3 big infra projects to make Delhi-Katra and Delhi-Dehradun trips faster. Key details
Indian Railways is revamping Ghaziabad station under its station redevelopment scheme. With Rs 235 crore being spent, the upgrade will add a new faade, better waiting areas, modern ticket counters, and more passenger-friendly facilities.The design will also include better foot overbridges and smoother station entry-exit.RRTS LINK TO BOOST RAIL-ROAD CONNECTIONThe ongoing Rapid Rail Transit System (RRTS) from Delhi to Meerut will include a dedicated entry and exit at Ghaziabad station. Officials say this integration will allow faster travel from different NCR zones to the station, helping more people access long-distance trains. Once the RRTS is fully functional, the seamless connection will especially help pilgrims and tourists headed to the hills or Vaishno Devi.These three projects aim to not just improve intercity travel, but also reduce congestion on internal Delhi roads by encouraging more people to use public transport options.
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India.com
3 hours ago
- India.com
Bullet Train of the poor: Covers 1000 km in 13 hours from Delhi to Patna; train is..., fare...
New Delhi: Indian Railways has the status of National Public Transport. Railways operates trains in different categories keeping in mind every class. There are many superfast trains run by the railways, whose second or sleeper class fare is less than half of the AC coach. Today we will talk about two such trains, which are also called the Rajdhani of the poor or the Bullet Train of the poor. These trains run from Delhi to the capital of Bihar, Patna or beyond. Both these trains cover a distance of 1000 kilometers in 13 hours. The fare of the sleeper coach of these trains is less than half as compared to the AC coach. Considering the speed and facilities, it is also called the 'bullet train of the poor'. What is Vikramshila Superfast Train? The Vikramshila Superfast Express train, which travels from the country's capital Delhi to the ancient capital of Anga state, Bhagalpur, runs from Anand Vihar Terminal every day. This train departs from Anand Vihar Terminal (ANVT) at 1:15 pm. After leaving Delhi, its first stop is Kanpur Central and after that this train directly stops at Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Railway Junction. After departure from here, Vikramshila Superfast Train stops at Buxar and Ara and reaches Patna Junction. Its arrival time at Patna Junction is 2:10 am. In this way, Vikramshila Superfast reaches Patna from Delhi in just 12:55 hours. It is in great demand among common passengers. This is the reason that even on normal days, all the tickets get booked within a few days of the window opening. The fare of its sleeper coach is just Rs 520. The fare of AC-3 economy class is Rs 1270, AC-3 Rs 1360, AC-2 Rs 1920 and AC-1 Rs 3225. Which is the other train? Sampoorna Kranti Superfast train is operated especially keeping in mind the convenience of the people of Patna and its surrounding areas. This train departs from New Delhi Railway Station every day at 5:30 pm. Sampoorna Kranti Superfast goes to Rajendra Nagar Terminal of Patna. After departing from New Delhi, its first stop is Kanpur Central. After that it reaches Patna Junction via Mirzapur, Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction, Ara. Its time of arrival in Patna is 6:35 am. In this way, Sampoorna Kranti Express reaches Patna from Delhi in just 13 hours and 5 minutes. The fare of the sleeper coach of Sampoorna Kranti Express train is Rs 520. This train also has AC-3, AC-2 and AC-1 coaches.
Indian Express
4 hours ago
- Indian Express
Environment ministry panel recommends green clearance for Puri airport
The Union Environment Ministry's expert appraisal committee (EAC) for the infrastructure sector has recommended the grant of environmental clearance for the proposed greenfield Puri International Airport. The recommendation is subject to specific conditions, key among which is that the project should be granted Stage-I or in-principle forest clearance first, as per the minutes of the EAC meeting held on June 26. Since a part of the project area is under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) area and a sub-plot under it is affected by no-development zone provisions, the Odisha government has also been asked to seek comments from the ministry's CRZ division. The Shree Jagannath International Airport was given in-principle approval by the Union Civil Aviation Ministry on May 5, and it will cost an estimated Rs 5,631 crore. The Odisha government's commerce and transport department is the project proponent, and the project area is spread over 471.34 hectares, of which 27.85 hectares is forest land. The EAC's recommendation for the grant of environmental clearance comes days after the forest advisory committee (FAC) deferred granting forest clearance for the project. The FAC deferred the project clearance, citing concerns that its regional office raised over the proposed airport's likely impact on olive ridley turtles and Irrawaddy dolphins as well as the impact of felling 13,000 trees on the Puri coastline, which is vulnerable to frequent cyclones. The EAC had also made specific recommendations on the protection of olive ridley turtles and migratory birds. A subcommittee of the EAC had visited the project site in April this year to inspect site conditions and made specific recommendations regarding ecological, cultural and wildlife concerns. The subcommittee had said that with olive ridley turtles nesting around the Puri coast, the Odisha government should prepare a comprehensive study report on the issue and provide a management plan. Like the FAC, the EAC asked to study the likely impact of the airport on migratory birds that fly to Chilika Lake. Based on these submissions, the EAC directed the Odisha government to submit an assessment report study to the ministry's regional office on how it will manage olive ridley turtles and dolphins found in coastal areas near the project site. The Odisha government has engaged the Estuarine Biology Regional Centre, Gopalpur, of the Zoological Survey of India, to study olive ridley turtle nesting and migratory birds. Lakhs of migratory birds use the flyway or migratory routes along the Puri coast to use Chilika Lake as a stopover site. Additionally, with the Shree Jagannath Temple within 10 km of the airport site, the state government has to submit a no-objection certificate from the Archaeological Survey of India. The EAC also recommended the building of cyclone shelters. 'As the proposed project area is vulnerable to tsunami and cyclones as it lies on the coastal belt of Bay of Bengal… EAC desired that cyclone shelters shall be planned as part of mitigation measures outside and inside of the airport complex,' the EAC stated. In May 2019, Cyclone Fani had made landfall between Satapada (near Chilika Lake) and Puri, with sustained surface wind speeds of 175-180 km per hour, causing deaths and damage to the town. The EAC on infrastructure projects is one among 13 sectoral panels that are constituted by the environment ministry to scrutinise proposals and appraise them for their environmental impact, under provisions of the Environmental Impact Assessment notification, 2006. The ministry takes the final call on the grant or rejection of the final environmental clearance. The FAC, meanwhile, scrutinises proposals for diversion of forest land for non-forestry purposes such as development and infrastructure projects, under the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980. The concerned expert panel, which granted its recommendation for the Puri airport, scrutinises only proposals of airports, waste treatment plants, effluent treatment plants, buildings and constructions, and townships, under provisions of the Environment Impact Assessment notification, 2006. An award-winning journalist with 14 years of experience, Nikhil Ghanekar is an Assistant Editor with the National Bureau [Government] of The Indian Express in New Delhi. He primarily covers environmental policy matters which involve tracking key decisions and inner workings of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. He also covers the functioning of the National Green Tribunal and writes on the impact of environmental policies on wildlife conservation, forestry issues and climate change. Nikhil joined The Indian Express in 2024. Originally from Mumbai, he has worked in publications such as Tehelka, Hindustan Times, DNA Newspaper, News18 and Indiaspend. In the past 14 years, he has written on a range of subjects such as sports, current affairs, civic issues, city centric environment news, central government policies and politics. ... Read More
Time of India
6 hours ago
- Time of India
UP to launch Buddhist, Sikh pilgrimage schemes with Rs 10,000 aid per person: CM Yogi Adityanath
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday directed officials to launch two new pilgrimage assistance schemes -- the ' Buddhist Tirtha Darshan Yojana ' and the ' Panch Takht Yatra Yojana ' -- to facilitate spiritual travel for Buddhist and Sikh devotees, the state government said in a statement. In a review meeting, Adityanath said pilgrimages are a means of spiritual upliftment and social harmony, and it is the government's responsibility to assist citizens in reaching places associated with their faith. Under the 'Buddhist Tirtha Darshan Yojana', financial assistance will be provided to Buddhist devotees, especially monks, to visit key pilgrimage sites across India. Similarly, the 'Panch Takht Yatra Yojana' will enable Sikh devotees from Uttar Pradesh to visit the five holy Takht Sahib sites -- Shri Anandpur Sahib, Shri Akal Takht Sahib, Shri Damdama Sahib, Shri Takht Sachkhand Shri Hazur Sahib, and Shri Harmandir Ji Sahib (Patna Sahib). In both schemes, devotees will receive a minimum grant of Rs 10,000 per person. Live Events The chief minister directed that the application process be kept entirely online, with priority given to people from economically weaker sections. The schemes will be operated in collaboration with IRCTC . Emphasising the importance of safety, convenience and religious faith, Adityanath said the initiatives would further the spirit of inclusive development and promote national integration under the vision of ' Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat '. PTI
