🚂 Fast track Railways projects 🚇
----------------------------------
Indian Railways is trying to deliver several projects worth at least Rs 50,000 crore before the Lok Sabha elections.
775km route of Western & Eastern DFC will be operational by March 2019. The entire 3300-km route will be completed by 2020. The freight-carrying capacity of IR will shoot up by 30%!! Railways has preponed 3 important NE railway projects. Bogibeel project in Assam ought to be commissioned in October 2018. Jiribam–Imphal line will be partly commissioned by February 2019, and part of Dhansiri–Kohima line in Nagaland will be done by March 2019.
The first indigenous semi high-speed trains (160kmph) would be tested by September, and start operation by early 2019. ICF will ramp up production of these Train-18 rakes to gradually replace Shatabdi rakes. Construction of Mumbai–Ahmedabad bullet train (509 km) is likely to start by January 2019. It will mark the end to a difficult land acquisition process (and clear the way to fast implementation).
The 6,000-km route will be electrified in 2018-19, which is 50% higher than last year, and stepped up further, to finish electrification by 2021-22 (13,675km, Rs 12,130cr). Railways will eliminate all unmanned level crossings by March 2020. In the next year, all broad gauge level crossings are expected to be manned or eliminated though ROBs or subways. With 7 more automated track maintenance machines, Railways will speedily complete the backlog of track maintenance by end-2019.
Work on 7 critical sections ending March 2019 will increase section speeds to 110-130kmph. It will save 4 hours (or a quarter of travel time) on mainline routes of GQ & its laterals. Permanent speed limits will be progressively removed, through safety audit and rectification of 1.5lakh bridges. Higher powered locos, electric locos for slow passenger trains, and reduced station dwell times will also raise speeds.
68 Railway stations will be upgraded by March 2019 via EPC mode (~Rs4000cr). These include Pune, Bengaluru, Delhi, Shimla, Mathura, Valsad, Ambala, Varanasi, Dehradun, and other major junction stations. Habibganj (in Bhopal) and Gandhi Nagar (in Gujarat) will be refurbishment to world-class standard by 2018. Station RE development will now be offered for PPP with attractive provisions (99 yrs leases with the right to sublease).
NBCC is redeveloping 10 stations (Rs 4000cr), of which 5 will be completed in this fiscal (Tirupati, Goa and Puducherry, 2 in Lucknow—Gomti Nagar and Charbagh), all to world-class standards. Railways is offering hundreds of stations, but NBCC will wait for investors' response to its projects. NBCC & IR have a financing model where costs are deducted from revenues, which remain with IR. NBCC has 90-year leases, which it can sublease.
Projects by States and budget 2018:
https://twitter.com/PiyushGoyal/status/960814740967747584
🚂 Charming the Railways passengers 🚇
----------------------------------
Tender for 5 lakh CCTV systems is likely to be floated by end-August 2018, and work completed within 6 months. CCTVs will be installed at most stations and 168 premium trains. All railway stations (~6,000) will be Wifi-enabled in 6 - 8 months. GPS will be put in all 2700 locos by March 2019, to monitor and inform about train movements. Users will be given precise information on arrivals. Digital data logging was activated at 55 interchange stations in April 2018. It revealed unfudged punctuality which was 20% lower than reported by Railways. In the next 4 months, Railways has raised punctuality back up to 74% and is looking to reach 90+% by 2019.
Mechanised cleaning at 490 stations will be extended to all suburban and major stations by March 2019. Laundries will be fully mechanised by December 2019. All trains will have bio-toilets by March 2019 (a remarkable feat to get completed in 5 years) but these will be supplanted by vacuum bio-toilets which are odourless and consume just 1/20th of water.
Other improvements are water vending machines (1700 in 600 stations), affordable sanitary pad dispensers (all major stations) and Jan Aushadhi stores; upgraded base kitchens with artificial intelligence-assisted video surveillance, e-catering & no-bill-free-food; cashless POS ticketing machines (in 4000 locations), very fast e-ticketing and no service charge for card payments; central customer real-time redressal system and train captains on premium coaches; mobile phone alerts, clean-my-coach service, POS for all ticket checking staff and catering staff, provisions for disabled, etc.
Railway workshops have doubled coach production targets for 2018-19 (from 2,400 to 4410) and switched completely to safer Linke Hofmann Busch coaches. ICF coaches on premium coaches will be retrofitted for safety and refurbished, while others will be progressively withdrawn. New concept trains and coach redesigns are being introduced like double-decker UDAY, Train-18 & proposed high-speed aluminium trains; Tejas, Humsafar, Antyodaya, Vistadome, etc.
Routes are being holistically developed and uniquely marketed, such as the Gatimaan Express will have an electric loco & Train Protection system, Humsafar Express comes with popular AC-3 tag, UDAY for select business routes, Antyodaya Express for busy overnight routes, Vistadome for scenic tourist routes, Tejas Express for super-fast premium routes, improved DeenDayalu and Anubhuti coaches for unreserved and luxury travel.
🚂 AGENDA for RAILWAYS 🚇
-------------------------------
-♦- Step up in freight capacity, modal share, freight revenues whilst setting sensible freight rate and diversifying cargo
-♦- Electrification and reduction of fuel bills
-♦- Modern signalling system over most of the system for speed, safety & capacity
-♦- Complete rail port connectivity projects
-♦- Build many high-speed corridors and complete all safety works
-♦- Build a few dedicated bullet train routes
-♦- Build East Coast DFC corridor. Add 2 more DFCs later
-♦- Progressively complete old or ongoing projects & gauge conversion, and increase line commissioning for new lines and doubling or tripling
-♦- Build extensive Mumbai & Bengaluru suburban networks
-♦- Build Regional Rapid Transit System in NCR and seamless suburban rail extensions to Metrorail in other cities
-♦- Increase non-fare revenues through the development of station lands and goods sheds, renewable power, etc
-♦- Make-in India through technology transfer, own efforts or FDI
-♦- Modernise equipment, systems & processes through technology infusion, modern coaches, specialist freight wagons, modern workshops, telecommunications, IT & enterprise solution, asset tracking & pre-emptive maintenance, water recycling & energy efficiency, personnel training & efficient deployment, fair recruitment, procurements, etc
My links:
1. Modernising and improving finances
https://plus.google.com/u/0/100789863972538583352/posts/DuamFLnDc4W
2. Taking the path to growth incl 2018 budget
https://plus.google.com/u/0/100789863972538583352/posts/MHUGkhjbceo
3. Difficult GE diesel loco issue & Interview of P. Goyal
https://plus.google.com/u/0/100789863972538583352/posts/4rxwexNdikw
4. Old ways continue into the present
https://plus.google.com/u/0/100789863972538583352/posts/V75BREEAinF
Indian Railways is trying to deliver several projects worth at least Rs 50,000 crore before the Lok Sabha elections.
775km route of Western & Eastern DFC will be operational by March 2019. The entire 3300-km route will be completed by 2020. The freight-carrying capacity of IR will shoot up by 30%!! Railways has preponed 3 important NE railway projects. Bogibeel project in Assam ought to be commissioned in October 2018. Jiribam–Imphal line will be partly commissioned by February 2019, and part of Dhansiri–Kohima line in Nagaland will be done by March 2019.
The first indigenous semi high-speed trains (160kmph) would be tested by September, and start operation by early 2019. ICF will ramp up production of these Train-18 rakes to gradually replace Shatabdi rakes. Construction of Mumbai–Ahmedabad bullet train (509 km) is likely to start by January 2019. It will mark the end to a difficult land acquisition process (and clear the way to fast implementation).
The 6,000-km route will be electrified in 2018-19, which is 50% higher than last year, and stepped up further, to finish electrification by 2021-22 (13,675km, Rs 12,130cr). Railways will eliminate all unmanned level crossings by March 2020. In the next year, all broad gauge level crossings are expected to be manned or eliminated though ROBs or subways. With 7 more automated track maintenance machines, Railways will speedily complete the backlog of track maintenance by end-2019.
Work on 7 critical sections ending March 2019 will increase section speeds to 110-130kmph. It will save 4 hours (or a quarter of travel time) on mainline routes of GQ & its laterals. Permanent speed limits will be progressively removed, through safety audit and rectification of 1.5lakh bridges. Higher powered locos, electric locos for slow passenger trains, and reduced station dwell times will also raise speeds.
68 Railway stations will be upgraded by March 2019 via EPC mode (~Rs4000cr). These include Pune, Bengaluru, Delhi, Shimla, Mathura, Valsad, Ambala, Varanasi, Dehradun, and other major junction stations. Habibganj (in Bhopal) and Gandhi Nagar (in Gujarat) will be refurbishment to world-class standard by 2018. Station RE development will now be offered for PPP with attractive provisions (99 yrs leases with the right to sublease).
NBCC is redeveloping 10 stations (Rs 4000cr), of which 5 will be completed in this fiscal (Tirupati, Goa and Puducherry, 2 in Lucknow—Gomti Nagar and Charbagh), all to world-class standards. Railways is offering hundreds of stations, but NBCC will wait for investors' response to its projects. NBCC & IR have a financing model where costs are deducted from revenues, which remain with IR. NBCC has 90-year leases, which it can sublease.
Projects by States and budget 2018:
https://twitter.com/PiyushGoyal/status/960814740967747584
🚂 Charming the Railways passengers 🚇
Tender for 5 lakh CCTV systems is likely to be floated by end-August 2018, and work completed within 6 months. CCTVs will be installed at most stations and 168 premium trains. All railway stations (~6,000) will be Wifi-enabled in 6 - 8 months. GPS will be put in all 2700 locos by March 2019, to monitor and inform about train movements. Users will be given precise information on arrivals. Digital data logging was activated at 55 interchange stations in April 2018. It revealed unfudged punctuality which was 20% lower than reported by Railways. In the next 4 months, Railways has raised punctuality back up to 74% and is looking to reach 90+% by 2019.
Mechanised cleaning at 490 stations will be extended to all suburban and major stations by March 2019. Laundries will be fully mechanised by December 2019. All trains will have bio-toilets by March 2019 (a remarkable feat to get completed in 5 years) but these will be supplanted by vacuum bio-toilets which are odourless and consume just 1/20th of water.
Other improvements are water vending machines (1700 in 600 stations), affordable sanitary pad dispensers (all major stations) and Jan Aushadhi stores; upgraded base kitchens with artificial intelligence-assisted video surveillance, e-catering & no-bill-free-food; cashless POS ticketing machines (in 4000 locations), very fast e-ticketing and no service charge for card payments; central customer real-time redressal system and train captains on premium coaches; mobile phone alerts, clean-my-coach service, POS for all ticket checking staff and catering staff, provisions for disabled, etc.
Railway workshops have doubled coach production targets for 2018-19 (from 2,400 to 4410) and switched completely to safer Linke Hofmann Busch coaches. ICF coaches on premium coaches will be retrofitted for safety and refurbished, while others will be progressively withdrawn. New concept trains and coach redesigns are being introduced like double-decker UDAY, Train-18 & proposed high-speed aluminium trains; Tejas, Humsafar, Antyodaya, Vistadome, etc.
Routes are being holistically developed and uniquely marketed, such as the Gatimaan Express will have an electric loco & Train Protection system, Humsafar Express comes with popular AC-3 tag, UDAY for select business routes, Antyodaya Express for busy overnight routes, Vistadome for scenic tourist routes, Tejas Express for super-fast premium routes, improved DeenDayalu and Anubhuti coaches for unreserved and luxury travel.
🚂 AGENDA for RAILWAYS 🚇
-♦- Step up in freight capacity, modal share, freight revenues whilst setting sensible freight rate and diversifying cargo
-♦- Electrification and reduction of fuel bills
-♦- Modern signalling system over most of the system for speed, safety & capacity
-♦- Complete rail port connectivity projects
-♦- Build many high-speed corridors and complete all safety works
-♦- Build a few dedicated bullet train routes
-♦- Build East Coast DFC corridor. Add 2 more DFCs later
-♦- Progressively complete old or ongoing projects & gauge conversion, and increase line commissioning for new lines and doubling or tripling
-♦- Build extensive Mumbai & Bengaluru suburban networks
-♦- Build Regional Rapid Transit System in NCR and seamless suburban rail extensions to Metrorail in other cities
-♦- Increase non-fare revenues through the development of station lands and goods sheds, renewable power, etc
-♦- Make-in India through technology transfer, own efforts or FDI
-♦- Modernise equipment, systems & processes through technology infusion, modern coaches, specialist freight wagons, modern workshops, telecommunications, IT & enterprise solution, asset tracking & pre-emptive maintenance, water recycling & energy efficiency, personnel training & efficient deployment, fair recruitment, procurements, etc
My links:
1. Modernising and improving finances
https://plus.google.com/u/0/100789863972538583352/posts/DuamFLnDc4W
2. Taking the path to growth incl 2018 budget
https://plus.google.com/u/0/100789863972538583352/posts/MHUGkhjbceo
3. Difficult GE diesel loco issue & Interview of P. Goyal
https://plus.google.com/u/0/100789863972538583352/posts/4rxwexNdikw
4. Old ways continue into the present
https://plus.google.com/u/0/100789863972538583352/posts/V75BREEAinF
Railways aims to wrap up Rs 50,000 crore projects ahead of 2019 elections
economictimes.indiatimes.com
18
1
Hide 12 comments
- ADDED:
Impact on freight transport-------------------------
Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has set an ambitious target of doubling the national transporter's revenue to Rs 4 lakh cr by 2025, by investing about Rs 9 lakh cr. He hopes to achieve this mainly by enhancing freight capacity since it accounts for 65% of its total revenues. Thus it is very gratifying that the 3,300 km, Rs 81,000cr Dedicated Freight Corridors project is close to completion. Once done, new DFC routes (eg. East coast) will be taken up.
Dedicated corridors will ease the burden on the existing railway network and strengthen the economic backbone of the country. Freight trains on these corridors will run at a maximum of 100 kmph as against 75 kmph currently. The average speed of freight trains will increase from existing 26 kmph to 70 kmph. This will also allow the Railways to run more trains on existing highly congested (Delhi-Kolkata) route.
REPLY 29w - Rushing to lay new railway tracks
-----------------------------------
Govt through the Railways Board Chairman has set targets to 16 zonal railways for timely commissioning of new lines, gauge conversions and doubling projects announced in this year's budget. It wants to avoid bunching of works till the last quarter.
▀ Section-wise deadlines were set for NE to main railways link projects. Preponed from 2020 deadline.
☼► Bogibeel project in Dibrugarh, Assam for completion by June 2018 (delayed to late 2018)
☼► Jiribam-Imphal line (Vangaichungpao- Kaimai- Kambiron section) for February 2019.
☼► Dhansiri–Kohima line in Nagaland (Dhansiri-Sulhovi section) for March 2019.
Chairman asked zones to set up a speedy mechanism for getting plans approvals/ consents on executive decisions/ reviews, done at the additional GM level. Senior officials will monitor progress.
Approval of plans --> material procurement --> appt of execution agency --> mechanism for maintenance --> Commissioner Railway Safety inspections.
Why go for full electrification of Broad Gauge-------------------------------
Full electrification of BG is targeted by 2021-22, for Rs.12,134cr. Major trunk routes are electrified and operational, but it is not ideal as unelectrified parts prevent IR from operating electric locos on electrified routes.
Full electrification will allow:
¶ IR to save Rs 13,510cr in fuel bills, as electricity is cheaper. Foreign currency is saved by not using imported fossil fuels (saving 2.83b litres of diesel). Lower CO2 emissions by 24% and lower pollution helps the environment.
¶ Full electrification simplifies the allocation of trains, thereby improving the availability of trains. Electric locos are also faster and so IR can run more trains. This improves revenues.
¶ IR can save operational costs as two classes of locos are replaced by just electric locos. Electric loco can at times replace 2 diesel locos on some routes. This reduces the total number of locos, so saving on capital outlay.
¶ Electric locos need less maintenance (Rs 16.5 vs Rs 32.8 per thousand GTKM) than diesel locos. Electric locos save 15-20% of energy because of regeneration during braking.
¶ Electrification improves signalling and so improves safety.
http://www.railnews.in/ccea-approves-100-electrification-of-broad-gauge-routes-of-indian-railways/
Official lays out facts on electrification
¶ Cabinet approval for full electrification by 2021-22
¶ 29,000km done, 20,000 u/c & 13,000km approved (remaining)
¶ Average speed will increase by 10-15%
¶ Line capacity will also increase by 10-15%
¶ 5,500 diesel locos to be converted to 5000 HP electric loco
-Cost is Rs 2cr vs Rs 5cr for diesel mid-term (18yrs) refurbishment.
-Made in India, with modern technology. As good as new
-4 are converted at Diesel Locomotive Works in Varanasi
-If successful 100 locos at mid-life available for CY
¶ GE made diesel locos will be used for strategic & disaster/ emergency use.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/railways/full-electrification-trains-to-run-at-10-15-per-cent-higher-speeds-by-2021-22/articleshow/65936932.cms
REPLY 25w - Railway ministry is under pressure, as no key project announced by Govt has been completed in 4 years of its term. It has also received flak for deteriorating rail safety after a series of accidents, delays due to track maintenance work and a rise in passenger fare due to surge pricing on premium trains.
Govt is hopeful of completing part of the DFC, scheduled to be operational from December 2019 but now the deadline has been revised to February 2019. There is super-saturation on existing tracks: the Delhi-Mumbai corridor is 115 per cent saturated, while the Delhi-Howrah corridor is operating at 150 per cent capacity. So the early commissioning of DFC will allow railways to add new services.
Ministry is also fast-tracking the Kashmir valley rail project which will enable trains to operate between New Delhi and Srinagar in 14 hours flat. This line, costing Rs 10,000cr, offers all-weather connectivity and will be a major achievement of Centre for Jammu and Kashmir. The project may not get completed before LS elections.-----------------
"We are hopeful that in the next 6 - 8 months, all railway stations, other than the halt stations, about 6,000 stations will be WiFi-enabled" ─ Railways Minister 28/8/18
Railways will ensure the last mile connectivity for WiFi even where fibre-optic cable has not reached it.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/railways/6000-railway-stations-will-be-wifi-enabled-in-next-6-months-piyush-goyal/articleshow/65579797.cms-----------------------------
Data loggers are currently sited at 55 stations and will be extended to other stations. This gave accurate punctuality data for a few stations and has lead to improvements in a short time frame. Punctuality comes up in the assessment of zonal managers, so the incentive is to do well.
Punctuality: Ministry claims to have improved punctuality in the last 2 months. Data is thus:
May 59.55%
June 63.33%
July 70%
Aug 73% (incomplete)
GPS devices will be put in all locos by March 2019. Locations of trains and punctuality data will be automatically recorded and avoid input mistakes when done manually. It will provide very accurate information
https://www.deccanherald.com/national/now-gps-devices-trains-monitor-688821.html
Minutes lost per day in journey time
March 88000 (3.26% total)
April 120000
May 118000
June 95000
July 67000
August 59000
Trains late for >6 hr per day
March 57 trains
July 33 trains
August 25 trains
Automatic data logger are at 98 railway routes.
http://www.railnews.in/honest-reporting-efforts-of-employees-improved-punctuality-of-trains-piyush-goyal/-----------------------------------------------------
Railway Station redevelopment (RE)
Interview by NBCC Chairman (PSU) says they will take up 10 stations and hand back 5 by end-fiscal year. They will be developed as "world-class", airport-style stations.
http://www.railnews.in/nbcc-to-start-station-redevelopment-in-goa-tirupati-puducherry-by-end-of-fiscal/
REPLY 27w - NEED FOR SPEED
==============
Piyush Goyal, Railways minister wondered from where IR will get 100,000 wagons in next 5 years. IR is facing shortages as the private sector has fallen behind completing the current orders, so is unable to add more. IR has surging demand not just for wagons but for other equipment and technologies.
Industry experts say that Railways' proposals for infra expansion and for adopting European Train Control Systems (ETCS) will all be delayed due to problems with suppliers. Private players are small in number and operate at small scales. Railways will need to look at ways to stimulate both capacity expansion and new methods of working at the suppliers.
IMPROVING FUNDAMENTALS-----------------------------------
Majority of recommendations of Bibek Debroy committee 2014, on restructuring the Railways Board were implemented. Cross-functional directorates in non-tariff revenue and mobility, among others have been instituted. These are meant to push an agenda for change (eg 1OO private sidings). Decision-making powers were delegated to GMs and divisional managers, so projects could be completed faster.
Non-fare revenues have not kept up with targets. It hovers at 4–5 per cent. IR is now floating IPOs. RITES IPO was over-subscribed. Indian Railway Finance Corp (IRFC) and Ircon International IPOs will come out around September 2018.
"Point to point" delivery of cargo is a new way of generating revenue and improving its parcel and freight businesses. Konkan Railway Corp (KRCL) will set up a "total logistics company" in the collaboration of a European partner.
INFRASTRUCTURE-----------------------
Railways budget continues to grow above revenue and volume growth. Rs 1.48 lakh cr was allocated for capital expenditure in 2018-19, mainly for track doubling, 3rd and 4th lines, gauge conversion, new rolling stock and redevelopment of 600 stations. Equipment for upgraded stations includes Wi-Fi, CCTV cameras and escalators (where footfalls are over 25,000 passengers).
Much higher allocations (at 2.5 times earlier levels), and faster decision-making has enabled Railways to add infrastructure at a fast clip over the last 4 years, eg:
-- Rake renewals are 50% higher
-- Line commissioning is 60% higher. In Jan 2018, it zoomed up 180% to 640km/pm
-- Electrification has been scaled up from 618 to 4100km pa.
Railways had identified 500 old incomplete projects. It has appointed nodal officers for each project to ensure timely completion. Projects are for new lines, gauge conversion, doubling of tracks, road safety, signalling and telecom.
Suburban networks will be developed through cost sharing with States. Mumbai suburban network will have investment of Rs 50,000cr (Rs 10,000cr for expansion & Rs 40,000cr for new elevated corridors). Bengaluru will get Rs 17,000cr for 160 km of new track.
Once completed ongoing DFC will increase freight capacity by 30%. Sustained expansion as seen over 5 years under this Govt, is expected to make IR 3rd largest globally by 2022. Railways plans to develop 3 new routes under DFC with an investment of Rs 3.3 lakh crore. This will help it meet the target of tripling the current freight carrying capacity.
SPEED----------
Mission Rafter envisages doubling average freight speeds and adding 25kmph to non-suburban trains, over 5 years. A lot can be achieved by fixing the underlying causes of speed limits, imposed due to poor track quality, over-saturated tracks, level crossings & other track safety concerns, settlements close to tracks, etc. 3 main methods are discussed below:
1) Electrification of tracks and use of Mainline EMUs and DEMU trains on short distance passenger trains: Electric locos can accelerate faster after station halts.
2) Semi-bullet corridors will have upgraded track, safety infrastructure (eg fencing off the tracks) and traffic segregation, to enable trains to run 150+kmph. Train-18 & proposed Train-20 are ideal for these tracks as they have decentralised traction, strong design fundamentals and aerodynamic shape.
3) HSR trains will run of 300+ kmph on dedicated tracks. Railways is unable to build HSR on its own, as HSR is technologically too advanced and very expensive. For example, Mumbai-Ahmedabad HSR needed both Japanese technology and Japanese low-cost finance. Exhaustive studies and area development are also a feature. Expert suggests multi-modal hubs around HSR stations (ie. integration with an airport, metro rail, roads and marine or waterways), as well as compact greenfield smart cities, should be built at these sites. Future HSRs are almost certain, though Govt may wait and observe. If Govt decides to go ahead, then AIIB has expressed a keen interest in financing the main HSR corridors like GQ and its laterals.
STATION REDEVELOPMENT-----------------------------------------
Railways is targeting redevelopment of 600 railway stations. It has set up IRSDCL to commercialise the real estate which will be built at these stations. Response from private investors has been muted, though Habibgani station in MP was awarded to a private consortium in 2016 (station redevelopment costs are Rs 100cr and RE development Rs 350cr).
Govt has now improved the offer. Union cabinet is likely to offer enhanced 99-year leases with sublease rights. It has already allowed mixed development (ie residential and commercial) and decoupled RE development from station redevelopment, which becomes the responsibility of IR. Infrastructure tag on RE development allows investors to arrange cheaper finance. In the meanwhile, Govt is upgrading 68 stations on EPC, besides modernisation of a few stations by PSUs.
TECHNOLOGY INFUSION-----------------------------
Indian Railways is certainly lagging of this front. It is now looking to adopt the latest or best in class technologies. Its R&D arm, the Research Design and Standards Organisation is looking to improve by collaborating with Japan and European countries.
Key focus is on:
1. Digitalisation via Enterprise Resource Planning; Indian Railways One Information and Communication Technology (IR-OneICT) digital platform will integrate systems so they function optimally as a complete whole. It needs to keep getting updated.
2. Wireless corridors for signalling, communication, CCTV cameras
3. Signalling
4. Heavy haul trains (Alstom & GE loco orders) and high-speed trains (Japanese Shinkansen bullet trains, Train-18 & Train-20)
5. Automation such as track-laying, track-maintenance and fracture detection
6. Safety at level crossings eg. GPS on trains
7. Others: RFT on wagons; fog safety devices, flooding warning devices; bio-toilets, vacuum toilets, water recycling, etc..
REPLY 29w - Level Crossing
---------------------
"Railways will eliminate all UMLCs by March 31, 2020. 40% will have gate or barrier with a watchman, and 60% will have underpasses or ROBs" ─ Railways Chairman
https://www.globalrailwayreview.com/news/68690/unmanned-crossings-eliminated-india/
"No new level crossings of any kind will be permitted in new line and gauge conversion projects” ─ Railways notification, May 2018.
These directives will increase the average speed of trains under Mission Raftaar. (The average speed of freight trains is 24kmph, and non-suburban trains is 44kmph). Increasing train speeds will reduce travel times, operational cost, increase revenues and increase modal share of Railways. No. of accidents due to level crossing will also reduce.
As of April, there were 5,792 UMLC (3479 in BG, 1135 in MG & 1178 in NG) and 19,507 MLC. Number of accidents has been falling consistently:
All UMLC MLC
2014-15 131 50 6
2015-16 106 29 6
2016-17 100 20 —
2017-18 73 10 3
1
https://plus.google.com/u/0/100789863972538583352/posts/NyixSwaMt53
2
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/railways-to-eliminate-all-unmanned-level-crossings-by-march-2020-says-ashwani-lohani-5153078/
REPLY 29w - Agenda for Railways
-------------------------------
By 2025, Railways want to double revenues to Rs 4 lakh crore, by improving its modal share of freight from 33% to 45%. lt envisages an investment of Rs 9 lakh crore.
Railways is targeting an operating ratio of 92% from 98% currently and doesn't want to be dependant on gross budgetary support from Govt.
Mission Raftaar is important as it will allow more trains to run, and garner higher business. Mission for non-fare revenue is being worked on. Mission to improve safety is well funded and progressing. Punctuality is coming up fast, once the true nature of failure was revealed.
Immediate-------------
Complete ongoing DFC works and ongoing line additions for decongesting existing routes. Complete railway station upgradation under EPC. Completion of ongoing safety works such as track renewal, elimination of UMLC, improved signalling, foot-over-bridges, etc. Continue to increase production of LHB coaches incl engineless Train 18. Rites and IRCON are being listed, but IRCTC and IRFC will need work to improve their valuation.
Others---------
1. Release parcels of Railways land at stations for real estate development
2. Electrify most of the network to save Rs 13,500cr in fuel bills. Convert diesel to electric locos during overhauls at no extra cost. (At present 2/3rd of freight & >50% of passenger traffic move on electric traction, yet 63% is spent on diesel fuel).
http://www.opindia.com/2018/09/union-cabinet-approves-100-electrification-of-railways-by-2021-22/
3. Introduce modern signalling on GQ (Rs 12,000cr) and other routes, to increase capacity by 50%. More trains of similar speeds can be run in short blocks.
4. Complete Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train & initiate other HSRs (eg Mumbai-Nagpur).
5. Complete expansion & upgrade to Mumbai & Bengaluru suburban networks
6. Commit to building more DFC as per plan
7. Increase coach production volumes, modernise workshops (eg. water recycling, energy efficiency, lower production costs).
8. Diesel locos will be converted into new electric locos at their next overhaul.
REPLY 27w - Double stacked dwarf containers
--------------------------
This configuration can carry 66% more volume by stretching its vertical extent, but just enough to fit within overhanging electric catenary wires. It can also carry 71 tonnes vs 40 tonnes by an ISO container.
Railways is certifying electrified routes and ramping up dwarf container production, as it has good feelers from industry. Railways is sure to win back bulk low-density traffic and high-end freight like plastic granules, white goods, FMCG products, PVC fabric, even automobiles. These have been lost to road sector, which offered lower rates and flexibility.
REPLY 29w - Humsafar and AC-3 is what passengers want
------------------------------
Whilst AC-2 is loss-making, AC-3 sector is popular and profitable. If AC-2 coaches are converted to AC-3, 14,400 more people can travel in 50 Rajdhani trains. Same would apply to other AC coaches. The much criticised flexi-fare scheme will be modified as per Humsafar formula, where fare increments are shallow, so high-end prices will still be competitive to airline fares. Discounts for less busy times will encourage more people to travel on trains.
ICF coaches on Shatabdi and Rajdhani trains will be retrofitted with centre buffer coupler (CBC) primarily for safety concerns, but it virtually eliminates jerkiness of the ride due to its heavy capacity shock-absorbers. Premium coaches will get a face-lift after every 6 years. Revamp follows a flood of complaints from disgruntled customers. But Railways will hold back on refurbishing general compartments due to a shortage of funds.
REPLY 29w - Mumbai-Nagpur HSR
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MN HSR [~ 800km] is being taken up in Phase 1 of Mumbai-Kolkata route, under G to G cooperation. Agency: ADIF, Spain and INECO, Spain.
1. Ineco has conducted the feasibility study. It looked at situating MN HSR on top of the proposed Mumbai-Nagpur e-way (Samruddhi Mahamarg) and is positive.
2. A unique method of reducing time and cost involved in land acquisition. Coordination between M. Road & Railways is essential. Expressway will be fully access-controlled and HSR will be on elevated rail track. Twin tunnels and bridges can be constructed to cross rivers and negotiate hilly areas.
3. Expressway must be fairly straight as per requirement of HSR.
4. Maha state govt must arrange land (as Samruddhi Mahamarg is a state project).
5. Travel time btw two cities will be just 5 hours. Farmers & parcel service will also benefit.
Nagpur BG metro trains (for suburban service)-------------------------
Airconditioned metro trains will operate from Nagpur to satellite cities of Wardha, Bhandara, Saoner, Katol and Ramtek. Railways track will be upgraded and the service run by Mahametro, which is also responsible for Nagpur metro. Thus suburban rail will be integrated with Mass Rapid Transit System of Nagpur. Distances of 40-78km will require a fee of up to Rs 60.
Top speed will improve from 60 to 100kmph, and time lost for station halts will fall. Suburban traffic is likely to get boosted manifold. If it is successful, Railways is keen to replicate it in other cities.
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/will-take-up-nagpur-to-mumbai-railway-corridor-goyal-5262547/
REPLY 29w - Indore-Manmad rail project (Rs 9,000cr)
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JNPT, MP & Maha govts have agreed to develop this important project. JNPT will fund 55% and 15% each from States & IPRCL. The economic benefit is Rs 15,000cr over 10 years.
1. Indore (a logistics hub for containers) will be connected via Manmad to JNPT port, shortening distance by over 200km. Distance from Mumbai or Pune to Central India is reduced by 171km (from 815km to 644km).
2. It will be used for freight and passenger traffic. As it will be an alternative route to existing railway lines, so it will reduce congestion, pollution and operating costs for railways.
3. It will benefit Central India (Bhopal region, Dhule, Indore) and North India (Lucknow, Agra, Gwalior and Kanpur belt). It will connect to Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor at Igatpuri, Nashik and Sinnar, Pune and Khed, and Dhule and Nardana, thus improving the economic viability of DMIC. Backward areas of MP & Maharashtra will also be developed.
REPLY 29w - Port-Rail connectivity projects
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1 ♦- Part of the ambitious Sagarmala project with 400 projects worth Rs 7lakh crore. 50% of 400 projects are under implementation. IPRCL is undertaking port-rail connectivity projects. It is a JV between major ports & Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd.
2 ♦- 13 projects (426 km, Rs 2,600cr) have been completed. 27 projects (1850km, Rs 18,800cr) are under implementation.
3 ♦- Overall 70 projects identified for 4,250km at cost of Rs 46,725cr. Remaining 30 projects (1970km, Rs 25,325cr) are under pre-implementation.
NB. Indore-Manmad rail project will be done under IPRCL
https://www.livemint.com/Politics/uwpi5LbXFT9qNN94JH7hYL/Gadkari-comes-to-rescue-of-8500-crore-rail-corridor-projec.html
REPLY 29w - East Coast freight corridor may be sanctioned next year
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IR plans to include it in the next budget. It will be financed by IR's equity and loans.
Other Dedicated Freight Corridors---------------------------------
3 new DOCs (see below) were proposed in Budget 2016-17. All are on the very busy GQ routes. PETS report in 2016, found them viable and able to deliver 1,300m tonnes of freight business by 2026-27. Nothing happened until recently.
○ East-West Corridor (2,328km, Rs 110,500cr) btw Kolkata and Mumbai
○ North-South Corridor (2,343km, Rs 104,500cr) btw Delhi and Chennai
○ East Coast freight corridor (1,114km, Rs 56,700cr) btw Kharagpur & Vijaywada.
REPLY 28w - Use of Artificial Intelligence
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Indian Railways had decided to implement Artificial Intelligence (AI) in November 2017.
♦- Enhanced surveillance: CCTV camera feeds will be scanned for likely problems, eg identify stray children, violence, etc
♦- Reduce chances of signal failure
♦- Artificial Intelligence, combined with automatic track detection machines, can predict the life of tracks and track joints. Review by AI of scans can identify likely sites for pre-emptive maintenance, which can be scheduled at sensible times (eg Sundays).
♦- Catering (abridge article)--------------------------------------------
Railways through IRCTC has taken many steps to improve its catering service including bringing down prices. It will now use Artifical Intelligence to serve hygienic foods.
1) AI and machine learning (together with cameras, Near Infra-Red (NIR) spectroscopy, x-rays, and lasers) will sort vegetables for their optimum use, eg. if potato will be best suited for french fries or potato chips.
2) AI system, known as Obots, will survey contractors working in kitchens to identify any peculiarity or mishaps in food safety compliance. Alert will be made and action taken if for example:
– chefs are not wearing the proper uniform, masks and hair protection
– unpurified water is used (ie tap water) for preparing beverages
– bins are not covered or emptied
– rodents/ bugs are detected
3) Cleaning can be done optimally using sensors to reduce unnecessary cleaning times, for saving chemicals, water, energy, money. Cleaning can be based on the level of soiling.
4) AI will help IRCTC decipher what customer wants in terms of flavours, spices and combinations. It will also help to create new products.
http://www.railnews.in/irctc-to-use-artificial-intelligence-to-serve-hygienic-and-quality-train-food/
REPLY 28w - Achievements in Railways in 4 years of Modi's Govt
----------------------------------http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/directorate/prd/Achievements/4%20Year%20Rail%20%26%20Coal%20Booklet%20%20-%20English.pdfREPLY 28w - Improving safety: Gangmen and Artificial Intelligence
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1. Benefiting Gangmen
2.2 lakh gangmen have played a vital safety role. All 67,000+ km of railway track is inspected each day and night!! In the daytime, a gangman has to walk for several km along the track looking for problems. They have tools to correct tracks defects, remove obstructions and warn train drivers of dangers. Night patrolman walks twice the distance but doesn't carry tools.
Indian Railways will spend an extra Rs 175cr pa to improve the lot of gangmen. One major requirement is to improve the safety of gangmen from coming trains and stop deaths of 400 gangmen each year. A phone communication device or rakshak is a two-way walkie-talkie that sends alerts of trains. It is on trial and is now demanded on all high-density routes. They cost Rs80,000 a piece. The other change is to improve comfort levels.
-- lighter tools (fish bolt spanner & lantern weigh 1.4kg vs 3.4kg)
-- better shoes, bright orange vest, inner lining with or without hood plus a vest for winter
2. Automation of Railway jobs
Majority of the jobs can be automated with the help of AI and robotics
If you are among the tribe that believes that artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and automation will result in replacing jobs done by humans in India, you may wonder why the Indian Railways is preparing to recruit 90,000 people in what is touted as the world’s largest recruitment drive.
A majority of these jobs are for posts such as track maintainer, gangman, pointsman, switchman, helper and porter. The Indian Railways has received 18.9 million applications for 62,907 positions and 4.755 million applications for 26,500 positions of Automotive Loco Pilot. In fact, the Railways received a total of 25 million applications for these 90,000 jobs, most of which can, and will eventually, be automated with the help of AI and robotics.
The Indian Railways, for instance, can use automatic railway track cleaning systems, the Internet of Things (IoT) with multiple sensors to monitor employees and tracks, drones to monitor and scan tracks for faults and pilferage, and prevent potential derailments. The UK is already leading the way for robot train maintenance with university-led initiatives.
Train maintenance is typically performed in difficult working conditions and often under time pressure. It helps reduce human error in such high pressure and complex tasks.
Further, an automated train dispatching system can observe past scheduling decisions and outcomes to make better decisions with the help of AI (machine learning and deep learning). Besides, robotic welding increases the life of the tracks and crossing, making the process not only time effective, but cost effective as well. The repair process takes less than a day and there is no need to block traffic. Best of all, robots can work day and night without needing unions or rest.
The millions of job applicants must be mindful of the fact that technology has been pervading the Indian Railways for quite some time. On 8 July 2014, for instance, the railway budget had proposed bullet trains, bio-toilets, ultrasonic fixes for railway tracks, GIS (geographic information system) mapping, digitization of railway land, Wi-Fi connectivity at select stations and in trains, logistics support for e-commerce companies and going paperless in five years.
In his 2014-15 railway budget speech, the then railway minister Suresh Prabhu had unveiled an information technology (IT) vision for the railways, which included online information on the latest berth availability on running trains and an integrated mobile application including a station navigation system, besides customer-friendly freight movement initiatives such as introduction of barcoded/RFID (radio frequency identification) tracking of parcels and freight wagons, automated parcel warehouses and a customer relationship management system.
We do not have a separate Railway Budget any longer, but the government announced in the Union Budget 2018 that major steps include increasing use of technology like ‘‘Fog Safe’’ and a ‘‘Train Protection and Warning System’’. Moreover, a decision has been taken to eliminate 4267 unmanned level crossings in the broad gauge network in the next two years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also doubled the allocation to Digital India programme to Rs3,073 crore in 2018-19.
Not to forget that the foundation for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, India’s first high-speed rail project was laid on 14 September 2017. There is a lot of automation in our metro and bullet trains. Since human drivers are unable to read signals at very high speeds, bullet trains have a different kind of speed-control system, known as Automatic Train Control (ATC), which allows for speed information to be transmitted along the track and received by a signal attached to the driver’s seat.
Further, magnetic levitation (which explains why we call it “Maglev”) for bullet trains is achieved through the use of an electrodynamic suspension system or EDS. And you surely can’t have traditional track maintenance for maglevs—these are clearly software-driven tasks with minimal human intervention.
The millions who have applied for these thousands of routine jobs have also done so at a time when Piyush Goyal, Union Minister for Railways and Coal, said at a recent AI event in New Delhi that “AI is about creating trains with brains...(that) AI can transform Indian Railways in terms of safety, passenger amenities, better revenues, growth and efficiency”, and that it can “...be harnessed to find digital innovations for better customer interface and better service delivery”. He cited the example of how Google Maps’ data, for instance, could be intelligently used to estimate the time taken to travel from one point to the other.
To be sure, he did comfort the audience saying that AI should be used just as a tool and not to replace human jobs, an extremely sensitive subject in a developing country like India.
A 2017 December McKinsey Global Institute report notes that by 2030, 9% of today’s jobs in India will be done by machines, 16% in China, 23% in the US and 24% in Germany. The global average is 15%.
Martin Ford contends in his book ‘The Rise of the Robots: Technology and the Threat of Mass Employment’, that while all jobs are at risk of automation, it is the “routine” and “predictable” jobs that will be impacted most. For instance, it’s not hard to imagine that many drivers would be rendered redundant if driverless cars and trucks eventually go mainstream. Similarly, AI- and drone-driven surveillance systems can drastically reduce the number of security guards. Of course, they will raise questions of privacy, which policymakers will have to take cognizance of.
Ford cites a 2013 study by the University of Oxford’s Martin School of over 700 job types and concluded that nearly 50% of US jobs will ultimately be susceptible to full machine automation. Ford contends that robotics and advanced self-service technologies will primarily threaten lower-wage jobs that require modest levels of education and training. Automated vehicles or construction-scale 3D printers may eventually destroy millions of jobs.
On the flip side, Guido Jouret, Chief digital officer (CDO) of ABB Ltd, pointed out in an interview to Mint that more automation also “creates better jobs, and ultimately even more jobs”. “Look at the three countries with the highest level of the adoption of robotics—Germany, Japan and South Korea. They also have some of the lowest rates of unemployment,” he pointed out.
The McKinsey report, too, points out that while automation will displace some workers and transform occupations, “we also know that new and additional work will be created in the next decade and beyond”. It does caution, though, that “what is less clear is how job growth net of automation will vary by occupation, and under what conditions there will be enough new jobs to offset the work that is lost as robotics, artificial intelligence, and other technologies assume a greater role in the workplace”.
AI will undoubtedly introduce many benefits and help the Indian Railways become more efficient and productive since the latter has humongous amounts of data from which meaningful business intelligence can be derived. Simultaneously, though, it will have to give serious thought to retraining its already huge 1.3 million workforce for jobs of the future.
https://www.livemint.com/Opinion/Q8b7xXqCWssDtpjn1zFHiI/Why-the-Indian-Railways-will-face-an-AI-conundrum.html
REPLY 27w REPLY 27w - Wagon production is incentivised
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India’s wagon industry has been seeing a massive increase in orders after a five-year lull. 15% rise in steel prices, which makes up 55% of the total cost, had dampened the mood of the wagon makers. But IR has adjusted the contracts to accommodate this change. However, closure of spare parts provider, Stone India, due to lack of demand, has made it harder to scale up production.
REPLY 26w - The Railways must look to add more wagons to freight trains, as this segment continues to subsidise passenger traffic
The Indian Railways (IR) is one of the four railway systems in the world which transports more than a billion tonnes of freight traffic per year. The others are the US, Russia and China. In 2017-18, IR moved 1.16 billion tonnes of freight. In addition, it also carried 8.3 billion passengers — about 2.4 crore per day, which is equivalent to moving the entire population of Australia every day!
No other railway system in the world carries this volume of passengers and freight on the same tracks. Most large railroads such as those in the US, Australia and China, have separate tracks for passengers and freight. On IR, dedicated freight lines are yet to come. The mixed running on IR creates problems in the management of traffic.
Passenger and freight trains run at different speeds and a slow running freight train has to be stopped frequently to allow a faster passenger train to pass. This reduces the average speed of the freight train. It is akin to road traffic being stopped in advance for a VIP convoy to pass. The greater the difference between the speed of passenger and freight trains, the higher is the erosion of capacity of the network.
IR is facing a severe crunch of investible resources. Passenger tariff is traditionally subsidised by government policy. According to the Comptroller and Auditor General’s (CAG) report of on Railway Finances tabled in March 2018, in 2015-16, losses in passenger and other coaching services was so high that it would take 85.53 per cent of the profit from freight traffic to offset the loss.
Capital crunch
After subsidising passenger traffic there is very little surplus left for capital investment. Government support through Plan finances also reduced after the Eighth Plan. Dependence on extra-budgetary resources, such as borrowings from the Indian Railway Finance Corporation, increased sharply. Freight tariff has been hiked steadily to offset the loss on the passenger front.
Due to inadequate availability of funds, the growth of IR’s network was very slow. Using index numbers and taking 1950-51 as the base at 100, the network has increased from 100 to 155 whereas freight increased from 100 to 1407 and passenger traffic to 1675!
According to the White Paper on IR placed before Parliament in February 2015, almost all the arterial corridors of IR were saturated and the network required immediate expansion.
The Chinese Railway, with which comparisons are frequently drawn, has expanded its network more than five-fold since 1949.
Six trunk routes connecting the four metropolises of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata carry 56 per cent of the traffic of IR. The average speed of freight trains is about 23 kmph whereas the average speed of super-fast mail express trains running on the trunk routes is more than 55 kmph. The erosion of line capacity for freight services has been particularly acute on these trunk routes.
With increasing saturation of the network, the efficiency of utilisation of assets dropped. Thus the number of kilometres travelled by a freight wagon per day dropped from 262 km in 2010-11 to 204 km in 2016-17. Similarly, the time interval between two successive loadings of a wagon (wagon turn round time) increased from 4.97 days in 2010-11 to 5.32 days in 2016-17. The saturation of the network led to a drop in the incremental output obtained per unit of capital invested. This also finds mention in the CAG report.
The present government has sanctioned a large number of capacity expansion projects and allocated funds. These would take time to complete. In the interim period, unless there is a radical review of passenger tariff policy (which is highly improbable), it would be freight traffic which would have to grow rapidly to repay borrowings and create a surplus for future investment. This growth has to be achieved despite the congestion of the network. The convenient method of increasing freight tariff would have to be avoided as it only serves to divert traffic away from railways.
Longer freight trains
One strategy for handling higher volumes of freight within the saturated network is to run longer freight trains with twice the number of wagons by putting one locomotive in front and one in the middle of the train. Two locomotives, when electrically coupled, work in perfect unison.
The payload of a freight train of 59 with wagons carrying coal is about 4,000 tonnes. If the number of wagons is doubled to 118, effectively two freight trains run together carrying 8,000 tonnes, thereby creating capacity for running more trains. The only problem is that the loop lines at the stations, which are used to hold a train and pass another, cannot accommodate more than 59 wagons. Increasing the length of loop lines to accommodate 118 wagon trains at selected stations on congested routes has been planned for a long time.
The projects are simple to implement as they involve adding just 800 metres of track to the existing loop line. However, progress on this front has been very slow. Yet, this is the only method which would yield immediate dividends in the short run. Running of longer freight trains on all congested routes has to be institutionalised. This will create capacity to run container trains with high-value cargo to be handled at new logistics hubs.
Speed factor
Providing additional locomotives to freight trains may help to reduce the difference in speed with passenger trains. At the same time, plans for running new and faster passenger trains on existing routes should be critically examined to assess the level of further erosion of the track capacity available for moving freight. It should also be examined whether these trains would at least break even in terms of costs.
Creation of additional capacity sometimes falls prey to populist demands. The investment must be targeted to congested routes where traffic would grow rapidly and these projects have to be completed fast.
There is an urgent need to develop a holistic plan for accelerating the growth of freight transportation. The paradigm of keeping passenger fares artificially low as a social objective can only be sustained by nurturing freight traffic so that it grows fast and provides the necessary surplus to subsidise passengers and yet provide capital for development. There is also a crying need to review the tariff for passenger services.
REPLY 25w
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