From today, tourists will get visa on arrival in city

V Ayyappan | TNN

Jan 1, 2010:

Chennai: The government has decided to issue visas on arrival to citizens from five countries at Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata airports starting Friday. Those holding passports of Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, Luxembourg and Finland would be eligible to fly in without a visa. The scheme is being introduced as a pilot project for a year.
The move comes at a time when visa norms in the country are being tightened. This is the first time that the country has decided to relax rules to permit visitors to get their passports stamped at Indian airports for entry. TOI had reported in its edition dated December 10 that the scheme was in the offing in early 2010.Tourists to be charged $60 for visa on arrival
Chennai: Starting Friday, those holding passports of Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, Luxembourg and Finland would be eligible to fly in without a visa.
“The visas will be issued to citizens of all the five countries irrespective of where they fly in from. They will be charged $60 at the airport counters for the visa. They will also have to conform to the rules and regulations set out. We will check whether the tourist has enough money to sustain his or her stay for the period shown in the itinerary,” said an airport source.
The facility, which is offered by several south-east Asian countries, is expected to give a leg-up to the business community and tourists. With huge inbound investments from Japan and Finland, easy travel norms are a necessity for furthering business ties. Japanese automotive companies like Suzuki, Honda and Nissan have made substantial investments in India while Finnish investments have been mainly driven by Nokia and associate companies.
Airports have received rules that have been framed according to guidelines issued by the ministry of external affairs. The system will be beneficial primarily to visitors in two categories: those who club one or two countries together in their itinerary and those who intend to make short visits to India.
“Chennai airport already has the necessary infrastructure to issue such visas. More facilities will be added in the future to facilitate larger visa issue,” said an airport official.
Sri Lanka, Hong Kong and Thailand issue visa on arrival for most nationalities. Malaysia used to issue visa on arrival for Indians, but stopped it recently as there were complaints of Indians overstaying there.

SET FOR A CHANGE

Pvt agencies to clean trains, stations

V Ayyappan | TNN

Dec 27, 2009:

Chennai: Railway stations and long-distance trains are likely to be a lot cleaner if Southern Railway has its way in the coming year. Private agencies will be engaged for onboard housekeeping (OBHK) on trains and also to clean railway stations.
The decision was taken following persistent complaints from passengers that railway stations are littered with plastic cups, wrappers and other waste while long-distance trains get dirty during the journey.
Southern Railway has invited tenders from interested agencies to bid for OBHK on long-distance trains that start from Chennai Central and Egmore stations. The Indian Railways has allowed its zonal offfices to post staff on trains to clean coach interiors as well as toilets by outsourcing jobs.
As part of efforts to keep railway stations clean, tenders will soon be floated to select agencies to collect waste material from important railway stations such as Central, Egmore, Katpadi, Jolarpet and Melmaravathur. The arrangement will be gradually extended to other stations, especially suburban.
“The OBHK plan envisages workers travelling on trains and cleaning toilets. Currently, there is no provision to clean the toilets when the train is on the move. Dirty toilets cause a lot of inconvenience to travellers, especially on trains that take more than a day to reach the destination,” said Chennai divisional railway manager, S K Kulshrestha.
Under pressure to introduce more trains using the existing number of coaches, the Railway Board has stipulated that primary maintenance should be done only after a train runs 3,500 km. Several trains that do not complete the 3,500-km mark are cleaned at the railway station platforms. With most railway stations ill-equipped to carry out a thorough job, toilets are not cleaned often.
“If the rakes come late, the turnaround time gets reduced. So, we water and conduct a perfunctory cleaning of toilets,” said a railway staff at the Central station. OBHK aims at preventing such constraints.
In other railway zones, private agencies have been engaged to sweep coaches of trains passing through,” an official said.
“Workers of a private agency swept clean the floors of coaches on the second day of the journey on the Delhi-Chennai Tamil Nadu Express,” said A Anusha, a passenger on the train.
ayyappan.v@timesgroup.com

Chennaiites trek, cruise on holidays

V Ayyappan & Nidhi Mukundan | TNN

Dec 26, 2009:

Chennai: On New year this year, M Narayanan, a businessman, will be on board a cruise ship anchored off the beach of Male. Tired of visiting conventional tourist spots, Narayanan wanted something different. He therefore did not think twice when he heard about a package being offered by Louis Cruises, a Greece-based shipping company.
With Christmas and New Year holidays ahead, Chennaiites have started packing bags, all set to travel on holiday. While some will spend the vacation on a cruise on the Arabian sea or trek on the Ooty hills trying to spot Malabar Giant Squirrel, others will head towards Wayanad, the land of wild elephants. Yet others will enjoy five-star luxury at several popular resorts.
A majority of travellers have booked accommodation in tourist spots in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry, as well as to Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and, after decades, to Sri Lanka. The demand is so good that tour operators and resort owners, wary of the impact of the economic downturn, are thrilled.
Thomas Cook has come up with a top seven ‘must visit’ destination teaser: Kashmir, Mussoorie, Goa, Kerala, Darjeeling, Himachal Pradesh and Shimla. The city-based Hi Tours that markets Louis Cruises has booked four families for the cruise that starts from Kochi on December 30, sailing to Maldives and returning on January 2.
“Most people are going for short getaways, and the cruise is ideal. It also gives the tourist a different experience,” said Hi Tours vice president, M K Ajith Kumar.
“This particular season has been so much better than the other seasons in the year. Ooty, Kodaikkanal, Thekkady, Munnar, Puducherry, Mahabhalipuram are places Chennaiites want to visit. We have not been able to get tickets for some of our clients, to Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius and Colombo,” said E S Subrahamaniyam, managing director, Fulcrum Tours & Travels.
Resorts in Kerala are doing roaringbusiness. Thomas George Muthoot, director, Pappachan Muthoot Group, which has two properties in Kerala, said, “The last few months have been difficult, but for the New Year we are looking at almost full occupancy in both the hotels.”
Said a Thomas Cook officer: “With the economy recovering slowly, this has been an excellent season for bookings; the number of both inbound and outbound tourists has risen. More people have now started travelling within India also.” Destinations such as Lonavala, Goa and Poovar are all-time favourites for the New Year. There also special destinations — the Ananda Spa in the Himalayas, for instance.
Unwinding In Style
Tourists leaving for short getaways have been a huge hit this holiday season in spite of the economic downturn
Apart from Sri Lanka, which tourists are visiting after decades, cruises on luxury liners have become popular
Resorts in Kerala are also doing roaring business with most hotels being fully occupied
Abroad destinations in Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore are proving to be evergreen hit with tourists

SUBURBAN TRAINS ON TRACK

Zipping into new year with more trains, better amenities

V Ayyappan | TNN

Dec 25, 2009:

Chennai: Commuting from the city’s suburbs by train could become more enjoyable in the coming year with Southern Railway planning to improve amenities at suburban stations, introduce more trains and add more coaches to existing trains.
A renewed interest in providing better amenities at most railway stations was discernible by mid-2009. The then general manager and other officials went on an inspection tour on the two major suburban lines — the Chennai Beach-Tambaram sector and the Chennai Central-Tiruvallur route.
Based on the feedback, a series of projects, including extending platforms, setting up toilets, enhancing security and maintaining the general cleanliness, were chalked out.
Everyday, over six lakh commuters use these trains to reach the city. For people in Tiruvallur and beyond, suburban trains are the easier and faster, but commuters are unhappy about the punctuality of the trains.
“We are thinking of extending the platforms of stations on the Chennai-Tiruvallur route where we want to operate 12-car trains after completing work on extending platforms at Central. We may also increase the number of services if the railway board approves coaches,” said divisional railway manager S K Kulshrestha.
Similar works are planned on the Chennai-Gummidipoondi sector. “Work on making eight suburban stations into ‘adarsh’ (model) stations as announced in the budget is expected to be over by March. The details listed as requirement for such stations had been condensed a little to speed up the process,” he added.
Chetpet, Park, Chromepet, Perambur Carriage Works, St Thomas Mount, Tambaram, Tiruninravur and Tiruvallur are to be made adarsh stations with improved aesthetics and passenger amenities.
ayyappan.v@timesgroup.com

MRTS UNFINISHED AGENDA

Badly maintained stations hamper optimum patronage

V Ayyappan | TNN

Dec 25, 2009:

Chennai: The Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) services may have proved to be the best option for motorists to beat peak-hour road traffic, but the railways have failed to improve the condition of the stations. A couple of them are even incomplete.
The line is expected to remain under-utilised for the next two years, till the existing 20 km line from Chennai Beach to Velachery is connected to the main suburban line at St Thomas Mount.
Though patronage has improved to 70,000 passengers per day the railways seem to have missed their own deadline for completing work in seven stations along the line.
The commuters have to put up with leaky buildings, faulty or non-operative escalators and damaged fixtures at most of the MRTS stations.
The Metropolitan Transport Projects (MTP) had March 2009 as the deadline to complete work like steel roofing, flooring and other jobs at the Mundakanni Amman, Mandaveli, Greenways Road, Kotturpuram, Kasturba Nagar, Indira Nagar, Tiruvanmiyur, Taramani and Velachery stations. Except for Taramani and Velachery, the rest are in a bad shape.
Hard-pressed to find resources to maintain the stations, Southern Railway has asked for special funds from the railway board. It is estimated that Rs 7 crore will be required, to keep the 19 stations clean and maintained every year. “We plan to hire a private company to maintain the stations,” said divisional railway manager S K Kulshrestha. Works on the 3.5-km Velachery-Adambakkam stretch where the alignment follows the Inner Ring Road (IRR) are progressing briskly.
However, the railways feel the project will be delayed because of land acquisition trouble expected to crop up on the stretch between Adambakkam and St Thomas Mount.

THE MARINA MAKEOVER

After 20 Mths Of Beautification, CM Throws Open The Beach To Overjoyed Residents

V Ayyappan | TNN

Dec 21, 2009:

Chennai: On Sunday, at the fabled Marina Beach, nine-year-old Akash was glad to get a clean granite parapet to keep his book and do his homework. On past occasions, when he and his parents sat on the sands everytime they came to the beach from their congested neighbourhood in Mandaveli, he had to keep his books on his lap. “We are glad that the government thought of providing granite-paved open spaces and lush meadows along the stretch. These are ideal for children to either run around or skate,” said Akash’s father K Ramanathan even as the boy strapped on his skates after finishing his homework.
Ramanathan and his wife are among the several thousands of families who flock to the Marina almost every weekend because the neighbourhoods they live in have become too cramped for their children to play or for them to enjoy a stroll.
Regulars have been watching the beautification works progressing every day, but on Sunday, the tourists and occasional visitors were wonderstruck on seeing the granite-paved promenade gleaming in the lights. “I was surprised to see the paved walkway lined with granite parapets,” said Jyothish Kumar, a resident of Delhi.
“The artistic installations along the stretch are ideal spots to lounge and also to take photos. I am going to take some pictures to fool my friends back home that I have been abroad. The whole place has been transformed in such a way that it will be difficult for anybody to tell this is the Marina by looking at photographs,”Jyothish Kumar adds.
Kuppusamy, a senior citizen and a regular for the last couple of decades, says, “Marina has improved over the years. There are a lot of place to sit and relax which is good for senior citizens.” Anandaraju and Kumuda, who come to the Marina once or twice a month, are happy to see the beach turn beautiful.
“We do not have to worry about sand getting sprinkled on us with every breeze,” said Kumuda, who has come from Valasaravakkam.
“It is good that the government banned beach cricket. Now, they should crack down on the youth who race on motorcycles along the inner service lane parallel to the sands. There should be more police personnel to ensure security and waste bins to keep the place clean. Hope the government will maintain this very well,” said Anandaraju.
“The government should lay a couple of cement pathways from the promenade to the sea. This will be helpful for the people to rush back to the road in case of a calamity like tsunami because it is difficult to walk or run in the deep sand,” he said.
Opening New Vistas

• The chief minister inaugurated beautified Marina beach on Sunday. The promenade from Triumph of Labour Statue to Light house was beautified at a cost of Rs 25.92 crore

• The work was started in February 2008 and was completed in October 2009. Plazas, gazebos and pergolas were included

• The stretch has 14 landscaped galleries with tiled floors and granite walls. These spaces have sitting areas and modern street furniture

• These galleries have been designed to allow good visibility of the sea.

• A four-metre-wide walkers’ pathway in various color patterns using cement tiles have been laid for morning and evening walkers parallel to the sands and Kamarajar Salai

• The lighting has been improved. The light fixtures are in the shape of a seagull

PRETTY PROMENADE: (Clockwise from top) The fountains along the beautified stretch of the Marina; The pergola constructed in front of the Gandhi statue; green lawns at the Marina with new light fixtures; Chief minister M Karunanidhi and deputy CM M K Stalin at the inauguration of the beautified stretch of the Marina on Sunday

Snag-hit flight lands on one engine

Other Engine Shut Due To Overheating; Full Emergency At Airport

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Dec 20, 2009:

Chennai: Chennai airport was put on ‘full emergency’ after a Coimbatore-Chennai SpiceJet flight (SG 282) with 121 passengers onboard had to shut down one of its engines following overheating while nearing the city.
The Boeing 737 aircraft that developed trouble on its left engine made a safe landing with a single engine at 11.25 am, said an airport official. All commercial aircraft are capable of flying with a single engine. But pilots land the aircraft at the nearest airport as a safety measure.
The Airports Authority of India did not want to take a chance when the pilot radioed about the condition of the engine. “We declared an emergency. Crashtenders were positioned by the side of the runway and a medical team was kept ready,” said an official.
As per rules, crashtenders that were positioned by the side of the runway near the touchdown point followed the aircraft till it came to a standstill. After checks with the pilot, the aircraft was allowed to taxi to the bay to offload passengers.
“It seems that a generator had failed leading to overheating. As a precaution, the pilot shutdown the engine and informed the air traffic control here about the situation. As the aircraft’s hydraulic system that controlled the wheels were functioning well, there was no need for using foam on the runway,” he added.
The actual cause for overheating can be determined only after engineers inspect the aircraft. An inquiry will be carried out to pinpoint the reason for the snag. “If an engine overheats, we normally shut it down to prevent fire. This is done when the warning light keeps glowing for a stipulated time inside the cockpit. Though an aircraft can fly on a single engine at a lower altitude, an emergency will be declared so that the aircraft will get priority and can land at the nearest airport,” said a pilot.
He said that “this is not a danger situation because a computer onboard will instruct the pilot about the speed and altitude the flights should follow when one engine is not available. If the aircraft is flying at a cruising altitude, it has to descend considerably.”
Besides, pilots are also trained to handle such situations. Pilots practise single engine operations in three scenarios — during take off, approach for landing and also cruising.
An official of SpiceJet said that the flight made a smooth landing and that there was no danger. A full emergency was declared at the airport in August this year when an Air India aircraft from Singapore landed with a burst tyre, with 141 passengers on board.
A SAFE TOUCHDOWN
The SpiceJet pilot shuts down overheated left engine to prevent it from catching fire
Airport put on full emergency to receive the snag-hit aircraft
Aircraft lands safely Most commercial aircraft are capable of flying on single engine
An emergency at the airport is declared to give priority to stricken aircraft by air traffic controllers

TTDC readies for tourist season, to renovate hotels, boathouses

V Ayyappan | TNN

Dec 16, 2009:

Chennai: Three months before the start of the summer tourist season, the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) is gearing to handle the tourist flow by augmenting infrastructure.
The corporation, which has 54 hotels and 11 boathouses, is planning to renovate its hotels at Kodaikanal and Ooty and buy boats for boathouses in Ooty, Kodaikanal, Pykara, and Mudaliarkuppam before April.
A senior official said: “The works will cost Rs 3 crore. We have carried out infrastructure augmentation works in tourist spots worth over Rs 7.5 crore this year. More works need to be done because we receive the maximum number of tourists from April to June.” The TTDC will buy 82 boats for boathouses in Kodaikanal, Ooty and Pykara. Mudaliarkuppam will also get a new 32-seater boat. “We have placed orders and the boats are expected to be delivered by February,” said an official.
He said: “We plan to carry out most of the renovation works of boathouses after January while the hotels at Ooty and Kodaikanal will be redone in February and March because that is when there will be a slight dip in tourist arrivals. The rains and landslides have affected tourists arrivals at Ooty. But we are confident that tourists will flock to the hill station in summer.”
The number of tourists visiting the boathouses increased after the TTDC carried out marketing campaigns inside the state and also in Bangalore and Hyderabad.
Muttukadu, Mudaliarkuppam, Mamallapuram and Kanyakumari are showcased as popular destinations after Ooty and Kodaikanal.
The April-June season brings in more domestic travellers.
According to statistics, the tourist arrivals, both domestic and foreign, increased to 646.58 lakh in 2008 when compared to 524 lakh arrivals in 2007, a 23% growth.
Encouraged by the response, the TTDC is planning to make trekking a regular feature at Tirusulam, Top Slip and Yercaud. “We are ready to operate trekking tours on a regular basis if there is demand,” a senior TTDC official said.

HOTSPOT: Muttukadu will be among the destinations that will be showcased

OUT OF ACTION

Secondary runway at airport to be shut for 9 months

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Dec 15, 2009:

Chennai: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) will shut down the secondary runway at the Chennai airport for over nine months to align its level with that of its extension that is being built across the Adyar river.
AAI is extending the 2,035 metre secondary runway by 1,400 metres across the Adyar river as part of the expansion works. A bridge is also being built across the river for the purpose. Currently, airport uses secondary runway to handle aircraft operations primary runway is closed for routine maintenance work every month.
Once the secondary runway is closed, AAI will have to re-schedule flights whenever the primary runway is shut down for maintenance. Sources said that the level of the 835 metre portion of the secondary runway being laid on the other side of the river is higher than that of the existing runway. The level of the runway has been elevated as it is has to be laid at least oneand-a-half metres above the flood- level mark, which was charted during the 2005 rains.
So, “we have to close the runway for increasing its level to align it with that of the new portion,” an AAI official said.
Works will also have to be carried out on the 700-metre stretch of the existing secondary runway. A notam (notice to airmen) to this effect has been issued already, he added.
AAI has not announced the date of the closure, as it is still awaiting clearance from New Delhi.
Once the secondary runway is closed, the airport will not be able to allow landing and take-off of flights when the primary runway is also shut for maintenance and hence will have to be reschedule flights slightly.
The extension of the secondary runway is being carried out at a cost of Rs 430 crore. The runway works without the bridge will cost Rs 230 crore, while construction cost of the bridge is estimated to cost Rs 200 crore. KGL Constructions has bagged the contract to build the runway.
timeschennai@timesgroup.com

Post Sunday chaos, commuters want SMS alert on train status

V Ayyappan | TNN

Dec 15, 2009:
Chennai: The confusion during the 12-hour shutdown of Chennai Central railway station on Sunday has thrown up the need for a better system to inform the public about re-scheduling and cancellation of trains.
Despite the railways’ widespread publicity campaign, several passengers landed at the station. Many of them, especially those who had travelled from cities like Mumbai, Bangalore and other places, did not know that their trains were scheduled to start only from Tiruvallur, Arakkonam, and Avadi on Sunday. Some of them missed trains because they did not have the time to reach these stations from Central.
Some passengers suggested that the railway authorities emulate their counterparts in airlines and inform passengers by sending text messages (SMS) to mobile phones.
“The railways can inform passengers by sending bulk messages to mobiles. This is the best way of informing passengers coming from another city,” said P Rajasekharan, who had come to the Tiruvallur railway station to receive a relative arriving from Thiruvananthapuram.
Had such a system been in place, people like Pankaj Shah, who came from Mumbai with some of his relatives who were senior citizens, would not have had to rush from Chennai Central to Avadi by taxi to board Chennai-Tirupati Sapthagiri Express.
“I came from Mumbai by an early morning flight. I was surprised to see there were no trains at Central. Railway officials there guided me and I was bale to board the Tirupati train because I reached the city very early,” said Pankaj Shah.
Southern Railway officials are trying to learn from Sunday’s experience and are considering improving ways of informing passengers. A senior officer said “we can look into the possibility of informing passengers about the status by SMS. But it is not easy and cannot be implemented immediately because the number of passengers is too huge for such a system.”
“A 24-coach train can accommodate as many as 2,000 passengers. To implement the system, we have to record all phone numbers of travelling passengers into the reservation server and link it to another system,” he added. Another official said “these things may not be possible to do at a local level and will require a nod from the railway board. The Centre for Railway Information System, which already handles the integrated train enquiry system, could be ideal to implement it.”
Passengers now have to call enquiry for the status of their trains. But frequent travellers never do because punctuality of trains in the zone is very good.
ayyappan.v@timesgroup.com

CONFUSION RIFE: Many people were inconvenienced when the Chennai Central station was shut down on Sunday

Occupancy dips as trains chug out of suburbs

V Ayyappan | TNN

Dec 14, 2009:

Chennai: The complete shutdown of Chennai Central railway station on Sunday had its impact on the passenger occupancy of some of the trains that left from Arakkonam, Tiruvallur and Avadi. For several desperate passengers, the suburban services came as a god-send.
Southern Railway had shifted the departures and arrivals of trains to the Arakkonam, Tiruvallur, Avadi, Perambur and Egmore stations as Central had to be closed from 9 am to 9.40 pm to facilitate platform extension work.
Trains that left from Tiruvallur and Arakkonam had only 80% occupancy, though several suburban trains were operated from the Beach railway station. While some passengers stayed away from travelling others could not make it to these stations in time.
However, senior railway officials said the occupancy varied from train to train. The Chennai-Thiruvananthapuram Express and the Chennai-Hubli Express that departed from Tiruvallur registered 100% occupancy while the West Coast Express to Mangalore that was operated from Arakkonam had 80% occupancy. The Sapthagiri Express to Tirupati left from the Avadi station with just 60% of its passenger component.
The suburban trains operated from the Beach station as well as the connecting services to Arakkonam and Tiruvallur proved a blessing for several passengers, especially the pilgrims to the Sabarimala shrine in Kerala.
The railway officials even stopped the Chennai-Thiruvananthapuram Express that started from Egmore at Tiruvallur to accommodate five passengers who had missed another Thiruvananthapuram Express that left Tiruvallur station at 4.30 pm.
There were some minor glitches. Passengers suffered at the Tiruvallur station because of the lack of porters and also due to the paucity of food and beverage stalls. Shiva, the lone licensed porter at the station, was overworked as he rushed to serve passengers. “I have never seen the station so crowded. I made more than Rs 500 today as against the Rs 100 on other days,” he said.
ayyappan.v@timesgroup.com

When Central stn shuts down on Sunday, don’t count on MTC, rly

V Ayyappan | TNn

Dec 11, 2009:

Chennai: Passengers who have booked on trains that start from Tiruvallur or Arakkonam instead of Chennai Central on Sunday could have a tough time as neither the Southern Railway nor Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) has so far made arrangement to help them reach these stations that are over 40 km away.
Central will be shutdown from 9am to 9.40pm on Sunday for work to extend some of the platforms. Fourteen train departures and 12 arrivals have been shifted to other railway stations. A majority of the trains have been diverted to Egmore. But passengers bound for Mangalore, Hubli, Tirupati and Thiruvananthapuram may have to make their own arrangements to reach Tiruvallur or Arakkonam to board trains.
While buses may be arranged to bring passengers who arrive at Tiruvallur or Arakkonam to the city, there will not be any exclusive bus service for departing passengers from Chennai Central to other railway stations.
The railways will operate EMU services once an hour from Chennai Beach railway station to Arakkonam, Tiruvallur and Gummidipoondi because there will be no suburban service from Central on Sunday.
Passengers feel that suburban train services may not be reliable to reach Tiruvallur or Arakkonam as the trains may not reach the destinations on time. The railways has approached MTC to arrange buses to meet passenger demands.
MTC is planning to increase services from places like Perambur, Broadway and Avadi to various destinations. “We will ensure that adequate services are operated from Egmore to Perambur, Avadi and other places,” said an MTC official. He added: “We have asked depot managers and area officers to be present on Sunday to ensure that passengers are not affected due to the shut-down.” Depending upon the crowd and the demand from railways, we will operate more services, he added.
However, passengers are not too happy with the arrangements. “MTC should operate special buses to take passengers from Chennai Central to other railway stations because regular buses may be crowded with Sunday travellers,” said KS Gopalakrishnan, a former member of Divisional Railway Users Consultative Committee. Meanwhile, many passengers have cancelled tickets or postponed travel plans to avoid going to Tiruvallur and Arakkonam.
Divisional railway manager SK Kulshrestha said: “Arriving and departing passengers can use the EMU services in the Beach-Arakkonam sector. We have also requested MTC to operate buses.”
A senior railway official said, “Instructions have been given to railway authorities to make non-stop announcements about the rescheduling and diversions on Sunday.”

FOR SAFETY AND COMFORT

Now, steel undercarriage for Southern Railway coaches

V Ayyappan | TNN

Dec 9, 2009:

Chennai: To prevent corrosion and also to enhance passenger safety, the Loco Works in Perambur will install a stainless steel undercarriage on all existing coaches as and when they come for mid-life overhaul.
Though the Integral Coach Factory in Perambur has begun manufacturing the undercarriage (‘trough floor’ in railway parlance) using stainless steel, a majority of coaches continue to have an iron undercarriage.
The coaches are prone to corrosion because of water and waste discharge from toilets. The Loco Works conducts a periodic overhaul, which is basically patchwork; major components are not replaced. The Railway Board has now decided to allow a ‘mid-life’ overhaul of coaches, which comes 13 years after a coach has been used, and the installation of a stainless steel undercarriage. The life of a coach is 25 years, according to the board stipulation.
“We will install stainless steel trough floor on coaches that come for mid-life overhaul. Three coaches were fitted with these in January on an experimental basis,” said chief workshop manager, Loco Works, Nawal Kishor Toppo. He added: “We have written to the board stating that the stainless steel trough floor can be fixed on coaches that are taken up for mid-life overhaul. The workshop is also gearing up to handle such overhaul.”
“We change the trough floor, sole bar (beneath), head stock, toilets, berths and other equipment to ensure that the coach can be used without worrying about corrosion,” Toppo said.
Sources said that corrosion was a problem that affected the safety of coaches. Recently, a coach floor was found to have developed fissure because of corrosion. “The crack would have been dangerous if it had developed when the coach was running,” said an official.
“If the trough floor is made of stainless steel, such situations can be avoided and the life of the coach gets extended,” a senior railway official said.

Damaged fixtures on EMUs hassle suburban commuters

Poor Maintenance Compromises Safety, Say Passengers

V Ayyappan |TNN

Dec 4, 2009:

Chennai: The number of commuters travelling by suburban trains may be going up, but amenities inside coaches have not kept pace with the popularity of trains.
Poor maintenance in terms of repairing damaged fixtures inside coaches is hampering Southern Railway’s efforts to improve and provide modern amenities inside electrical multiple unit (EMU) trains that are operated in the three suburban sectors - Chennai-Tambaram-Chengalpet, Chennai-Arakonam and Chennai-Gummidipoondi.
Regular commuters complain that damaged fixtures and dirty coaches make travelling an unpleasant as well as unsafe experience. Though the railways recently introduced stainless steel coaches, many fixtures inside coaches such as the window grille, interior side-panel and handhold are damaged. The condition of some of the old coaches are very bad.
“The interiors of most of the trains are dirty. The handholds are worn out in almost all trains. The coaches of EMU trains that are operated in the Arakonam and Gummidipoondi sectors are in bad condition; the trains in the Tambaram sector are better off,” says P Loganathan, a commuter.
Most commuters are appalled at the poor maintenance and lack of cleanliness on trains. Says Sadagopan, a commuter: “The window grille of a coach of the Chennai-Tiruvallur EMU that departed from the Moore Market Complex (MMC) recently at 9.40pm was damaged. There was no grille and the broken portion was protruding. A commuter was dozing by the window seat. We had to wake him up to prevent him getting injured.”
“I have never seen workers cleaning the trains though I have been using the service daily the past five years,” said C Raman.
A senior railway official said that suburban trains were maintained at the Avadi and Tambaram yards. Trains are checked to find if they are fit for operation. But damaged fixtures were repaired only when the trains are sent for periodic overhaul. The Integral Coach Factory (ICF), currently manufacturing coaches for the Mumbai suburban network, has perfected a design based on commuter feedback. The design would be incorporated in coaches of other EMUs too, an ICF official said.
Everyday, Southern Railway operates around 232 services in the Arakonam-Tiruvallur sector and 82 services in the Gummidipoondi sector.
ayyappan.v@timesgroup.com

Central to shutdown on Dec 13

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Dec 2:

Chennai: In an unprecedented move, the Chennai Central railway station will be shut down for more than 12 hours — from 9 am to 9.40 pm — on December 13 to help carry out work on extending three platforms to accomodate 24-coach trains.
As there will also be signalling and track works, there will be no suburban services from Madras Moore Market Complex on the day. Skeletal services will be operated from Chennai Beach.
A few arrivals and departures will be diverted or re-scheduled at Central on December 3, 8 and 10 for the same works because platforms three, four and five, being extended, cannot be used during the day. Trains will be operated from other platforms on these days.
Divisional Railway Manager S K Kulshrestha said, “Departures and arrivals have been scattered to Perambur, Tiruvallur, Avadi and Egmore to prevent disruption of services on December 13. We will be working on the platforms on four days. But, maximum work will have to be carried out on December 13. Services will become normal from December 14 onwards. The works costs Rs 1.2 crore.”
The Railways would ask the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) to arrange buses from the stations for the passengers to come into the city on December 13, he added.
Chennai-Arakkonam passenger trains will be cancelled on the four days while the Trivandrum-Chennai-Trivandrum Express (2696/2695) will be operated from Egmore. The Jaipur-Chennai-Jaipur Express (2968/2967) will be operated from Egmore on December 8.
Kulshrestha said the platforms at Arakkonam and Maduranthakam stations would be extended soon.
RIGHT ON TRACK

• Trains to Central to be regulated as crossover tracks and signals need to be moved when platforms 3, 4 and 5 are extended

• Passengers can contact helpline nos—(044)2901 5209 and 29015210 or check www.southernrailway.org for more details