SMS feedback a hit, keeps railway officials busy

SMS feedback a hit, keeps railway officials busy

Mumbai:

The feedback-through-SMS launched by the Western Railway (WR) and the Central Railway (CR), has received an encouraging response.

The service that enables commuters to give direct feedback on railway services, has been introduced for the first time by the railways anywhere in India.

According to sources, the CR received about 4,000 SMS since it started the service on April 17 this year, while WR got as many as 3,500 SMS since the start of the feedback system on May 8. The general mangers of both WR and CR deal directly with the system and feasible SMSes are forwarded to the concerned departments.

The WR and CR have already acted on some of the complaints/suggestions SMSed to them. Recently, the repair work at CST’s platform number-1 was stopped by the CR after it received an SMS by a commuter complaining against the needless change of the flooring at the platform. The complainant wrote that the floor was fine and there was no need to renovate it. So, after repairing the broken portions, the work was stopped immediately.

Action from railway Board Required.

Article Source:http://www.indianexpress.com/news/sms-feedback-a-hit-keeps-railway-officials-busy/479943/

Railway ministry to increase prices, withdraws 10% rebate

Railway ministry to increase prices, withdraws 10% rebate

Industry says this move will see container cargo switch to road transport

Mumbai / Bangalore: Beginning July, the cost of moving cargo in steel containers by rail within the country will rise following the railway ministry’s decision to withdraw a 10% rebate on domestic movement of containers in the weight category of at least 20 tonnes.

Rising expenses: Container train operators have to pay rail haulage charges to the Indian Railways for using its track, signalling and telecommunications infrastructure. Ramesh Pathania / Mint

The rebate had been granted to the 16 licensed container train operators in the country since 1 November.

Executives from companies that operate container trains that Mint spoke with confirmed receiving the ministry notification.

Container train operators have to pay rail haulage charges to the Indian Railways for using its track, signalling and telecommunications infrastructure. Such charges typically account for about 80-85% of the operational expenses of such companies.

Container train operators say that they will have to pass on the higher haulage charges to the customer. “We don’t have any alternative but to pass it on to our customers,” said Sachin Bhanushali, president, Gateway Rail Freight Ltd, the container train operating unit of Mumbai-listed logistics firm Gateway Distriparks Ltd. “The increased haulage charges will have to be absorbed by the ultimate end-use customers.”

Analysts said the move will only benefit the road transport sector. “As a result of this development, one will see container cargo switch to road transport from rail,” said Mahantesh Sabarad, senior analyst at Centrum Broking Pvt. Ltd. He said with the overall container movement via roads going up, it will give the road freight companies an upper hand in respect to pricing and road freight rates could go up. However, he added, the impact will be confined to container movement and freight rates for general goods will remain unchanged in the short term.

Road transporters are less enthused. Charan Singh Lohara, president of All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC), the apex body for the transporters, said the move is unlikely to have a significant impact on the road transport sector. “Despite the withdrawal of 10% rebate, railway freight will continue to be more competitive vis-à-vis roadways by at least 20-25%,” he said.

The rebate to container train operators was initially given till December and was extended once till March and then till June, after operators petitioned the ministry of railways for a complete rollback of the 5-16% hike in rail haulage charges in some weight categories from 1 August. The discount was not applicable to movement of export-import containers of all weight categories.

Meanwhile, the Association of Container Train Operators (Acto), a body representing the 16 licensed train operators, has started lobbying the ministry to continue with the rebate. “The increase in haulage charges will defeat the objective of converting road cargo to rail cargo as containerized rail costs are higher than that of road costs,” said R.C. Dubey, president, Acto.

The railways has a 30-35% share of the total Indian freight transport system by volume compared with 65-70% of road transport. “We are trying to convince the ministry of railways to continue with the rebate,” said Bhanushali of Gateway Rail Freight.

Container rail freight services were privatized in India in 2007 through a policy that effectively ended the monopoly of the state-owned rail hauler of containers, the Container Corp. of India Ltd (Concor). Since then, the government has given rights to operate container trains on various routes to 13 private operators and three state-owned companies—Concor, CWC Ltd and Krishak Bharati Co-operative Ltd. The private container train operators say that a stable price regime is necessary to ensure the success of a policy that was aimed at breaking the monopoly of Concor, introduce competition, reduce rates and attract container traffic from road to rail.

An analyst with a Mumbai-based consultancy firm, who did not want to be named, said that the current pricing structure does not enable these companies to compete with road as additional cost to the operator raises costs to the customer, making it difficult to move container traffic from road to rail.

shally.s@livemint.com

Thumbs Down Action from railway Board.
Article Source:http://www.livemint.com/2009/06/23000844/Railway-ministry-to-increase-p.html?h=B

Railways to set up own power plants

Railways to set up own power plants

PATNA: The railways has taken a decision to set up its own power plants with the help of private sector to meet its increasing needs of energy

across the country. Instead of relying on the state government for uninterrupted power supply, the railways would prefer to invest in setting up power stations to run passenger and goods trains smoothly.

According to a Railway Board official, a recent survey carried out by the railways has revealed that the power consumption of the railways is likely to increase by 66 per cent (approximately 20 billion units) annually by the end of the 12th Plan in 2017. It would need to develop its own resources to meet its increasing power demand, he said.

The railways is currently utilising 12 billion units of power annually. In fact, its power consumption has been growing at an average of five per cent every year. The railways has been buying power from the Bihar State Electricity Board at an average of Rs 4.29 a unit for running locomotives and Rs 4.37 per unit for other purposes, a board official said.

According to sources, the proposed dedicated freight corridor and various other new electrification plans would force the railways to buy more power from the state electricity boards to run both passenger and goods trains more smoothly. While the railways is paying high tariff of Rs 5 plus for buying power for domestic supply (power supply to railway colonies) from state electricity boards, it could save almost half the amount if it goes in for a joint venture to set up power generation plant, sources said.

A board official admitted that the Planning Commission had recently asked the railways to revive its old power stations and set up new ones with the help of NTPC to generate more power to ensure run of passenger and goods trains effectively. The Nabinagar plant in Bihar is likely to prove a boon for the railways in future, he said, adding the railways is in need of more such power projects.

According to sources, the railways is currently running both passenger and goods trains with the help of diesel and electric locomotives across the country. Since electric locomotive is more eco-friendly and cheap compared to diesel locomotives, the railways is relying more on electric locomotives. Besides, an electric locomotive has more hauling capacity as well, sources said.

In East Central Railway (ECR), the railways has been paying crores to the state government for purchasing power to run electric hauled passenger and goods trains, an ECR official said.

Action from railway Board Required.
Article Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Railways-to-set-up-own-power-plants/articleshow/4688780.cms

Now rice-fish curry, veg biryani combos at railway stations

Now rice-fish curry, veg biryani combos at railway stations

New Delhi (PTI): Train passengers may soon relish a rice-fish curry thali or vegetable biryani at major stations with the Railways mulling to introduce combo meals as part of its drive to make available quality food at affordable prices.

Termed 'combo meals', food items like rice and fish curry, 'chhole bhature', vegetable biryani and paratha omlette are being finalised to be made available at dedicated stalls in major stations.

"The prices have been tentatively fixed at Rs 20 per plate," said a source in the Railway ministry, adding a final decision on the rates will be taken shortly.

Railways is flooded with complaints about the absence of affordable food at railway premises besides poor quality of the food available in trains and stations.

There will be dedicated stalls bearing signboards displaying food items and tariff prominently at platforms for passengers, sources said.

Meanwhile, IRCTC has submitted a proposal to the Railway Board to change the catering policy.

The proposed new railway catering policy aims at attracting branded players like Haldiram, Bikanerwala, Nirula's and others to participate in bidding for railway catering contracts.

The current policy does not favour branded players to participate in the bidding for railway catering job.

Unless the policy is changed, no branded players would be interested in railway catering, sources in the ministry said.

There are about 30 contractors involved in railway catering service for the last 20 years.

The proposed policy envisages the bidders to have quality control system, regular staff, computer accounting system, a minimum number of outlets in cities and a website among other conditions.

Railways has already decided to serve 'poori sabzi' as 'janata meal' at Rs 10 a packet at different stations.

Action from railway Board Required.
Article Source:http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200906231032.htm

PSUs doing well, no need for disinvestment: Trade unions

PSUs doing well, no need for disinvestment: Trade unions

NEW DELHI: As the Manmohan Singh-led government contemplates announcement of stake sale in PSUs, which could come as early as the forthcoming

budget, the trade unions are again up in arms against disinvestment. With Left off its back, the government clearly wants to go full throttle on disinvestment and the PM himself has hinted that the process might be initiated as early as the budget in July.

According to these trade unions, however, disinvestment is unwarranted as overall performance of the PSUs has not just significantly improved, but they are also left with enough reserve and surplus to meet any resource crunch or social sector spending.

According to the government's latest public enterprise survey report, which takes into account all of the over 200 PSUs in the country, the reserve and surplus went up from Rs 416,601 crore in 2006-07 to Rs 485,577 crore in 2007-08.

While the reserve and surplus has gone up by over Rs 69,000 crore in a year, the profit of all profit making companies stood at Rs 91,062 crore as against Rs 89,578 crore in the previous year. The loss incurred by firms which are known as loss-making firms stood at Rs 11,332 crore as against Rs 8,457 crore in 2006-07.

"When there is a reserve and surplus of over Rs 69,000 crore in just a year, what does the government hope to achieve by selling stakes to raise Rs 30,000 crore or maybe Rs 40,000 crore. While the NDA tried outright privatisation and lost its government in the process, Congress is trying creeping privatisation which means even though they will first sell not more than 49% and gradually move towards complete privatisation," said former MP and Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) secretary Dipankar Mukherjee, adding that the PSU dividend for 2007-08 was Rs 28,000 crore.

"Going by the official figures, it's obvious that there is no resource crunch. There is an argument in the corporate sector that money is needed for social sectors like health and education. The fact remains that spending money on social sectors cannot be a one-time phenomenon. It is a continuous process and can't be covered just by selling stakes in PSUs," Mukherjee added.

The contribution of public sector companies to central exchequer by way of excise duty, customs duty, corporate tax and other duties went up from Rs 14,878 crore to Rs 165,994 crore last year.

The government is likely to pursue disinvestment aggressively as it, by and large, has popular sentiment in its favour. In states like Tamil Nadu and West Bengal though, it might run into resistance from powerful allies like Trinamool Congress and DMK who will face state elections in less than two years. The government will have to do some serious balancing act as it needs support to ensure safe passage of insurance and pension bills in Parliament.

Action from railway Board New Delhi Required.
Article Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Business/India-Business/PSUs-doing-well-no-need-for-disinvestment-Trade-unions/articleshow/4689977.cms