Latest news with #CommissionofRailwaySafety
Indian Express
11-06-2025
- Indian Express
Railways safety body gives final nod for Mizoram capital's first rail link
The Commission of Railway Safety (CRS) has authorised operations on the railway line from Hortoki to Sairang in Mizoram, the final clearance for a key stretch that will connect state capital Aizawl by rail for the first time. The Hortoki-Sairang line is the last leg of the larger 51.38-km Bairabi-Sairang rail project. Sairang is a satellite town of Aizawl, around 20 km from the city. Bairabi in Kolasib district, near the border with Assam, has so far been the only railhead in Mizoram. The inspection by the CRS, a railway safety audit body under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, is the final step before train operations commence. A senior official of the Ministry of Railways said the 33.86-km Hortoki-Sairang stretch was inspected by Sumeet Singhal, Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS), Northeast Frontier Circle, between June 6 to June 10. The formal inauguration of the full Bairabi-Sairang line will likely take place this month. So far, trains have entered only up to 1.5 km in Mizoram. They have also not been running on the Bairabi to Hortoki section that was commissioned last year. With the commissioning of the final leg, Mizoram's capital is now integrated with the national railway network and trains are set to run on the complete stretch. 'The CRS inspection was conducted via motor trolley and on foot, followed by a speed trial using an inspection special hauled by a diesel locomotive. The Hortoki–Sairang section lies in hilly terrain and includes 32 tunnels and 35 major bridges. Following the inspection, the CRS has authorised the opening of the broad gauge line from Hortoki to Sairang for public carriage of goods and passengers at a maximum permissible speed of 90 kmph on the main line,' said Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, Chief Public Relations Officer of the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR). The 51.38-km Bairabi-Sairang New Line Railway Project comprises 48 tunnels (with a cumulative length of 12,853 metres), 55 major bridges and 87 minor bridges. The height of one of the bridges (bridge number 196) is 104 metres — which, for context, is 42 metres taller than the Qutub Minar. The project also includes five road overbridges and 6 road underbridges. This project is divided into four sections: Bairabi-Hortoki, Hortoki- Kawnpui, Kawnpui-Mualkhang and Mualkhang-Sairang. The Bairabi-Sairang project is part of a broader push by the Ministry of Railways to connect all northeast state capitals by rail. This involves numerous new line and doubling projects across Assam, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Manipur and Tripura. Rail work is yet to take off in Meghalaya over years of opposition by local groups. According to data tabled by the Ministry of Railways in Lok Sabha on March 19 this year, overall, as of April 1, 2024, there were 18 railway projects (13 new line and 5 doubling) with a total length of 1,368 km and an estimated cost of `74,972 crore at various stages of planning and implementation in the northeast, including Assam. Of this, 313 km of track length has been commissioned. An expenditure of Rs 40,549 crore had been incurred up to March 2024. Dheeraj Mishra is a Principal correspondent with The Indian Express, Business Bureau. He covers India's two key ministries- Ministry of Railways and Ministry of Road Transport & Highways. He frequently uses the Right to Information (RTI) Act for his stories, which have resulted in many impactful reports. ... Read More
Time of India
09-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Orange, Yellow Lines set to meet 400m ahead of airport station
Kolkata: Even as the Metro Yellow Line from Noapara to the airport awaits inspection by the Commission of Railway Safety (CRS) that will pave the way for its commissioning, work is set to commence on the convergence of the New Garia-Airport Orange Line's Up and Down tracks alongside those of the Yellow Line. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now This convergence in a sub-terranian tunnel, which will happen around 400m from the station. Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL), which is implementing the Orange Line, has taken a three-day traffic block on the airport-bound access road. It will dismantle the median divider that separates the two flanks and shift a portion of the airport-bound flank to the other one that leads traffic from the airport to the city. Thereafter, each flank that currently comprises three lanes will be temporarily reduced to two lanes. Two lanes will then be handed over to RVNL so that it can dig up the ground and execute the seamless convergence of the twin lines into the tunnel leading to the airport station. "While reinforced concrete boxes are being pushed under the airport road to build the Orange Line tunnel without disturbing the airport traffic, we need around 7.5 m width of the airport-bound flank for the convergence through cut-and-cover method so that the Orange Line tracks converge at the same level as that of the Yellow Line," an official explained. To undertake the convergence tunnel construction, airport-bound traffic will have to be diverted to the right after exiting the right turn flyover from VIP Road. However, with the airport-bound flank and the one leading out of the airport at different levels, Afcons that is contracted to construct the 900m underground section of the Orange Line has to first level out the two flanks. "After the two flanks are levelled, around two-third of the flank leading to the airport will be used as the metro construction site," the official said. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "At the stakeholder meeting, we have asked RVNL and Bidhannagar police to maintain coordination among themselves to ensure passengers coming in and out of the airport are not affected by the metro work outside the airport," Kolkata airport director Pravat Ranjan Beuria said.
Indian Express
26-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Aizawl becomes fourth N-E capital with rail link, trial run successful
IN A big push for deeper connectivity in the North-East, Mizoram's capital Aizawl has now been linked to the national railway network via the Bairabi–Sairang line in the state. Bairabi in Kolasib district, near the border with Assam, has so far been the only railhead in Mizoram. Sairang is a satellite town of Aizawl, around 20 km from the city. A senior official of the Ministry of Railways said the formal inauguration of the Bairabi–Sairang line is likely to take place after June 17. 'The Commission of Railway Safety (CRS) will conduct the inspection of the project this week. Only after that can the inauguration happen, leading to the start of train operations. Barring a few sideworks, work on the line is almost complete,' the official said. The inspection by the CRS, the railway safety audit body, is the final stage for the train operation. A successful trial run to Sairang was conducted on May 1 by the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), marking a historic step. Mizoram becomes the fourth N-E state with its capital city connected to the national railway network. The other three states are Assam, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh. Until now the train used to go only up to 1.5 km in Mizoram. The Bairabi–Sairang New Line is a 51.38-km railway project with a revised sanctioned cost of Rs 5,021.45 crore. According to data available with the Ministry of Railways, the project has achieved 94.52 per cent physical progress and 97.13 per cent financial progress. The project is divided into four sections with the Bairabi–Hortoki section (16.72 km) already commissioned in July 2024. The remaining sections — Hortoki–Kawnpui (9.71 km), Kawnpui–Mualkhang (12.11 km), and Mualkhang–Sairang (12.84 km) — are slated for operations by June. The project was also very challenging from the engineering point given the difficult terrain of Mizoram. The line has 48 tunnels with a total length of 12,853 m, alongside 55 major bridges and 87 minor bridges. It also includes five Road Over Bridges (ROBs) and six Road Under Bridges (RUBs). One of the notable structures is Bridge No. 196, standing at a height of 104 m, which is 32 m taller than the Qutub Minar. The Bairabi-Sairang project is part of a broader, accelerated push by the Ministry of Railways to connect all N-E state capitals by rail and enhance infrastructure in the region. This involves numerous new line and doubling projects across Assam, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Manipur and Tripura. The railways work is yet to take off in full flow in Meghalaya because of years of opposition by local pressure groups against rail connectivity. Other key new line projects underway include: In addition to new lines, railway infrastructure is being upgraded with doubling projects like the Agthori–Kamakhya line with a new rail-cum-road bridge at Saraighat. This project in Assam has a length of 7.062 km, costs Rs 1,473.77 crore, and has a TDC of December 2029. The two other major line doubling projects in Assam are New Bongaigaon-Agthori via Rangiya (142.97 km), which was commissioned in October 2024, and New Bongaigaon-Goalpara-Kamakhya doubling project, which is likely to be commissioned in March 2027. According to data tabled by the Ministry of Railways in Lok Sabha on March 19 this year, overall, as of April 1, 2024, there were 18 railway projects (13 new line and 5 doubling) with a total length of 1,368 km and an estimated cost of Rs 74,972 crore at various stages of planning and implementation in the N-E region including Assam. Of this, 313 km of track length has been commissioned. An expenditure of Rs 40,549 crore had been incurred up to March 2024. The data shows that 81 km of the 896-km new line projects and 232 km of the 472-km doubling projects have been commissioned, with expenditure of Rs 34,616 crore and Rs 5,933 crore, respectively. According to the Ministry, as a part of railway infrastructure expansion in the North-East, in last 3 years (from 2021-22 to 2024-25), 21 surveys (17 new line and 4 doubling), of total length 2,499 km falling fully/partly in the N-E region including Assam, have been sanctioned. The average budget allocation for infrastructure projects in the N-E region has also increased, with Rs 10,440 crore allocation for 2025-26. Moreover, the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme includes several stations in the N-E for upgrades such as Dimapur (Nagaland), Agartala, Udaipur, Kumarghat and Dharmanagar in Tripura, Sairang (Mizoram), Imphal (Manipur), Naharlagun (Arunachal Pradesh), Mendipathar (Meghalaya), Rangpo (Sikkim), and 50 stations in Assam including major hubs like Guwahati and Kamakhya. The region also currently has a pair of Vande Bharat trains running between Guwahati and New Jalpaiguri, with two new Amrit Bharat trains earmarked for the North-East. Dheeraj Mishra is a Principal correspondent with The Indian Express, Business Bureau. He covers India's two key ministries- Ministry of Railways and Ministry of Road Transport & Highways. He frequently uses the Right to Information (RTI) Act for his stories, which have resulted in many impactful reports. ... Read More
Time of India
28-04-2025
- General
- Time of India
E-W's Esp-Sealdah leg gets fire dept nod
Kolkata: The East-West Metro 's Esplanade-Sealdah section has received the fire safety certificate . In the run-up to the section's launch, 90 services will be operated in the Sealdah-Sector V section on Tuesday instead of the usual 106. The endorsement from the state fire department is a prerequisite for approval from the Commission of Railway Safety (CRS). On April 12, fire inspections were carried out along the 2.6km leg. The CRS inspected the stretch on Sunday. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata When the CRS' nod comes, the East-West Metro will complete its entire 16.6 km journey from Sector V to Howrah Maidan. The corridor, also known as the Green Line, now runs in two sections – the 9.4 km Sector V-Sealdah and the 4.8 km Esplanade-Howrah Maidan. The Esplanade-Sealdah section will link the two sections. In the run-up to the entire Green Line's launch, Green Line-1 (Sealdah-Sector V) will run 90 services on Tuesday. Normal services will run along Green Line-2 (Howrah Maidan-Esplanade).
The Hindu
21-04-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Railways plans to fence tracks to curb trespassing
The Railways has proposed to fence tracks throughout the country to avoid hazards of trespassing. As a pilot measure, more than 3,500 km of tracks were already fenced, the Southern Railway has said in a note. Responding to a report 'Vande Bharat has weak defences against even cows: Safety Report' published in The Hindu on Monday, the zone said Vande Bharat trains were designed with modern coupling design which transmitted the impact energy throughout the train. For additional safety, there was a cattle guard at the front to deflect anything that came on the track. The clarification said Vande Bharat trains had 'Kavach' and other built-in safety devices. The braking system was modern and fully integrated with the safety system. 'Having run millions of kilometres by now, equivalent to covering the earth's perimeter multiple times, the Vande Bharat trains have proven to be safe and efficient,' the note said. The Hindu article was based on a safety report generated by the Commission of Railway Safety, Ministry of Civil Aviation, and submitted to the Railway Minister. One of the safety measures suggested in the operation of high-speed trains was to prevent trespassing by fencing tracks.
