India’s Fastest Train, Vande Bharat Express, Clocks 1 Lakh Running Kilometres

The indigenously-built Vande Bharat Express has completed one lakh running kilometres without missing a single trip, officials said on Thursday.

A senior Railway Ministry official told IANS: “The Vande Bharat Express, which was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from New Delhi to Varanasi on February 15, clocked one lakh running kilometres on Wednesday without missing a single trip in the last three months.”

The train had on its first day on February 15 suffered a breakdown near Kanpur during its return journey from Varanasi.

The Vande Bharat Express, which began its first commercial run from February 17, will soon start replacing Shatabdi Express trains.

The high-speed train has been manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai.

The gleaming blue-nosed train comes fitted with the best amenities including high-speed on-board WiFi, GPS-based passenger information system, touch-free bio-vacuum toilets, LED lighting, mobile charging points and a climate control system that automatically adjusts the temperature.

The 16-coach train has two executive compartments with 52 seats each and trailer coaches with 78 seats each. The executive class coaches have rotating seats to match the direction of the train.

Coach Of Passenger Train Derails After Hitting Buffalo In Andhra Pradesh

A coach of a passenger train derailed near the Vadlamannadu railway station in Andhra Pradesh after hitting a buffalo on Tuesday evening, an official said.

No casualty was reported in the derailment incident.

Gudlavalleru Sub-Inspector P Vijaya Kumar said the Vijayawada-Machilipatnam passenger train had hit a buffalo near the station, leading to the derailment of a coach.

No other train services were affected due to the derailment as it is a single line.

Know All About Indian Railways Monthly Season Tickets For First, Second Booking Classes

Indian Railways enables passengers to book monthly, multiple journey tickets for frequent travel on one route. A season ticket is valid for multiple journeys over a particular period of time, such as monthly season tickets (MST). Season train tickets are valid for travel up to 150 kilometres on first- and second-class bookings, according to the Railways’ website – indianrail.gov.in. Fares for first class MST or monthly season ticket bookings are four times compared to second class fares. The Railways currently allows only one season ticket per passenger for travelling between two stations. (Also read: IRCTC Summer Special Northern Railway Trains: Routes, Timings, Other Details Here)

Here are 10 things to know about the Indian Railways season tickets (such as MSTs or monthly season tickets):

1. MST routes: the Railways issues season tickets for suburban and non-suburban sections on its network.

2. Fare: While the fares for second class (ordinary) tickets are charged uniformly for all distances, first class season ticket bookings attract four times fares compared to second class. Besides, season tickets for children are issued at half the fare compared to adults.

(Also read: IRCTC E-Ticket – Here’s how you can change Railways boarding point)

3. The Railways allows only one monthly season ticket per passenger, and any such additional ticket is treated as invalid, according to the Railways website.

4. Passengers with first class season tickets are not allowed to travel in AC coaches, according to the Railways.

5. The Railways issues a photo identity card to every season ticket holder at a price of one rupee. This identity card comes with a validity period of five years. The identification card contains information such as name, address and age of the passenger. This card is to be produced by the passenger while travelling on a season ticket, according to Indian Railways.

(Also read: IRCTC Premium Tatkal Tickets: Booking Rules, Timings, Charges | Tatkal Ticket Charges, Rules, Booking Timings Other Details Here)

6. The Railways accepts a copy of documents such as PAN card, passport, driving licence, voter identity card and credit card with photograph by a government agency as proof of identity for issue and renewal of season tickets. In such a case, the same document in original is required to be carried by the passenger while taking the journey.

7. IRCTC MST Ticket: Season tickets are valid for travel by passenger trains only, and not reserved coaches and trains, according to the carrier. In the case of Mail, Express or Superfast series of trains, the season tickets are valid only for trains where it is specifically permitted by the Railway Administration.

(Also read: IRCTC Ticket Deposit Receipt (TDR) Filing: Conditions Under Which Refund Is Granted)

8. Renewal of MST: A season ticket can be renewed 10 days in advance of the date of expiry.

9. Refund of season ticket: The Railways does not allow refunds against unused or partially used season ticket under any circumstances.

COMMENT

10. Season tickets issued to students are charged at half of the normal season ticket fare applicable to adults, according to Indian Railways.

 

Get the latest election news, live updates and election schedule for Lok Sabha Elections 2019 on ndtv.com/elections. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitterand Instagram for updates from each of the 543 parliamentary seats for the 2019 Indian general elections. Election results will be out on May 23.

Man Claiming To Be Bengal BJP Chief’s Assistant Arrested With Rs. 1 Crore

Two persons, one of whom claimed he was a personal assistant of West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh, were arrested from Asansol railway station on Monday, following the seizure of unaccounted cash amounting to Rs. 1 crore from their possession, railway police sources said.

Gautam Chattopadhyaya and Lakshmikant Shaw were intercepted by the railway police at Asansol station, when they were trying to board a train to Kolkata, they said.

Mr Chattopadhyay, after his arrest, said he worked as an assistant to Dilip Ghosh.

“They were carrying a huge bag with them and were moving suspiciously at Asansol station when the officers spotted them. When we searched the bag, we found cash amounting to Rs.1 crore,” they said.

During interrogation, both admitted that they were taking the cash to Kolkata, the sources added.

A couple of days ago, the state police had seized over Rs. 1 lakh from BJP’s Ghatal candidate and former IPS officer Bharati Ghosh’s vehicle

RRBs Announce Fresh ALP Aptitude Test Dates For Odisha

Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs) have released new dates for the aptitude test for Assistant Loco Pilot and Technician in Odisha. The examination was scheduled on May 10 but was postponed on account of the Cyclone Fani. The Computer Based Aptitude Test (CBAT) for Assistant Loco Pilot and Technician will now be held on May 21 for all such candidates whose examination had been postponed.

The official notice released by RRBs says, “Due to cyclone FANI, the Computer Based Aptitude Test (CBAT) scheduled on 10.05.2019 in the cities of Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur and Sambalpur under the jurisdiction of Railway Recruitment /Bhubaneswar and in the city of Balasore under the jurisdiction of Railway Recruitment Board/Kolkata was postponed as per notice issued on 07 05-19.”

The exam shift and city details for these candidates will be released shortly on the official RRB website. Candidates will also be informed through email and SMS on their registered email id and phone number.

All important services such as rail & road communication, power supply, water supply, mobile, internet etc. were badly affected in Odisha in the aftermath of Cyclone Fani. As a consequence, not just RRB CBAT, but several other recruitment and entrance examinations were postponed for applicants in the area affected by Fani.

As per the official recruitment notice for RRB ALP and Technician, “Candidates will have to qualify in each of the test battery of Computer Based AT for considering them for the post of ALP. The Computer Based Aptitude Test shall have questions and answer options only in English and Hindi. There shall be no negative marking in Computer Based AT.”

Railway ALP Aptitude Test Postponed In Odisha

Railway Recruitment Boards (RRB) have postponed the aptitude test for Assistant Loco Pilot and Technician in Odisha particularly in the towns of Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur and Sambalpur under the jurisdiction of Railway Recruitment/ Bhubaneswar and in the town of Balasore only under the jurisdiction of Railway Recruitment Board/ Kolkata. However in Rourkela, the exam will be held as per the current schedule. Concerned candidates will be intimated the new exam dates in due course.

RRBs will conduct the ALP aptitude test on May 10. Admit cards have been released online.

All important services such as rail & road communication, power supply, water supply, mobile, internet etc. have been badly affected in Odisha in the aftermath of Cyclone Fani.

Important exams– NEET UG and AIIMS PG– have been postponed in the State. Considering the condition in the State, HRD Ministry has also extended the registration date for JEE Advanced for Odisha students. Since the State is facing severe disruption in internet services, the Ministry has directed IIT Bhubaneswar to assist students in the registration process.

Money Laundering Case: ED Attaches Over Rs. 89 Lakh Cash Seized From Congress Leader’s Nephew

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached cash worth Rs. 89.68 lakh in a money laundering case involving the nephew of Congress leader and former railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal.

The ED, in a statement, said it has issued a provisional order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to freeze the “bribe” money, which according to it was “proceeds of crime”.

The cash was allegedly seized by the CBI from the office of Mr Bansal’s nephew Vijay Singla in 2013 in a bribery and corruption case related to appointments at top positions in the railways.

The ED filed a separate criminal case based on CBI’s FIR and charge sheet against Railway Board Member (Staff) Mahesh Kumar, Vijay Singla, Sandeep Goyal and seven others.

The agency said CBI’s probe found that Mahesh Kumar, a 1975 batch officer of Indian Railway Service of Signal Engineers (IRSSE), was posted as General Manager, Western Railways and he wanted to get himself appointed as Member (Electrical), Railway Board instead of Member (Staff).

“For this, he was in touch with N Manjunath who was further in touch with Sandeep Goyal, a friend of Singla. Singla demanded Rs. 10 crore through Sandeep Goyal from N Manjunath to get Mahesh Kumar posted as Member (Electrical),” the ED said, quoting the CBI probe.

While delivering a token amount to Mr Singla and Mr Goyal, the CBI team raided Mr Singla’s office at Sector 28 in Chandigarh and seized Rs. 89,68,000, it said.

During that time, Mr Bansal was the railway minister and his nephew Vijay Singla was allegedly caught red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs. 89,68,000.

The ED said its own probe dug out details of the alleged bribery case.

“It is revealed that N Manjunath on behalf of Mahesh Kumar was persuading various railway vendors, manufactures, contractors for making arrangement of bribe amount for promotion of Mahesh Kumar as Member (Electrical) by alluring them that all the contributors would be taken care of/benefited from the desired posting of Mahesh Kumar,” it said.

Investigation found that the first installment of bribe amount was “contributed” by N Manjunath, MV Murli Krishna, Sushil Daga and the Venketeshwara Rail Nirman Pvt Ltd.

“The said amount was routed through the account of various companies/individuals and with assistance of hawala agents,” the ED said, adding that a probe into the matter was underway.

Northern Railway Cancels Around 287 Trains Due After Cyclone Fani

The Northern Railway has cancelled about 287 trains passing through the East Coast Railway zone after damage to infrastructure due to Cyclone Fani, including Puri-Haridwar Utkal Express and Bhuvneswer-New Delhi Rajdhani Express, railways said Sunday.

“These mail/express trains include those originating, ending their destinations at or passing through ECoR jurisdiction. Nine trains have been diverted, 10 have been cancelled partially and 187 local passenger, MEMU/DEMU/ EMU trains have been cancelled so far,” Northern Railway spokesperson Deepak Kumar said.

Other trains which will remain cancelled on Monday are Anand Vihar-Bhubneswer Express, Puri-Anand Vihar Terminal Nandan Kanan Express and  Puri Patna Express.

Officials said that with Puri being the worst affected due to the storm, most trains on the route will remain cancelled. Operations are unlikely to begin before May 10.

Railways To Resume All Train Services From Bhubaneswar On Sunday

The Railways will resume all train services from Bhubaneshwar on Sunday, except two, and it has already cleared the Howrah-Chennai mainline, barely 24 hours after Cyclone Fani hit Odisha, officials said.

Two trains originating from Bhubaneshwar will remain cancelled and all services to Puri are unlikely to begin before May 10. Bhubaneshwar-Tirupati and Vidakhapatnam Intercity have been cancelled due to non-availability of pairing trains, JP Mishra, a spokesperson of the East Coast Railway, said.

“Train services will run normally from Bhubaneshwar from tomorrow, May 5. This is for originating trains from Bhubaneshwar. Puri has been affected, but since it”s not on the mainline, train services will not be affected,” he said.

He said the services have been resumed in less than 24 hours after Fani hit the state.

Meanwhile, train services on the mainline have been partially restored where there has been extensive damage to rail infrastructure.

But the line will be made operational on Sunday, the spokesperson.

The section of Puri/Bhubaneshwar/Khurda Road has been badly hit, Mishra said.

“Bhubaneswar and Khurda Road have recovered partially. Ready to take a few trains. There will be no trains to Puri till May 10 at least,” he said.

Mumbai-Nizamuddin Rajdhani Timings Changed, Here Is All You Need To Know

The North Central Railway, a sub-division of Indian Railways, has revised the timings of Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (Mumbai CSMT)-Hazrat Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express Train with effect from April 17. The Mumbai CSMT-Hazrat Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express is a new Rajdhani Express train service that connects Mumbai and Delhi, apart from the existing Mumbai Rajdhani and August Kranti Mumbai Rajdhani Express trains operated by the Western Railway on all days from Mumbai Central Railway Station, Mumbai. The Mumbai Rajdhani Express reaches New Delhi at 8:15 am on the next day while the August Kranti Rajdhani reaches Nizamuddin Railway Stations in New Delhi on 10:55 am the next day, according to North Central Railways’ website -ncr.indianrailways.gov.in. (Also Read: Rajdhani Express Train Timings, Schedule, Fares And Other Details Here)

Mumbai CSMT-Hazrat Nizamuddin Rajdhani Schedule And Timings

Launched in January this year, the Mumbai CSMT-Hazrat Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express is operated by North Central Railways. The Mumbai CSMT-Hazrat Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express train runs every Wednesday and Saturday at 4:10 pm from Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus to reach the Nizamuddin Railway Station at 10:05 am the next day.

IRCTC Premium Tatkal Tickets: Booking Rules, Timings, Charges

IRCTC or Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation offers a quota of ‘Premium Tatkal’ for online ticket bookings on its official website- irctc.co.in and mobile app. ‘Premium Tatkal’ quota has a dynamic fare pricing structure, which means that the fare component may be increased with the subsequent bookings, according to IRCTC’s website. Booking Premium Tatkal (PT) ticket is costlier than Tatkal due to this structure. The ticket prices vary according to the booking rates and seats available. Tatkal ticket charges, meanwhile, have been fixed as a percentage of fare at the rate of 10 per cent of basic fare for second class and 30 per cent of basic fare for all other classes subject to minimum and maximum.

(Also read: 5 Cases In Which Full Refund Is Granted In Case Of Tatkal Ticket Cancellation)

Here are 5 things to know about IRCTC’s ‘Premium Tatkal’ ticket booking:

1. Advance Reservation Period (ARP) of ‘Premium Tatkal’ ticket booking is same as Tatkal ticket booking. Premium Tatkal booking opens at 10 AM for AC classes and 11 AM for non-AC classes, according to IRCTC.

2. RAC (Reservation Against Cancellation)/ Waitlist ticket bookings are not allowed under this quota. Agents are also not allowed to book tickets in Premium Tatkal quota. On the other hand, the web services agents of IRCTC are permitted to book one ticket per train per day online for ‘Tatkal ticket’ bookings, according to IRCTC.

3. Only e-tickets (online) are permitted for booking. I-ticket (offline) booking is not allowed under PT quota.

4. No concession is applicable in this quota, according to IRCTC. Also, no refund is given to passengers in case of cancellation of confirm Premium Tatkal (PT) quota ticket.

5. All other rules for tatkal quota booking over internet is applicable to Premium Tatkal quota also, notified IRCTC.

Railways To Operate Delhi-Amritsar Shatabdi Service With Linke Hofmann Busch Coaches

Indian Railways has decided to operate its New Delhi Amritsar Shatabdi train service connecting Delhi with Amritsar with LHB or Linke Hofmann Busch coaches for about two months. Shatabdi Express trains 12031 and 12032, operating between New Delhi and Amritsar will be run with the LHB set of coaches for the next two months, the Railways said in a notification on April 10. Currently, the New-Delhi Shatabdi Express is operated on a weekly basis every Thursday. (Also Read: IRCTC Amritsar Tour: Hotels, Services, Destinations Covered And More)

The Railways has adopted LHB coaches on the New Delhi-Amritsar Shatabdi Express train due to scarcity of conventional Shatabdi coaches over the Northern Railway, it noted. LHB coaches support higher speeds compared to Integral Coach Factory (ICF) coaches, according to the Railways website.

New Delhi-Amritsar Junction Shatabdi Express route

The New Delhi-Amritsar Shatabdi Express halts at Ambala Cantt., Rajpura Junction, Ludhiana Junction, Phagwara Junction, Jalandhar City and Beas before reaching the Amritsar Junction station, according to the Northern Railway, an arm of Indian Railways.

Also Read: IRCTC Tourism Offers Package To Vaishno Devi, Amritsar For Rs. 7,560

The New Delhi-Amritsar Shatabdi will run with LHB coaches from April 11 to June 5, according to Indian Railways.

New Delhi-Amritsar Junction Shatabdi Express timings

The New Delhi-Amritsar Shatabdi Express departs from the New Delhi railway station at 7:20 am on Thursdays and reaches Amritsar at 1:45 pm the same day covering a total distance of 448 kilometres, according to IRCTC’s website – www.irctc.co.in. IRCTC or Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation is the e-ticketing arm of the Railways. In the opposite direction, the New Delhi-Amritsar Shatabdi Express departs from Amritsar at 4:50 pm and reaches New Delhi railway station at 11:05 pm. (Also Read: Also Read: IRCTC Tourism Offers 10-Day Tour To Mathura, Haridwar, Amritsar, Vaishno Devi For Rs.

“Election Is Coming”: Poll Body’s Post To Voters Courtesy Game Of Thrones

Quick to seize on the fevered anticipation for the final season of “Game of Thrones”, the Election Commission, the Press Information Bureau and even the Congress are using popular references from the hit HBO series to make themselves heard in poll season.

As the war between the seven kingdoms for the Iron Throne in Westeros is set to conclude with the final season of the popular show, known for its portrayal of power dynamics, the poll panel and the PIB are drawing inspiration from it to maximise voter turnout in the ongoing 2019 general elections.

The opposition Congress also used the show, described as a cultural phenomenon by many, to take potshots at its political opponent.

Such is the craze for the show, based on a series of books by George R R Martin, that Western Railways is also using “GOT” tweets to reach out to travellers.

The EC, hoping to spread voter awareness on social media, took to the most famous nod to “GOT”, “Winter is coming”, in its poster on Twitter.

The PIB used several “GOT” memes, featuring fan favourite characters Tyrion Lannister and Hodor, calling on people to cast their votes.

“Congress Has Been Removing Poverty Since I Was 7”: Piyush Goyal

Union Minister for Railways Piyush Goyal on Friday took a jibe at the Congress party and its president Rahul Gandhi for talking of a “surgical strike” on poverty. The Union Minister said that he has been listening to this from the Gandhi family since he (Goyal) was seven years old.

“I was only seven years old when his grandmother (Indira Gandhi) had said the same thing. I was 20 years old when his father (Rajiv Gandhi) said — I send one rupee and only 15 paise reach the poor people,” Mr Goyal said while talking to reporters.

“I was 40 years old in 2004 when his mother (Sonia Gandhi) and he himself said — Congress Kaa Haath Garibon Ke Saath.” Now I am 54 years old and I am still hearing the same thing which I heard when I was 7 years old,” the Union Minister said.

“Rahul should answer why his family allowed poverty to stay for 30 years,” Mr Goyal said while asserting that the Congress is a party of lies and deceit. “People will do a surgical strike on the Congress and the DMK,” the Union Minister said.

He also demanded answers from Mr Gandhi over the scams during UPA’s tenure and the National Herald case.

“First he should answer the corruption of Rs. 12 lakh crore. Why he cheated India by taking over shares of the National Herald for free,” Mr Goyal said.

Accusing Mr Gandhi of insulting the engineers involved in the manufacturing of T18 train, he said: “Rahul does not want India to develop trains. I don’t know if he wants to import trains from Italy rather than getting it manufactured in Chennai.”

Commenting on the recent judgement of the Supreme Court on Rafale, he said, “The argument in the SC was not on the merit of the case. We are happy that this controversy will be put to rest once and for all.”

Taking a dig at Mr Gandhi and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram’s son Karti, he said, “I would like to say that the unemployed persons who did not get a job are Rahul Gandhi and son of P Chidambaram, Karti Chidambaram, because they are so used to corruption.”

Mr Goyal also thanked the actor-turned-politician Rajnikanth for welcoming the BJP’s initiative of inter-linking the rivers.

“I would like to thank Rajnikanth for welcoming the interlinking of rivers. This has been a long pending demand of Rajnikanth for the welfare of people of Tamil Nadu,” he said.

All 39 seats in the state will go to polls in a single phase on April 18. The results will be announced on May 23.

“Rebuked When I Flagged Train Ticket With PM’s Photo,” Alleges Passenger

Train tickets with photographs of Prime Minister Narendra Modi are still being sold in Uttar Pradesh in the middle of the Lok Sabha elections, even after the Indian Railways said it would withdraw them following allegations of poll code violation.

The tickets, which carry PM Modi’s photo and details of government schemes, remain in circulation, a traveler found out on Sunday.

A man who booked a ticket on Sunday in Barabanki, 30 km from state capital Lucknow, was issued a paper ticket with details of the PM Awaas (Rural) scheme printed on it, and a photograph of PM Modi along with more details of the scheme on the back.

Mohammed Shabbar Rizvi told NDTV he went to the railway station to book a ticket from Barabanki to Varanasi on the Ganga Satluj Express. “When I saw the ticket I realised it had the PM’s photo on it.

I am aware that a model code of conduct is in place and this is not right. I tried to complain to the supervisor but I was rebuked and asked to leave. As a last resort I called up some people in the media,” Mr Rizvi said.

He claimed others who were issued the same tickets protested too. A supervisor at the booking office told the media that a paper roll with PM Modi’s photo was inserted into the printing machine “by mistake”.

Earlier, the railways had announced it would withdraw the tickets after a Trinamool delegation approached the Election Commission of India accusing the BJP of violating the poll code.

The TMC delegation comprising Derek O’Brien, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray and Chandan Mitra told the election body that PM Modi’s photo was being published on railway tickets as part of a government scheme, which, the party said, was in violation of the code.

Days after that,  social media users reported that tea was being served on a Shatabdi train in paper cups with PM Modi’s campaign line, “Main Bhi Chowkidar (I’m also watchman)”, printed on them.

After a photo of tea served in a “Main Bhi Chowkidar” cup went viral on social media, the railways said it had withdrawn the glasses and penalised the contractor. The railways fined the contractor Rs. 1 lakh, according to a statement.

Multiple tweets said the cups were used on the Kathgodam Shatabdi Express and tagged the Election Commission, saying it is a violation of the Election Code of Conduct.

Online Registration For More Than 1 Lakh Railways’ Vacancies Ends Soon; Details Here

RRB Group D 2019 or RRC Group D 2019 online registration for more than 1 lakh jobs will be concluded tomorrow. RRC Group C job notification released by the Railway Recruitment Cells (RRC) and the registration process can be completed on the official website of the RRCs. RRB Group D 2019 online registration will be open till April 12 (till 11.59 pm). The final submission of applications can be done till April 26. Indian Railways had announced a total of 1,03,769 vacancies for this recruitment process in which Class 10 or ITI qualified applicants.

The applicant must have passed Class 10 from a recognized board of education or should have passed ITI from institutes recognised by NCVT/SCVT or equivalent or should have obtained National Apprenticeship Certificate (NAC) granted by NCVT.

RRC Group D recruitment 2019: Direct link for application

Candidates who are interested to apply for these posts may register themselves on the link given here:

RRC Group D recruitment direct link for application

The lower age limit for RRB Group D/RRC Group D posts is 18 years and upper age limit is 33 years. Applicants belonging to reserved categories are eligible for relaxation in age limit. For the relaxation norms, they should refer to the detailed advertisement.

“Candidates should have their own mobile number and valid & active personal email ID and keep them active for the entire duration of recruitment as RRBs/ RRCS shall send all recruitment related communications only through SMS and email till the recruitment is completely over,” said the RRC in an official notification.

RRC Group D recruitment 2019: Important dates

Opening date & time for online registration and submission of application: March 12, 2019 at 17.00 hrs.
Closing date & time for online registration: April 12, 2019 at 23.59 hrs.
Closing date & time for submission of application: April 26, 2019 at 23.59 hrs.
Last Date & Time for Payment of Application Fee
Online payment (Net Banking / Credit Card / Debit Card / UPI ): April 23, 2019 at 23.59 hrs.
SBI Bank Challan: April 18, 2019 at 13.00 hrs.
Post Office Challan: April 18, 2019 at 13.00 hrs.

Railways Register Its Best Safety Figures In Almost Four Decades

The Indian Railways has registered its best safety figures in almost four decades in 2018-2019 till March, data has shown.

The number of consequential accidents has come down from 1,130 in 1980-81 to mere 59 (94.8 per cent reduction) in 2018-19. During the same period, the fatality figure has come down from 658 in 1981-82 to 37 in 2018-19 (94.4 per cent reduction).

Last year, 2017-18, accidents had come down to 73.

“The internationally-recognised measure of safety namely Accidents Per Million Train Kilometres has also shown remarkable improvement during this period.

“The number of Accidents Per Million Train Kilometres came down from a high figure of 2.20 in 1981-82 to an all-time low figure of 0.06 in 2018-19. This shows that the Indian Railways is poised towards zero-accident mode,” a senior official said.

The official said continuous safety measures adopted by the national transporter has resulted in a steady dip in casualties and injuries among passengers as well in the past five years.

While between 1990-1995, an average of more than 500 accidents took place every year over railways, with around 2,400 deaths and 4,300 injured in those five years, a decade later between 2013-2018, an average of around 110 accidents took place every year which killed around 990 people and injured about 1,500 people, according to data available with PTI.

During 2018-2019, the number of accidents took at 59, with 37 deaths and 108 injured.

Microsoft’s Kaizala App to Connect Indian Railways Employees to Healthcare Facilities

Microsoft said on Thursday it will deploy its Kaizala productivity app to connect three crore employees of Indian Railways across the country with quality healthcare facilities.

The serving and retired employees will be able to avail healthcare services at 125 railway and 133 private recognised hospitals. The Kaizala group managed by doctors from South Central Railways will be complemented with focused groups of doctors, paramedical staff and nurses.

Employees can book doctor appointments, share diagnostic lab reports directly with their doctors and save digital records in ‘Me Chat.’ They will also be able to access key announcements, share their feedback to improve the quality of medical service with built-in action cards.

Kaizala already enables Indian Railways to enable direct communication with their employees including achievement bulletins, educative bulletins and informative bulletins to spread awareness around cardiopulmonary resuscitation, general first aid, immunisation, and vaccination.

Doctors on this group can view the medical history of an employee, pull out case sheets and aid in taking timely decisions, Microsoft said in a statement.

Rail Vikas Nigam’s Rs. 482-Crore IPO Subscribed 1.8 Times

State-owned Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd’s initial public offering (IPO) to raise Rs. 482 crore ($70.45 million) was fully subscribed at the end of the book-running process, stock exchange data showed on Wednesday.

Investors bid for about 458 million shares in the company, which undertakes railway projects, or 1.8 times the 253.5 million shares on offer, as of 6 pm.

The share sale comes amid IPOs by state-run firms such as e-auctioning company MSTC Ltd, which extended the sale by three days and cut the lower end of the price band to attract more investors.

The appetite for domestic equities has picked up days before a national election, amid renewed hopes of a second term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, even though investors continued to maintain a cautious stance.

The IPO is through a share sale by the government within a price band of Rs. 17 to 19 apiece

RRB Notice On Junior Engineer (JE) Exam Date Fake

RRBs are yet to announce the examination date for the RRB Junior Engineer (JE) recruitment process. Any notification or update regarding the RRB JE exam date is fake. The fake notice doing the rounds mention May 27 as the starting date for RRB JE 1st stage CBT. The notice also says that RRBs would activate link for mock test on the official website on May 12, 2019. However, this information is misleading as RRBs have not released any such update.

RRBs have completed the application process for JE recruitment and have also released the application status for applicants. The latest update for RRB JE remains that of application status.

Any update on the RRB JE examination date will be released on the official websites for the respective RRBs.

RRBs, in December last year, had advertised 13487 vacancies for Junior Engineer, DMS, and Chemical and Metallurgical Assistant posts. In the official notification released at the time, RRBs had provided only the tentative schedule for the RRB JE CBT (Computer based test). As per the official notice, RRB JE CBT should be conducted in April/May 2019.

The recruitment boards should announce the examination dates soon. Along with the exam dates, RRBs are also expected to announce exam shift and exam city details for individual candidates, a la RRB ALP and RRB Group D recruitment process.

RRB JE 2018 recruitment process involves two stages of CBT. Those who qualify in the first stage CBT will be called for second stage CBT and those who qualify in the second stage CBT will be called for Document Verification (DV) process and those eligible and having required documents would be empanelled by Indian Railway.