Now, hear name of approaching stn

Jan 20, 2010:


Public Address In Suburban Trains In Tamil, English and Hindi In 4 Months


V Ayyappan | TNN



Chennai: Soon suburban commuters will not have to struggle to find out which station they are approaching while travelling in an overcrowded train as Southern Railway will soon introduce GPS-aided automatic audio announcement system inside all suburban trains on the Beach-Tambaram and Chennai-Arakonam routes.
The GPS device implanted in the motor cab will be in contact with a similar device at stations and will activate the automatic voice announcement inside the train. A pre-recorded voice will announce which station is approaching, in three languages – English, Tamil and Hindi.
In addition to becoming a boon for the visually challenged, the announcements are also expected to help commuters to identify stations without craning their necks out of on the overcrowded EMUs during peak hours.
Railways have already installed the system in 22 rakes being operated on the Arakonam route and in 18 rakes on the Tambaram route. The GPS-aided announcement system has already started functioning in these two routes.
“Installation works are going on in the remaining 11 rakes of the Arakonam section and nine rakes on the Tambaram section. We are expected to cover all EMUs in another three to four months,” said Chennai divisional railway manager S K Kulshrestha.
The works are being done at Avadi car shed for Arakonam side trains and at Tambaram car shed for Tambaram route trains. When the works are completed, 33 rakes in the Chennai-Arakonam route and 27 rakes in Chennai Beach-Tambaram will play automatic audio announcements about stations.
At the moment, the facility is being introduced in the newer rakes which the railways call as Metro rakes because they already have wiring and speakers installed in them at the factory. But, older rakes do not have them. “We have recently opened a tender for wiring and also installing the GPS system in old rakes,” he added.
Commuters have welcomed the move. Sadagopan, a commuter, said that he came across the announcements for the first time recently while travelling from Moore Market Complex to Tiruvallur. “It is very useful for commuters. But the audio quality was not so good.”
P Rajaraman, another commuter, said that the new system would be useful for commuters during rush hour when “it is hard to find out which station the train has reached. During the rush it is not easy to look at the route map stuck near the door. So, we just ask other people who are in a better position to look outside the windows to find out which station is approaching.” Moreover, the announcements in three languages will be useful for people who are new to the city.

Flights delayed as smog reduces visibility at airport

Jan 14, 2010:

TIMES NEWS NETWORK


Chennai: Several morning flights due for take off from Chennai airport were delayed and nine incoming flights were diverted to other airports after smog, triggered by Bhogi bonfires, reduced visibility on Wednesday. Operations were affected for nearly two hours from 7.30am after visibility dipped to less than 300 metres. Normal operations resumed only around 10am, said airport officials.
Eight flights, including two international flights, were diverted to Bangalore, while a Saudia Airlines flight was diverted to Colombo. Flights hovered over the city for sometime, waiting for visibility to improve. More than a dozen departures and arrivals were delayed by a couple of hours, and as the schedule got disrupted, delays continued throughout the day.
“Almost all flights that approached the city were told to remain in the sky till visibility improved. As it did not, some of the flights had to be diverted to nearby airports,” said an official.
The disruption was quite severe this year, compared to previous two years. Bhogi bonfires had not disrupted aircraft movement at Chennai airport in January 2009. Flights departed more or less on time. However, recovery this time was quick thanks to the recent installation of the Runway Visual Range (RVR) instrument that can read and feed the visibility condition on the runway to the air traffic system.
There was mild smog early early morning but it was not thick enough to reduce visibility to less than 800 metres, the minimum requirement for flights to take off and land. Visibility usually dips below 200 metres when there is smog over Chennai, mostly during Bhogi and Deepavali. In 2008, visibility was erratic but in 2007 and 2006, smog caused a near shutdown of Chennai airport between 6am and 7am.

Restricted parking at airport to facilitate road work

Jan 12, 2010

TIMES NEWS NETWORK


Chennai: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has made new arrangements for traffic movement inside the airport premises and has designated new passenger pick-up and dropping points. The objective is to facilitate the construction of an elevated corridor in front of the terminal building.
The new arrangement will come into force from Tuesday and will continue for more than eight months, till work on the corridor is completed. With a view to restricting car parking, AAI has chalked out a pattern that discourages parking of vehicles that come to drop or pick up passengers. So, only about 200 cars will be allowed to be parked on the premises.
“The change in traffic arrangement is necessary as the space before the terminals used to park cars cannot be used when construction of the 23-metre-wide elevated corridor is on,” said the airport director, Hareendranathan E P, adding, “Passengers should bear with the inconvenience because the changes are part of airport expansion work.”
More than 30,000 passengers use Chennai airport everyday. Over 500 cars are usually parked at different parking locations on the premises. “We will be posting private guards to guide traffic in front of the domestic and international terminals and at various other points,” said a AAI official.
A major portion of the space in front of the terminals will be used to house a walkalator inside a transparent tube. “Due to lack of space, we want vehicles to move out as soon as they drop or pick up passengers. Airport taxis and rental cars will be given space for parking. But passengers coming out from both terminals will have to walk a little distance to board prepaid taxis,” said an official.
Huge ‘Y’ shaped pillars will be constructed and pre-fabricated platforms will be placed over them to form the elevated corridor. Once complete, the bridge will connect the domestic and international terminals. Passengers will use the walkalator to move between the terminals.

Kashmir invites TN tourists to visit this summer

Jan 11, 2010

V Ayyappan | TNN




Chennai: Jammu and Kashmir seems to be turning adversities into opportunities as the state’s travel and tour operators are showcasing Kargil battlefields in addition to the well-known tourist spots like Srinagar, Gulmarg, and Pahalgam to attract more tourists from south India.
Undaunted by sporadic terror attacks Jammu and K a s h m i r Tourism has launched an a g g re s s ive promotion to lure tourists from Tamil N a d u . P re s e n t ly, Kashmir receives majority of its domestic tourists from West Bengal, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka.
“We have started to receive tourists from Kerala and parts of Tamil Nadu. A big group travelled from Coimbatore recently. So, we want to attract more tourists from Tamil Nadu this year and make it one of the prime source markets for domestic tourist arrivals in Jammu and Kashmir. Most of our tourism activities are done by private firms,” said Javed Amin, regional director (south and west) J&K Tourism.
Around 23 travel agents from Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh participated in the three-day Travel and Tourism Fair (TTF) here ending Sunday. J&K tourism also received the award for best group participation. Kargil tours start from May when the roads are opened after the winter.
Vaishno Devi and Amarnath continue to be the biggest attraction for domestic tourists. “We are also developing new areas like Sonmarg, Yusmarj, Kokarnath
belt. The government has also formed 20 tourism development authorities across the state to develop destinations,” said Javed Amin.
Travel agents who have come from Jammu and Kashmir are optimistic about getting tourists from Chennai and other parts of Tamil Nadu even though a brief holiday to J&K may be more expensive than a trip to Thailand or Malaysia for Chennaiites.
“It’s expensive but many want to visit Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh at least once. And those who have visited before are coming back. This works to our advantage,” said Madni Ashiq, a tour operator.
“Terrorism and violence are only sporadic. Things have improved,” said Amin.

Rural tours, farm stays and local cuisine draw travellers

Jan 10, 2010:


V Ayyappan | TNN




Chennai: While exquisite locations and exotic experiences make for popular holidays, so does going rural. Bullock carts, huts and tribal dances seem to be the new thrill for several tourists who opt for them over private jets, presidential suites and the zumba.
Subrato Mukherjee, director of Indianmemoirz, says that when he founded the company six months ago, there was hardly any demand for his “rural” tours. Today, he gets at least two bookings a week. “Rajasthan, Chattisgarh and the north-east are among our most popular destinations,” says Mukherjee. “We take families into villages and the entire holiday is about living and interacting with the villagers. Several families like this kind of holiday because it brings their children closer to nature and reality. Families get to cook, hunt and celebrate with the village,” says Mukherjee. Of course, it all comes at a price. For instance, a couple of nights in a village could set you back over Rs 15,000 a night per person.
Says Chaitanya Singh of A la Concierge, “Rural tours to the villages of Kerala, Rajasthan and Bhutan are very popular.” Wayanad and Alappuzha in Kerala; Mamallapuram and a couple of private herbal villages including the one at Thandurai in Tamil Nadu are some that promise an interesting experience.
“Tourists get a chance to take part in agricultural activities — planting rice saplings, tapping and collecting latex in rubber plantations at Wayanad. Village walks and treks with proper guides are also arranged,” says Sumesh, who runs Kabani, a communitybased tourism initiative at Thrikkaipatta in Wayanad and also in Alappuzha.
“I took an experiential vacation in Wayanad a year-and-a-half ago because I wanted to be away from crowded tourist spots and live in a natural setting. I stayed in a home stay and got to eat local food,” says Vignesh Kumar, a Chennaiite, who took a vacation organised by Kabani in Thrikkaipatta village, Kerala. Though foreigners usually prefer such activities, this year many Indians have also opted for it, says Sumesh.
Hi Tours, a Chennai-based destination marketing and conference company, is planning to ready a six-acre coconut farm as a farm stay destination for tourists seeking a rural experience at Chungathara in Malappuram district, Kerala.
“We are planning to allow tourists to put manure for coconut trees, de-husk coconuts, and go fishing in a nearby tributary of Punnapuzha. The place will hopefully be ready by next year. Tourists who arrive here can also go to nearby Nedumkayam forest to see wild elephants being tamed and also Aruvacode to try their hands at making clay pots,” says M K Ajith Kumar, vice president of Hi Tours. (with inputs by Kamini Mathai)
ayyappan.v@timesgroup.com

Memories are forever

Viewing New Delhi from a hot air balloon or swimming with dolphins in South Africa, tourists seek the experience of a lifetime. V Ayyappan and Kamini Mathai | TNN Jan 10, 2010 Chennai: The sand and sun have been done to death. The Alps are humdrum. So where does the real fun lie? In a ghost hunt in Ireland, apparently. Or in a MiG 29 in Russia, strapped in and ready to fly. Tired of having to jostle for space in a beach or taking the endless cruise, people have increasingly started to look for an opportunity to have a new experience while holidaying. “Experiential vacations challenge, educate and involve you far more than a regular lying-on-your-backand-enjoying-the-scenery holiday. It is more vibrant, vigorous and satisfying. But, in India, this kind of travel is in its infancy,” says Parthaa Kundo, CEO and founder, Esperienza, which offers luxury experiential vacations complete with private jets, gourmet cuisine and tailor-made itinerary. He says the trend started a year-and-a-half ago. With the demand rising, travel and tour companies have started hunting for locations to market as destinations of experience tourism. According to a tour operator, a couple even wanted to stay in the war-torn parts of Sri Lanka. Concierge services are also available now. Arvind Pandey, operations director, Concierge4India, says, “Our job is to give clients whatever they want as long as it is legal.” His company has had several unusual requests, which they have managed to fulfill. While some of them have been simpler, like an elephant stomping into a child’s birthday party, others have been a tad more difficult, like viewing New Delhi from a hot air balloon, and yet others have been rather off-tangent but still doable — like the qawwali night or Halloween party at Corbett National Park. “Now, people do not get much time off, so more than a holiday they want a day they can remember. A day they can talk about for months after,” adds Pandey. Kundo says he has a family of four, who wanted to take a 12-day luxury vacation to Australia. One of the many activities they experienced was shark diving, and going on the Australian Rally Car racing adventure in Sydney. The trip cost them about Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 2 lakh per day, but they enjoyed every bit of it. “Another client went to Thailand. While the father and son did a quick, basic course on Muay Thai boxing taught by a professional trainer, the mother busied herself with learning the intricacies of Thai cooking with one of the top chefs,” says Kundo. Chaitanya Singh of A la Concierge admits that more people are looking at turning their vacations into experiences. “Now, even unusual requests have almost become run-of-the-mill for us. For instance, we have managed to get our clients swimming with dolphins in South Africa more than once,” says Singh. Meanwhile, Kundo is working overtime trying to put together a world trip for a couple’s 50th wedding anniversary. It was nothing out of the ordinary for him when they told him they wanted to visit all the seven wonders of the New World. It got tough when they said they wanted to pit-stop at the seven wonders of the Ancient World too. And even tougher when they said they also want private jets for some of the locations. “But I’ve got an unlimited budget, so that makes the logistics a little easier,” says Kundo.

S Rly, IIT-M tie up to develop ultrasonic unit to detect flaws in rails

V Ayyappan | TNN Jan 7, 2010 Chennai: Southern Railway and IIT Madras have joined hands to develop a modern ultrasonic equipment that can detect flaws in railway tracks faster and more efficiently. Rails often develop cracks during the winter. A consultancy contract was recently signed with the premier technology institute to develop a modern ultrasonic equipment that can test rails, detect flaws and record data. The device that will be developed and improved in phases will even be able to predict locations where rails are supposed to develop cracks. “We are collaborating with IIT because existing Ultra Sonic Flaw Detection (USFD) testing is slow and the data has to be analysed manually. It is also not possible to detect what conditions the underside of the tracks are in. The stress on the tracks has increased with growth in train traffic over the years. So we need a faster and automated unit to monitor and store data on track condition,” said a senior Southern Railway engineer. Rails, experts say, develop cracks and welded joints come away due to a combination of reasons — cold weather, corrosion, high traffic and high axle load of trains. A majority of the cracks occur between midnight and early morning when the track temperature could even be 10 degrees lower than that of the atmosphere, sources said. In fact, the railways’ efforts to enhance travel comfort by minimising the joints on the tracks has actually increased the stress on the metal rails. Currently, an ultra sonic device is placed on a mobile unit that is run on tracks to test them. But this unit can test only one kilometre of track per hour. “We have told IIT to increase the speed and also provide a system that can analysis the condition of rails and record the data automatically under the first phase project. In the subsequent phases the unit will be equipped to even predict trouble spots in rail where crack may develop,” he added. The phase one contract is worth Rs 25 lakh and has been awarded to mechanical engineering department of IIT. Southern Railway will lay a track in IIT campus to help them test and develop the ultrasonic device this year. The project will supplement the efforts of Indian Railways to import high-tech machines that can test flaws in tracks at speeds of over 80 kmph. “A special cold weather patrolling is done during which gangmen closely monitor the tracks for cracks or weld failures, check and recheck vulnerable spots, paste grease along the tracks. When a crack is detected, we put a clamp to secure it and trains are run at restricted speed. Then six metre of the affected portion is cut and replaced in 24 hours,” said Dani Thomas, Southern Railway chief track engineer. Southern Railway will be carrying out track renewal works depending on the condition of the old tracks and when the tracks age and are not fit for use. LEAVING NO STONE UNTURNED The railways is constantly trying to ensure that rails are not cracked and their quality is maintained to ensure safety S Rly could minimise welding failures but is yet to control cracks on rails Rails were removed at 48 locations after they developed cracks from April to December 2009 Rails were removed in 44 locations after welding failed from April to December 2009 S Rly has 14,000 km of tracks