million tonnes last year.

More movement of coal was the reason for the increase. During July, Southern
Railway loaded 5 rakes a day from Chennai and one rake from Tuticorin. Coal
loading from April to July was 53 per cent more than the quantum loaded last
year, the release said. The movement of cement had also increased tremendously.
It showed a 57 per cent improvement during the first four months compared with
the same period last year. The increase in diesel prices, and in production in
some plants in Tamil Nadu had contributed to this.

Steel volume up


The zone accounted for the movement of steel from the Jindal Steel Plant at
Mecheri Road and limestone from the New Mangalore Port. Both commodities had
shown a sharp increase in volume.

http://www.hindu.com/2008/08/03/stories/2008080350350100.htm

HYDERABAD: Their agony is indescribable. Their loved one G. Madhusudan Rao, a
sailor in the Indian Navy, who was travelling in the ill-fated Gautami Express
on Thursday night just went missing after fire broke out in one of the coaches.

His name neither figures in the official list of missing/dead nor injured
persons released by the railways. Now all his relatives could do was to rush to
Kesamudram, Kazipet, Warangal and Secunderabad looking out for him or at least
for some information on his whereabouts. The stock reply from officials, even
those travelling on the Gautami was that they had not seen him anywhere. So far,
luck has eluded the grief-stricken relatives and friends.

Makes call from mobile


Rao (29), a resident of Kukatpally Housing Board Colony, is working on the
INS-Chilka in Orissa. He had gone to Mumbai on some official work and had come
to Hyderabad on his way to Orissa. In Hyderabad, he decided to call on his
ailing grandfather, Sheshagiri, in Tadepalligudem and got into a general
compartment in the Gautami Express.

All his relatives recall is that Rao had called one of his family members that
he was crossing Kazipet and that the TTE had assured him a berth in S10 coach.
“Now that a berth is allotted, my journey will be comfortable. I will speak to
you after reaching the village,” he told his family members on his mobile
(093387-03721). This call was made around 11.50 p.m.

Maximum casualties


Incidentally, the fire broke out in coach S10, where the maximum casualties were
reported. Fire spread to the adjoining coach S9 and to S11, S12 and S13.

Panicked relatives began calling Rao on his mobile only to get the recorded
message “out of coverage area”. “We are worried. He remains
untraceable,” said his brother-in-law G. V. Ramana fighting back tears. He and
his relatives were at the Rail Nilayam on Saturday morning.

His name apparently did not figure in any of the lists released by the railways,
as he got into a general compartment. “Please help us trace our child,” is
the plea of his uncle Ramu. The family members request that any information
about this sailor could be passed on to 94406 88656 or 99495 88975.

http://www.hindu.com/2008/08/03/stories/2008080360971200.htm

Intensity of fire shows it is sudden, says official

Hot axle phenomenon, short circuit ruled out

HYDERABAD: Distinct oil marks found in the S-10 coach of Gautami Express have
led South Central Railway authorities to suspect that Friday’s devastating
fire that consumed 31 lives may have been caused by inflammable material aboard
the train.

These patches were found in the aisle between the two toilets and were
video-graphed. According to Panabaka Krishnaiah, Chief Public Relations Officer,
SCR, the intensity of the fire and the raging inferno later showed that it was
sudden and not gradual. Moreover, a cooking stove was also found in the
compartment. “The fire could have either been deliberate or accidental,” he
said.

“It could not have been caused by the hot axle phenomenon that mainly occurs
in the summer and leaves round burn marks. Even the theory of short-circuit does
not appear plausible as all were sleeper coaches that are not easily prone to
such a fire unlike the air-conditioned coaches that consume heavy power,” he
told The Hindu.

The SCR’s observations are partly in tune with those of the Forensic Science
Laboratory that believes the fire indeed started in the S-10 compartment,
probably in the fourth and fifth bays.

Meanwhile, 34 hours after the tragedy, doctors at MGM Hospital in Warangal have
completed post-mortem on the remains of all the 29 charred bodies.

They had established that nine of them were women and seven men. The remaining
bodies would be re-examined, said A. Ravi Chandra, Superintendent, Government
Railway Police, Secunderabad, now camping in Warangal.

In Warangal, the remains of the dead were taken in separate plastic bags to the
MGM Hospital mortuary. Each bag bore the seat number from where it was found.

http://www.hindu.com/2008/08/03/stories/2008080360730800.htm

CHENNAI: Southern Railway will run special trains between Chennai Egmore and
Nagercoil and Chennai Central and Trivandrum/Coimbatore on both directions to
clear extra rush of passengers.

Train No. 0617 will leave Chennai Egmore at 8.25 pm on August 14 and reach
Nagercoil at 11 am the next day. In the return direction, train No. 0618 will
leave Nagercoil at 1.30 pm on August 15 and arrive at Egmore at 4.20 am the next
day. Train No.0657 will leave Chennai Central at 8.30 pm on August 14 and arrive
at Trivandrum at 1.15 pm the next day. In the return direction, train No. 0658
will leave Trivandrum at 3.15 pm on August 15 and arrive at Chennai Central at
8.15 am the next day.

Train No.0635 will leave Chennai Central at 8.30 pm on August 16 and 18 and
reach Trivandrum at 1.15 pm the next day. In the return direction, train No.
0636 will leave Trivandrum at 3.15 pm on August 17 and arrive at Chennai Central
at 8.15 am the next day. Train No.0625 will leave Chennai Central at 11.45 pm on
August 7, 9, 11, 14, 16 and 18 arrive at Coimbatore at 7.45 am the next day.

In the return direction, train No. 0626 will leave Coimbatore at 11.45 pm on
August 8, 10, 12, 15, 17 and 19 and arrive at Chennai Central at 8.15 am the
next day.

http://www.hindu.com/2008/08/03/stories/2008080352950300.htm

Relatives of the dead face bitter experience

Desperate: Daughter of a senior citizen, victim of the Gautami Express fire
searching for her mother at the mortuary in Warangal on Saturday.

WARANGAL: For some unknown reasons, not many relatives of the passengers who
died in Gautami Express accident turned up at the MGM Hospital here, where the
mortal remains of the dead were kept.

Those who came in search of their relatives or to find a clue about them had
bitter experience with officials. K. Abraham came from Hyderabad along with his
wife Lilly in search of his mother-in-law M. Bala (60) who was travelling in the
senior citizen category in seat number 44 of S-10 compartment. “Someone had
called us yesterday and said my mother-in-law was safe. But, we do not know
where she is. We hope she is safe,” he told The Hindu.

When efforts to locate his mother-in-law failed, he approached the Railway
Protection Force (RPF) to book a case of ‘missing’. They asked him to
approach the Government Railway Police (GRP) , who again reportedly instructed
him to go to the Railway police at Secunderabad. “The Railway police refused
to book a case,” he said in frustration.

State of shock


An elderly person who is a relative of Hari Shankar, who died in the train
accident along with his wife Roshini Mukherjee, was in a state of shock.

The couple was employed in Google, in Hyderabad. He pleaded with the police to
show him their mortal remains but they expressed their inability. This left him
depressed and he refused to share any information with waiting mediapersons.

Meanwhile, some friends of the couple – Sourav Mishra, Vineet, Mohan and Fazal
– made a vain bid to locate them. They vigorously searched the bushes and
fields where the Gautami train halted near Kesamudram railway station on Friday.
“We hope they might have jumped out and might be struggling to survive
here,” Sourav Mishra lamented.

http://www.hindu.com/2008/08/03/stories/2008080354050400.htm

Police in despair over identification of dead as even possibility of DNA tests
is ruled out in most cases

Identity crisis: Skeletal remains of the train fire victims brought in cloth
bags to the MGM Hospital mortuary in Warangal on Saturday.

WARANGAL: The Railway police brought skulls and other skeletal remains of the
dead passengers of Gautami train in 29 plastic bags to the MGM Hospital mortuary
for investigation. Each bag reportedly contained the mortal remains of each
passenger marked with the seat number from where it was collected from charred
compartments.

The Railway officials arranged for forensic tests of the skeletal remains to
determine height, sex and age of the victim which could be corroborated with the
reservation charts to establish identity of the deceased. They were supposed to
conduct DNA tests to determine the relationship with the survivors but as the
fresh tissue was required to conduct the test, the possibility of DNA tests is
ruled out in most of the cases.

Harrowing tale


When one Anantharamulu, father of Hari Shanker who died in the train in S-10
compartment came to the mortuary to for the mortal remains of his son, the
police expressed their inability to produce them. They pleaded that it was just
not possible to pinpoint and declare the remains as belonging to any one victim
with clarity. The reasons were countless. “For instance, in some cases, people
may have exchanged their reserved seat with that of a co-passenger. Once the
fire caught on, people of one compartment rushed into another and crowded in
their desperate attempt to escape. Hence, it became increasingly difficult to
identify the passenger travelling on a particular ticket and seat,” explained
Circle Inspector (Railways) K. Krishna Prasad. He said efforts were on to
establish the identity of the victims adopting various methods. According to
information available with the local officials, 54 passengers were travelling in
S-10 compartment. So far, 27
  persons were traced to be missing and four are yet untraced. The officials
ascertained that of the 31 people killed, only two were identified and rest of
the 29 remain unidentified.

http://www.hindu.com/2008/08/03/stories/2008080360670800.htm

Oil patches found in the aisle of train between two toilets

Intensity of fire shows it is sudden, says official

Hot axle phenomenon, short circuit ruled out

HYDERABAD: Distinct oil marks found in the S-10 coach of Gautami Express have
lent strong impression to South Central Railway (SCR) authorities that
Friday’s devastating fire that consumed 31 lives may have been caused by
inflammable material aboard the train.

These patches were found in the aisle between the two toilets and were
video-graphed. According to Panabaka Krishnaiah, Chief Public Relations Officer,
SCR, the intensity of the fire and the raging inferno later showed that it was
sudden and not gradual.

Moreover, a cooking stove was also found in the compartment. “The fire could
have either been wanton or accidental,” he stated in reply to a question.

FSL observations


“It could not have been caused by the hot axle phenomenon that mainly occurs
in summer and leaves round burn marks. Even the theory of short-circuit does not
appear plausible as all were sleeper coaches that are not easily prone to such a
fire unlike the air-conditioned coaches that consume heavy power,” he told The
Hindu.

The SCR’s observations are partly in tune with those of the Forensic Science
Laboratory that believes the fire indeed started in the S-10 compartment,
probably in the fourth and fifth bays.

Meanwhile, 34 hours after the tragedy, doctors at MGM Hospital in Warangal have
completed post-mortem of the remains of all the 29 charred bodies. They
established the sex of nine as female and seven as male while the remaining
would be re-examined, said A. Ravi Chandra, Superintendent, Government Railway
Police, Secunderabad, now camping in Warangal. Two other bodies were identified
on Friday and handed over to relatives.

Agony of relatives


In Warangal, the skulls and other remains of the dead were taken in separate
plastic bags to the MGM Hospital mortuary. Each bag was with the seat numbers
from where they were found.

Many relatives of the deceased passengers were going round in circles to find
them. The SCR designated Deputy Superintendent (Railways), Kazipet, K. Krishna
Prasad, to help in identification and handing over of the bodies.

The relatives have been asked to approach him with photographs which would be
superimposed on pictures of the skulls.

Where possible, DNA tests will be conducted on the bodies to fix their identity.
Mr. Krishna Prasad can be contacted on 094406-27512 and Inspector Shravan Kumar
at 094406-27517.