Mamata starts non-stop, long-distance trains

September 18th, 2009 KOLKATA - Fulfilling a budget promise, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee Friday flagged off the Duronto Express - a non-stop train that will cover the 1,454 km distance between Sealdah in West Bengal and New Delhi 90 minutes quicker than the Rajdhani. While the Rajdhani Express completes the journey in 18 hours, Duronto takes only 16 hours and 30 minutes.

September 18th, 2009 KOLKATA - A new superfast train service was launched in India Friday that promises to cut travelling time between New Delhi and Kolkata by 90 minutes without any stops on the way. Flagged off by Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, the the splashily painted Duronto - speedy in Bengali - Express will cover the 1,454 km distance between Sealdah station in Kolkata and New Delhi 90 minutes quicker than the present inter-city Rajdhani Express.

September 7th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee will flag off two non-stop Duronto Sewa trains before the Durga Puja festival begins Sep 25. "Indian Railways will be starting at least two Duronto Sewa trains, from New Delhi to Sealdah and New Delhi to Chennai," a senior ministry official said.

August 5th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee Wednesday flagged off the the first "Ladies Special" train here for women commuters from Delhi to Palwal in Haryana and said the service would be extended to other nearby cities Sonepat, Aligarh and Ghaziabad soon. "More 'Ladies Special' trains will be provided in the other suburban areas like Sonepat, Aligarh and Ghaziabad," Banerjee said.

July 10th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Indian Railways has over 1.7 lakh vacancies for various grades, which will be filled in after reviving the existing recruitment process, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee informed the Rajya Sabha today. Replying to a question, Banerjee said the review of the Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) would also examine regional aspirations and problems raised during the railway recruitment process in Maharashtra, Assam, and Karnataka.

July 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Indian Railways will introduce several new facilities on the trains to improve the cleanliness in trains and also to make the journey more comfortable for the passengers. Presenting the Railway Budget 2009-10 in the Lok Sabha today, the Union Railway Minister, Mamata Banerjee said that the Indian Railways will expand 'On Board House Keeping Scheme' (OBHS) to cover 200 additional pairs of trains during the current financial year." "It will take up improved linen management to bring about a significantly improved quality of washing, through modern mechanized automated laundries," she added.

July 3rd, 2009 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - Kerala got a fair share of the budgetary proposals of Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee tabled in parliament Friday. The small southern state which had long complained of being "neglected" by successive railways ministers got eight new trains, two new railway lines and a railway medical college.

July 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Following are the highlights of the rail budget for the current fiscal presented by Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee in the Lok Sabha Friday: - No increase in passenger, freight fares - Rs.1,102 crore allocated towards improving passenger amenities - Kolkata metro to be extended - Rs.50 billion increase in budgetary support in 2009-10 - Freight target for 2009-10 set at 882 million tonnes - Target set in interim budget unrealistic - Freight cargo increased 5 percent in 2008-09 - One doctor to be posted on each long distance train - Rs.25 monthly pass for unorganised sector employees with income below Rs.1,500 for travel up to 100 km - New "Yuva" fully air-conditioned train for youth - Yuva fares Rs.299 up to a distance of 1,500 km and Rs.399 up to 2,500 km - Student concession to be extended to madarssa students - Student concession of 60 percent on Kolkata Metro - Introduction of trains for women during peak seasons - 12 non-stop trains - New train information system to be started in Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi - 50 mobile rail ticket vans to be introduced - ATMs on 200 mid and small-sized stations - Integrated security scheme for 140 vulnerable stations - Setting up of a 1,000 MW power plant - Special recruitment drive for the physically challenged, minorities - Committee under Sam Pitroda to commercialise railways' optic fibre network - Private operation of freight terminals to be encouraged - New factory in West Bengal for making 500 state-of-the-art coaches annually - "Janta khana" (peoples' food) to be provided at railway stations - Railways will not be guided by economic viability, but by social commitment - Seven nursing colleges to provide employment to railway spouses - Medical colleges proposed to be opened through public-private partnership model - Cold storages and cargo facilities to eliminate wastage of perishables - 50 world class stations to be developed on public-private partnership model - 309 out of 375 stations will be developed with modern facilities - 50 stations at tourist, religious places to have integrated facilities - Infotainment facilities on Rajdhani Express for long distance passengers - Unreserved ticketing systems to be expanded from 5,000 to 8,000 terminals - Passengers can buy unreserved tickets at 5,000 post offices - Air-conditioned double-decker trains for inter-city travel - SMS updates for wait-listed passengers - 200 automatic vending machines at key stations for selling tickets - Discount for press correspondents increased from 30 to 50 percent - Discount of 60 percent on fare if press correspondents travel with spouse

July 3rd, 2009 MUMBAI - Many Mumbaikars Wednesday said they felt let down by Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee's 2009-10 budget as she made no mention of this financial capital's lifeline - the suburban trains. "It is shocking that there is not even a mention of the Mumbai suburban section, which has been a profitable unit independently over the past so many years," said daily commuter Mangesh Sawant.

July 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Following are the highlights of the rail budget for the current fiscal presented by Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee in the Lok Sabha Friday: - Rs.25 pass for unorganised sector employees of income below Rs.1,500 up to 100 km - New "Yuva" fully air-conditioned train for youth - Yuva fares Rs.299 up to a distance of 1,500 km and Rs.399 up to 2,500 km - Student concession to be extended to madarssa students - Student concession of 60 percent on Kolkata Metro - Introduction of trains for women during peak seasons - 12 non-stop trains - New train information system to be started in Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi - 50 mobile rail ticket vans to be introduced - ATMs on 200 mid- and small-sized stations - Integrated security scheme for 140 vulnerable stations - Setting up of a 1,000 MW power plant - Special recruitment drive for the physically challenged, minorities - Committee under Sam Pitroda to commercialise railways' optic fibre network - Private operation of freight terminals to be encouraged - One doctor to be posted on each long distance train - New factory in West Bengal for making 500 state-of-the-art coaches annually - "Janta khana" (peoples' food) to be provided at railway stations - Railways will not be guided by economic viability, but by social commitment - Seven nursing colleges to provide employment to railway spouses - Medical colleges proposed to be opened through public-private partnership model - Cold storages and cargo facilities to eliminate wastage of perishables - 50 world class stations to be developed on public-private partnership model - 309 out of 375 stations will be developed with modern facilities - 50 stations at tourist, religious places to have integrated facilities - Infotainment facilities on Rajdhani Express for long distance passengers - Unreserved ticketing systems to be expanded from 5,000 to 8,000 terminals - Passengers can buy unreserved tickets at 5,000 post offices - Air-conditioned double-decker trains for inter-city travel - SMS updates for wait-listed passengers - 200 automatic vending machines at key stations for selling tickets - Discount for press correspondents increased from 30 to 50 percent - Discount of 60 percent on fare if press correspondents travel with spouse

July 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - It has been dubbed a populist budget by critics but the rail budget presented Friday by Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee has enough goodies targeted at the ordinary rail traveller: - No increase in fares - New 'izzat' scheme for poor to travel up to 100 km for Rs.25 - Low-cost, air-conditioned 'yuva trains' for youth at Rs.299-Rs.399 - New scheme for good quality food at affordable prices - Special Trains to ferry perishable farm produce, rural craft - Promise of clean toilets, potable water at stations, trains - Tatkal scheme made more passenger-friendly, service charge cut to Rs.100 - New scheme for poor passengers to travel with 'dignity' - A doctor at your service in every long-distance train - 50 stations to be upgraded into world class facilities - 12 new non-stop trains between key stations

June 24th, 2009 RAIPUR - Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh has written to Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, listing the state's demands, including that of four new trains and five new railway lines, to be incorporated in this year's rail budget, an official said Wednesday. "Since the railway budget is schedule to be presented July 3, Raman Singh has sent a letter to the railway minister listing out Chhattisgarh's demands," the official told IANS.

June 23rd, 2009 KOLKATA - Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee has imposed restrictions on foreign tours by officials of her ministry. "It is not possible to stop foreign tours when transfer of technology is required, but we will try to restrict tours for other purposes," Banerjee told reporters after an official function here.

June 14th, 2009 HOWRAH - The Indian Railways will run 66 pairs of special trains carrying pilgrims to Puri in Orissa for the June 24 Rathyatra festival, railways minister Mamata Banerjee said here Sunday. The railways will also run special trains between Sealdah in Kolkata and Rajasthan's Ajmer Sharif, which houses the mausoleum of sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti, on June 25 and June 26 for the celebration of the Urs or annual pilgrimage.

February 3rd, 2009 MUMBAI - Trains in Mumbai resumed following hours of disruption Wednesday morning after some protesting commuters demanding better services blocked suburban railway traffic on the western sector causing inconvenience to hundreds of thousands of daily travellers. Several trains were either delayed or cancelled during the almost five hours of blockade, according to a Western Railway spokesperson.