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Pawan Kumar Bansal
Initiatives as Minister of Railways

1. New Trains from and to Chandigarh :

  • Chandigarh-New Delhi Shatabdi (leaving Chandigarh at 12 noon & Delhi at 07:15 pm)
  • Amritsar-Lalkuan (Uttrakhand) via Chandigarh (weekly)
  • Chandigarh-Amritsar Intercity (Daily)
  • Kalka-Chandigarh-Sainagar Shirdi Express (Bi-weekly)
  • Una-Nangal Dam- Hazur Saheb Nanded Express via Chandigarh (Weekly)
  • Chandigarh-Patliputra (Patna)Express (Bi-weekly)
  • Chandigarh-Yeshwantpur (Bangalore) (Bi-weekly)
  • Chandigarh-Indore Express (Weekly)
  • Kalka - Chandigarh - Katra Express (Bi-weekly)
  • Jaipur - Chandigarh Intercity (Daily)
  • Ramnagar Express (Weekly)

Extensions of trains to Chandigarh :

  • Chandigarh-Madgaon (Goa) Express (Bi-weekly)
  • Chandigarh-Yasvantpur Express(Bi-weekly)

Increase in Frequency of Chandigarh trains :

  • Chandigarh-Madurai Express, (weekly to Bi-weekly)
  • Chandigarh-Kochuveli Express, (weekly to Bi-weekly)

2. Doubling of Dappar- Chandigarh track sanctioned( Cost Rs.200 crores) to facilitate running of more trains in future.

3.Rail under Bridge (RUB)

  • The first Rail under Bridge with design concept provideing independent crossing for slow moving Non Motorized Vehicles (NMVs) . This (RUB) has imroved the linkage with Panchkula.
  • Sanctioned the 2nd Rail Under Bridge near Modern Housing Complex (Manimajra) to provide better connectivity to the people of Manimajra.

4. Improvement of infrastructure at the Chandigarh Railway Station

  • Aesthetic ceiling at Platform No.1- eliminated nuisance of pigeon droppings & noise
  • New Cloak Room and Parcel Rooms
  • Vacum Dewatered Concrete (VDC) Flooring at Platform 2 & 3
  • Escalator at Platforms 2 & 3
  • 2nd FOB with Stair and escalator From Outside(City side)
  • New Waiting Rooms
  • Improvement of Circulating Area & Parking (Also proposal of multi-level parking)
  • Food Plaza.
  • LCD Display of Reservation Chart on platform No.1
  • Coach Guidance LED Display on Platforms and FOBs
  • Road underbridge(Darua Village- Panchkula) Completed
  • Road underbridge(Modern Housing Complex) sanctioned

General

5. For strengthening safe operation of trains & Security

  • Induction of crash worthy LHB coaches having anti-climb feature
  • Enhanced used of fire retardant furnishing material in coaches
  • Introduction of Train Protection Warning System (TPWS) on automatic signalling systems
  • Induction of Self-Propelled Accidents Relief Trains (SPART)
  • To strengthen the security of rail passengers, especially women passengers, strength of women RPF Personnel raised from 4 to 12 companies and 10% vacancies reserved for women in RPF

6. For Improving passenger travel experience :

  • Progressive extension of bio-toilets on trains
  • Launching of a pilot project on select trains to facilitate passengers to contact on-board staff through SMS, mobile phone call, e-mail for prompt response for coach cleanliness and also to provide real time feedback;
  • Setting up of more mechanized laundries for quality washing of linen
  • Provision of announcement facility and electronic display boards in trains for disseminating information to on-board passengers about approaching stations, train running, arrival platform, etc.
  • Providing free Wi-Fi facility in some trains
  • Associate voluntary organisations for providing first aid services etc. at railway stations.
  • For higher travel comfort, to introduce one coach each in select trains with excellent ambience and latest modern facilities and services. Such coaches to be named Anubhuti.
  • Setting up Executive Lounges at some Railway Stations.
  • Enhance number of Adarsh stations and improve cleanliness at all stations.

7. Railway reservation :

  • Abolished the concept of enhanced reservation fee.
  • Making e-ticketing possible through mobile phones
  • To roll out a project of SMS alerts to passengers providing updates on reservation
  • Covering larger number of trains under Real Time Information System (RTIS),to enable rail users to access information through nominated websites and mobile phones.
  • To clear the congestion at the IRCTC website, a new Next Generation e-ticketing system to significantly improve the end user experience in respect of ease of use, response time as well as capacity. The system to support 7200 tickets per minute as against the then 2000 tickets per minute.To support 1,20,000 simultaneous users at any point in time against the existant capacity of 40,000 users with capability to easily scale up as demand increases in future.
  • To curb mal practices in reserved tickets including Tatkal :
  • Mandatory carrying of ID cards by passengers with reserved tickets
  • In case of tatkal, reduction of advance reservation period to one day, issue of tickets only on production of ID proof at PRS counters, issue of only one tatkal ticket per train per day to web service agents
  • Denial of access to agents to internet booking between 0800 to 1000 hrs.
  • Discontinued development charge.

8. Amenities for Differently-abled passengers/elderly persons

  • To facilitate the boarding of trains and exit from the stations for the differently-abled and the elderly, steps proposed included provision of 179 escalators and 400 lifts at A-1 and other major stations, affixing Braille stickers indicating the layout of coaches including toilets, provision of wheel chairs and battery operated vehicles at stations and making coaches wheel-chair friendly.
  • To provide employment avenues to the disabled peoples, decided to reserve a specific number of Jan-Sadharan Ticket Booking Sewaks (JTBSs) for them

9. Catering

  • Tie up arrangements with food testing laboratories in addition to third party audit. State-of-the-art base kitchens in railway premises and insistence on ISO certification.
  • Started Centralised Catering Services Monitoring Cell with a Toll free number – 1800 111 321 w.e.f. 18th January, 2013 to facilitate redressal of complaints/suggestions on realtime basis.

10. Rail Tourism

  • Introduction of multi modal travel packages
  • With the commissioning of railway line upto Katra , explore feasibility of issuing 'yatra parchis' to pilgrims travelling by rail at the time of booking at the railway ticket in coordination with Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board.
  • Proposal to run an attractive & affordable educational tourism train called 'Azadi Express' to enable youth to travel to important places connected with the freedom movement.

11. Projects of national importance

  • Pursue certain projects as being of national importance viz. Bilaspur-Manali-Leh, Jammu-Poonch via Aknoor, Tanakpur-Bageshwar and Parsuramkund-Rupai. Also to lay a new line between Firozpur and Patti for providing direct rail link between border areas of Firozpur and Amritsar/Atari.

12. Public Private Partnership

  • Revamped participative policy enabling partnership with ports, large mines, industry and investors. 5 cases cleared by the Cabinet.

13. Rail-based industries

  • New Forged Wheel Factory, Greenfield Mainline Electrical Multiple Units (MEMU) manufacturing facility, a Coach manufacturing factory (in Sonepat District, Haryana) and a modern signalling equipment facility (at Chandigarh).

14. Various green energy initiatives to harness potential of solar and wind energy.

15. Staff

  • Concerted efforts to fill up approximately 1.52 lakh vacancies.
  • Clear a backlog of about 47,000 vacancies earmarked for weaker sections and physically challenged.
  • Enhanced fund allocation for staff quarters by 50% over previous year to provide Rs.300 crore.
  • Provision of hostel facilities for single women railway employees at all Divisional headquarters.
  • Extend the treatment facility in case of medical emergency to Railway employees to all cities where hospitals were empanelled either with CGHS or with Railways.
  • To improve condition of barracks and provide better living conditions to personnel of RPF.

16. Skill Development & Training

  • To set up 25 skill development centres across the country (including one at Chandigarh) to impart skills to youth in Railway related jobs.
  • Set up a Multi-Disciplinary Training Institute for imparting training in rail related electronics technologies.
  • To set up Indian Railways Institute of Financial Management (IRIFM).
  • Institute 5 fellowships in national universities.

17. Complimentary Passes

  • Sportspersons: Extend to the recipients of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award and Dhyan Chand Award facility of Complimentary Card passes valid for travel by 1st Class/2nd AC. Also, Complimentary Card passes to Olympic Medalists & Dronacharya Awardees to be valid for travel in Rajdhani/Shatabdi trains, as in the case of Arjuna Awardees.
  • Ex-Servicemen: Extend the facility of Complimentary Card Pass valid in 1st Class/2 AC to the parents of posthumous unmarried awardees of Maha Vir Chakra, Vir Chakra, Kirti Chakra, Shaurya Chakra, President's Police Medal for Gallantry and Police Medal for Gallantry.
  • One Complimentary Pass every year for travel along with one companion in 2 AC in Rajdhani/Shatabdi trains to Police Gallantry Awardees.
  • Freedom fighters : Renewal of passes only once in three years instead of every year.

18. Financial Discipline and augmentation

  • For the first time, 347 ongoing projects identified as priority projects, and provided committed funding.
  • A judicious mix of strategies, including liberal funding of last mile projects and operationally important projects including the Dedicated Freight Corridors.
  • Stringent targets for eliminating inefficiencies in the maintenance of rolling stock and fuel consumption.
  • Concept of variable Fuel Adjustment Component introduced.
  • Augment non-tariff revenue e.g. from advertisements on trains and electronic displays.

19. Northern Region :

  • Delhi Sarai Rohilla – Rewari
  • Jakhal – Hisar
  • Jakhal – Dhuri – Ludhiana
  • Rajpura – Dhuri – Lehra Mohabhat
  • Proposal to construct Railway line from Rama Mandi to Maur Mandi via Talwandi Sabo to provide rail link to Takht Shri Damdama Sahib

New Trains

  • Hoshiarpur- Delhi Express(Weekly)
  • Ferozepur- Delhi Intercity Express(Daily) Via Bhatinda
  • Dhuri- Bathinda (Passenger)
  • Bhatinda- Jammu Tawi Express(Weekly) Via Patiala, Rajpura
  • New Delhi- Katra AC Express( 6 days a week)
  • Delhi- Kurukshetra Via Kaithal(DEMU Service)
  • Rohtak-Rewari (DEMU Service)
  • Taran Taran- Goinidwal Sahib(DEMU Service)

Extension of trains

  • Delhi- Bhatinda Express to Fazilka
  • Shri Ganga Nagar- Haridwar Express to Rishikesh
  • Dhuri-Hissar/Hissar- Ludhiana Passenger to Sirsa

Increase in frequency

  • Delhi- Pathankot Express( 3 to 6 days)
  • Indore-Amritsar Express( 1 to 2 days)

New Lines Proposed

  • Rewari-Rohtak New line extension upto Makrauli
  • Ferozepur-Patti
  • Delhi-Sohna-Nuh-Firozpur Jhirka-Alwar
  • Hissar-Sirsa Via Agroha & Fatehabad
  • Yamuna Nagar-Chandigarh Via Sadhaura, Naraingarh

Survey for New Lines

  • Baddi and Bilaspur
  • Dadri- Jharli Via Jhajjar
  • Dharamshala- Palampur
  • Dhuri Bypass to avoid reversal of traffic
  • Hissar–Fetehabad
  • Narwana-Uklana
  • Rajpura-Bypass to avoid reversal of traffic
  • Sri Anandpur Sahib-Chamkaur Sahib-Ludhiana

Survey for doubling of track

  • Bhatinda-Abohar-Sriganga Nagar
  • Firozpur-Bhatinda
  • Haridwar-Dehradun
  • Jakhal-Dhuri-Ludhiana
  • Rajpura-Bhatinda Via Dhuri
  • Rail under Bridge (RUB)