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News18
6 hours ago
- News18
Indian Railways To Revamp 5 Nashik Stations Ahead Of Kumbh Mela, Know More
Last Updated: With a Rs 1,011 crore boost, five railway stations in Nashik are getting a big makeover to manage massive pilgrim rush during Simhastha Kumbh Mela. Indian Railways has announced a major revamp of five key stations in Nashik district – Nashik Road, Devlali, Odha, Kasbe Sukene, and Kherwadi. Approved by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Rs 1,011 crore plan aims to improve passenger facilities and train handling capacity in time for the upcoming Simhastha Kumbh Mela. As per TOI, during a review meeting, top railway officials including Minister of State Ravneet Singh Bittu, evaluated detailed proposals presented by Central Railway's senior team. Which Stations Are Getting Upgraded? Devlali Station Devlali, located near Nashik Road station on the Mumbai side, will see the addition of three new platforms. Two of them will manage traffic from Mumbai and Nashik separately, while the third will cater to passing trains. The station will also get six new lines – including pit lines, sick lines, and stabilising lines – for better train maintenance and parking. Nashik Road Station With space limitations, the focus here is on adding two parking lines. Platform 1 will be extended to fit 24-coach trains, and Platform 4 will be upgraded to serve trains from both directions. This station will become a key holding area during the mela, with five new stabilising lines and a third platform. During non-mela periods, Odha will be used for agricultural and goods transport. Kasbe Sukene & Kherwadi Stations Kasbe Sukene's platform will be extended to handle 22-coach trains, double the current capacity. Kherwadi will get two new platforms to accommodate 24-coach trains. What Other Facilities Are Being Added? Every station will be equipped with a special 'Mela Tower'—a hub for CCTV surveillance, announcements, control rooms, security, and large holding areas for pilgrims. Wider foot overbridges will also be built for safer and quicker movement. When Will It All Be Ready? About half of the work has already started. The rest will begin soon, with land acquisition likely from January 2026. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Railway infrastructure development plan for 5 stations in Nashik district
Advt Advt Railway minister Ashwini Vaishaw approved a ₹ 1,011 crore plan for the development of railway infrastructure at five stations of Central Railway — Nashik Road, Devlali, Odha, Kasbe Sukene, and Kherwadi — in Nashik district. This initiative aims to manage the influx of pilgrims expected to visit Nashik from various parts of the along with minister of state Ravneet Singh Bittu, conducted an extensive review of the proposals presented by the general manager of Central Railway and the divisional railway manager of the Bhusawal Division on Friday. The authorities outlined their strategies to upgrade the stations and set up new facilities to accommodate the increased traffic during Simhastha Kumbh Mela and other periods."The plan for Devlali station (on the Mumbai side of Nashik Road station) includes the creation of two pit lines for the maintenance of the rakes, two sick lines used to put the tracks on hold, and two stabilising lines that will ensure the parking of the rakes until they are deployed on the next task. Apart from this, we will also have three new platforms at Devlali station, of which one each will be used for terminating the traffic coming from the Mumbai side and Nashik side, respectively, and the third platform will be used for trains passing through the station," said a senior official from the office of the Divisional Railway Manager, Nashik Road station, limited space has prompted the railways to commence work on two stabilising or parking lines. Additionally, the length of Platform 1 will be extended to accommodate 24-coach trains, up from the existing 22-coach capacity, and the use of Platform 4 will be upgraded to handle trains from either Railway station will undergo significant development with the construction of five stabilising lines for parking trains and an additional platform alongside the existing two. "Odha station (on the Bhusawal side of Nashik Road station) will also be used as a major place to park the trains during Simhastha Kumbh Mela. The facilities developed will be used for agriculture and goods transportation during the non-Simhastha Kumbh period," the official Kasbe Sukene, the platform lengths will be increased to enable the handling of 22-coach trains, up from the current 11-coach trains. Kherwadi will see the construction of two new platforms to accommodate 24-coach trains."Apart from this, every station will have a 'mela tower' that will house CCTVs, public announcement centres, operations control rooms, security officials monitoring the movement of trains and passengers, construction of wider foot over bridges to enable more people to cross the tracks easily, and also huge holding areas where the pilgrims coming to catch the trains will stay before they are allowed onto the platform as per the availability of the trains," the official work has already commenced on approximately 50 per cent of the planned projects, with the remaining work scheduled to begin shortly. Land acquisition will be necessary in some cases and is expected to start by Jan 2026.
India Gazette
13-07-2025
- India Gazette
Railways to install CCTV cameras in coaches to enhance passenger safety
New Delhi [India], July 13 (ANI): Based on the positive outcome of experimental installation of CCTV cameras in passenger coaches, Railways has decided to install CCTV cameras in all coaches, according to a press release from the Ministry of Railways on Sunday. 'This move will significantly improve passenger safety. Miscreants and organised gangs take advantage of gullible passengers. With cameras, such incidents will significantly reduce. To preserve privacy of passengers, CCTV cameras will be installed in the common movement area near the doors.' Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw and the Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu reviewed the progress of CCTV Cameras' installation in locomotives and coaches, with the meeting which was held on Saturday being attended by the senior officials of the Railway Board. The railway officials informed that successful trials have been done in the loco engines and coaches of the Northern Railway. The Union Minister gave the go ahead to install CCTV cameras in all 74,000 coaches and 15,000 locos. Each railway coach will be covered with 4 dome type CCTV cameras - 2 in each entrance way and each locomotive will have 6 CCTV cameras. This will include 1 camera each at the front, rear and on both sides of the locomotive. Each cab (front and rear) of a loco will be fitted with 1 dome CCTV camera and 2 desk mounted microphones. The officials shared that the CCTV cameras will have the latest specifications and will be STQC certified. The Union Minister for Railways emphasised on deploying the best-in-class equipment. He urged the railway officials to ensure that high quality footage should be available even for trains running at 100 kmph plus speeds and also under low lighting conditions. The Union Minister for Railways encouraged the officials to explore the use of AI on the data captured by CCTV cameras, in collaboration with the IndiaAI mission, the statement read. The move of fitting cameras in the common movement areas of coaches aims to improve safety and security of passengers. While preserving privacy, these cameras will help in identifying miscreants. (ANI)
Time of India
13-07-2025
- Time of India
Railways to install CCTV cameras in coaches to enhance passenger safety
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Based on the positive outcome of experimental installation of CCTV cameras in passenger coaches, Railways has decided to install CCTV cameras in all coaches, according to a press release from the Ministry of Railways on Sunday."This move will significantly improve passenger safety. Miscreants and organised gangs take advantage of gullible passengers. With cameras, such incidents will significantly reduce. To preserve privacy of passengers, CCTV cameras will be installed in the common movement area near the doors."Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw and the Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu reviewed the progress of CCTV Cameras' installation in locomotives and coaches, with the meeting which was held on Saturday being attended by the senior officials of the Railway railway officials informed that successful trials have been done in the loco engines and coaches of the Northern Railway. The Union Minister gave the go ahead to install CCTV cameras in all 74,000 coaches and 15,000 railway coach will be covered with 4 dome type CCTV cameras - 2 in each entrance way and each locomotive will have 6 CCTV cameras. This will include 1 camera each at the front, rear and on both sides of the locomotive. Each cab (front and rear) of a loco will be fitted with 1 dome CCTV camera and 2 desk mounted officials shared that the CCTV cameras will have the latest specifications and will be STQC certified. The Union Minister for Railways emphasised on deploying the best-in-class urged the railway officials to ensure that high quality footage should be available even for trains running at 100 kmph plus speeds and also under low lighting Union Minister for Railways encouraged the officials to explore the use of AI on the data captured by CCTV cameras, in collaboration with the IndiaAI mission, the statement move of fitting cameras in the common movement areas of coaches aims to improve safety and security of passengers. While preserving privacy, these cameras will help in identifying miscreants.
Indian Express
03-07-2025
- Indian Express
Indian Railways adds new long-distance trains to strengthen connectivity in Punjab's Ferozepur
The Indian Railways has launched several new train services in Punjab's Ferozepur to enhance the region's rail network, and address long-standing demands for improved connectivity to key religious and commercial destinations. These new train services, starting in June, are expected to benefit thousands of passengers each month, providing smoother, direct access to key cities without the need for lengthy road journeys or multiple train transfers. The Firozpur Railway Division, which manages operations in this border region, plays a pivotal role in strengthening rail connectivity across Punjab and its neighbouring states. The division, which is under Northern Railway, handles both passenger and freight services, supporting trade, tourism, and regional development. Here is a list of new trains: Firozpur Cantt–Hazur Sahib Nanded Weekly Express The first significant addition is the Firozpur Cantt-Hazur Sahib Nanded Weekly Express, which commenced operations on June 13. This train covers a distance of approximately 2,000 km, connecting Punjab directly with Hazur Sahib Nanded, one of the five Takhts in Sikhism, in Maharashtra. Running once a week, the train departs Firozpur every Friday afternoon and reaches Nanded after nearly 38 hours of travel, offering AC and sleeper coaches to facilitate long-distance pilgrims and other travellers from the region. Earlier, passengers had to board trains via Ludhiana or Amritsar to reach this destination. Union Minister of State Ravneet Singh Bittu was to formally flag off this train on June 13 in a special organised function, but it was cancelled after the Ahmedabad plane crash incident. Hence, an ardas was performed at the railway station to formally flag off the train. Firozpur Cantt-Haridwar Weekly Express Another much-awaited link is the Firozpur Cantt–Haridwar Weekly Express, which began service on June 18. This train now provides direct connectivity from Firozpur to the holy city of Haridwar, a popular destination for devotees from Punjab. The train departs every Wednesday night and reaches Haridwar the following morning, offering a convenient overnight journey option for pilgrims and tourists alike. Earlier, passengers had to rely on trains running via Ludhiana, Amritsar, or other cities. Firozpur-Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar (Mohali) From June 30 onwards, two daily trains have resumed service between Firozpur Cantonment and Mohali. One runs in the morning and another in the evening. 'This train was stopped in April 2020 during Covid, and afterwards it was never restarted. Now, we continuously took up the matter with the Union Government and got rail connectivity improved for Firozpur by starting many trains,' said Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi, BJP national executive committee member and former Guru-Harsahai MLA. Meanwhile, the Sutlej Express, operating under train numbers 14630/14629, has resumed service from Firozpur Cantt to Mohali. This daily express departs from Firozpur at 5:30 pm, reaching Chandigarh at approximately 10:40 pm, covering a distance of 236 km in around 5 hours. The Chandigarh–Firozpur Cantt Express, identified by train numbers 14614 and 14613, also resumed service from June 30. Covering the same 236 km route, the journey from Firozpur to Mohali takes approximately 4 hours and 45 minutes, and around 5 hours on the return journey. It departs Firozpur at 5 am daily. Like the Sutlej Express, it utilises general unreserved ICF coaches and operates daily, offering regular and economical connectivity for commuters and travellers. 'Now, there is a demand to add two AC coaches and one chair car to these trains,' said Heera Sodhi, a former State information commissioner and a Firozpur-based BJP leader. Intercity Superfast Express Additionally, the popular Intercity Superfast Express, which earlier operated between Moga and Delhi, will now be extended to start from Firozpur, running twice a week on Mondays and Fridays. 'A decision about this train has been made, but the Railways are yet to start it from Firozpur. We are hopeful that this train will start within a few days,' said Heera Sodhi.
