Railway committees

 

Railway Committees

Event	Year	Committee (recommended by)
Railway Board established	1905	Sir Thomson Robertson Committee
Railway Department established	1908	Railway Finance Committee
FC - Financial Commissioner appointment	1923	Sir Acworth Committee
Separation of Railway finances from General Finances or Railway Budget from General Budget	1924	Sir Acworth Committee
Brought Railway Accounts under the control of GM (instead of FC)	1941	Indian Railway Enquiry Committee (commonly known as  Wedgewood Committee)

Super Vasuki - India's Longest Freight Train

 Super Vasuki  - India's Longest Freight Train

• Named as “Super Vasuki”  - runs on 15th August, 2022 (75th Independence Day Anniversary) 

 

• As per mythology, Vasuki is famous for coiling around Shiva's neck, who blessed and wore him as an ornament. Vasuki took part in the incident of Samudra Manthana by allowing both the devas and the asuras to bind him to Mount Mandara, so that they could use him as their churning rope to extract the amrita from the ocean of milk.

 

•  By amalgamating Five rakes of freight trains as One Unit 

 

• Length of the Train - 3.5 KMs 

 

• Operated by SECR - South Eastern Central Railways, which is the most profitable Zonal Railway in IR.  

 

• Covered the distance of 224 KMs between Bhilai and Korba in 11 Hours.  

 

•  6 Locomotives and 295 Wagons - 25,962 Tonnes of Coal carried 

 

• One Loco Pilot, One Assistant Loco Pilot and One Train Manager (Guard)  

• Using the Latest technology i.e., DPCS - Distributed Power Control System. That is the leading (front) diesel loco (engine) controlled the entire train along with the simultaneous functioning of the rear loco through electronic transmission while running on the rail network.

Earlier Records 

• Super Anaconda - 2 KMs long - 3 Locomotives -177 Loaded Wagons 

 

• Shesh-Naag  - 251 empty wagons - 2.8 KMs long - 4 Locomotives -260 Kms from Nagpur to Korba

 

Material for MCQ

1. India’s Longest freight train so far (as on 15.08.2022)  - Super Vasuki 

2. Super Vasuki - runs by SECR 

3. DPCS stands for Distributed Power Control System 

• End  - 

Bharat Gaurav Tourist Trains - Desh Apna Dekho

 

Bharat Gaurav Tourist Trains

• An initiative under “Dekho Apna Desh” to promote domestic tourism

• Policy from 01.04.2022

• Theme-based tourist circuit Trains

• To showcase India’s rich cultural heritage and magnificent historical places to the People of India and the World.  

• At present, IRCTC is already running several tourist circuit trains on Railways.

• Now, Railways Invited professional private tour operators to run the above trains 

• Themes like Ramayana - covering places connected with Lord Shri Ram, Guru Kripa - Cover important places of Sikh culture, etc.  

•  The first phase - Allocated 180 Trains with 3033 coaches like Vande Bharat, Vista Dome, and LHB Coaches. 

Salient features: 

• Private Tourist service provider - free to decide the theme

• Offer all-inclusive package including travel, accommodation, sightseeing arrangement, tour guides, etc. 

• Full flexibility to decide package cost based on the services provided by them. 

• Choice of Coaches like AC and Non AC and Accommodation like  Luxury, Budget, etc. 

• Free to design/furnish interior and exterior of Coaches. 

• Branding and advertisement are permitted both inside and outside of the Train. 

• Train composition - 14 to 20 Coaches 

Process of selecting Tour operators:

• Online registration 

• Registration fees - Rs. One Lakh. 

• Security Deposit - Rs 1 (one) Crore per rake.

• Individual, Partnership Firm, Company, Society, trust, JV/Consortium (Unincorporated/Incorporated) are eligible.

• Right to Use charges and Haulage charges are notified in the policy for Service Provider to work out his business model.

• Right to Use Period: 2-10 years.

First / Maiden Bharat Gaurav Train 

• Between Coimbatore to Sai Nagar Shirdi round trip with tourist places of Mantralayam  on 14.06.2022

• 5 days trip

• Southern Railway gets an annual fixed revenue of Rs. 3.34 Crores.

• Registered Service provider - South Star Rail, Coimbatore-based part of the conglomerate group - Future Gaming & Hotel Services Pvt Ltd. 

• Security Deposit - Rs. 1 Crore per 20 coaches rake, Annual right to use charges - Rs. 27.79 Lakhs and Quarterly Fixed haulage charges - Rs. 76.77 lakhs  

• Variable haulage charge of Rs.38.22 Lakhs (excl: GST) for 5 days trip 

• 1100 tourists traveled

• Composition : First AC Coach -1, 2-tier AC coaches – 3, 3-tier AC coaches-8, Sleeper Class coaches-5 , Pantry car-1 and Luggage-cum-brake Vans-2. (Total – 20 coaches)

•  All coaches - refurbished the interiors

• Public Address system - provided for all coaches - for regular communication, playing devotional songs and mantras 

• Doctor on board to attend any emergency

• Private security in Train

• On board AC Mechanic and electrician 

• Maintained by branded housekeeping service providers 

• Catering facility - traditional vegetarian menus

• Radio jockey to entertain the passengers during the journey.  

Shri Ramayana Yatra

•  18 days trip - started from New Delhi on 21st June 2022 

• Operated by IRCTC as Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train

• Cover approximately 8,000 KMs

• IRCTC is the first Indian agency to connect India and Nepal through a tourist train. 

•  Covers Janakpur (Nepal), Ayodhya, Janakpur, Buxar, Kashi, Sitamarhi, Chitrakoot, Prayagraj, Hampi, Nasik, Kanchipuram, Rameshwaram, and Bhadrachalam. 

• The capacity of 600 tourists. 

• AC 3 Tier Coaches

• Single occupance - Rs. 71,820, Double occupancy - Rs. 62,370, Child with bed (5-11 years group) - Rs. 56,700 (Ticket is uniform irrespective of boarding point) 

• All-inclusive package of Travel, Food, Accommodation, Guide, etc

• Boarding points: Aligarh, Kanpur, Tundla & Lucknow 

 Key Takeaways for MCQ

1. Branded as Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train

2. Initiative under “Dekho Apna Desh”

3. Policy w.e.f:  01.04.2022

4. First / Maiden Bharat Gaurav Train - Coimbatore to Sai Nagar Shirdi

5. First Registered Service provider under Bharat Gaurav Scheme - South India Star, Coimbatore-based firm

6. Right to use period - 2 to 10 years

7. Online Registration fees - Rs.1 Lakh

8. Security Deposit for each Rake - Rs. 1 Crore

9. Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train between India and Nepal  - Operated by IRCTC

****

DEMU - Diesel Electric Multiple Unit

 DEMU - Diesel Electric Multiple Unit

• DEMU stands for Diesel Electric Multiple Unit

 

• A Multiple unit Train 

 

•  Powered by onboard Diesel Engines  

 

•  A diesel engine drives an electrical generator/alternator which produces electrical energy. The generated current is then fed to electric traction motors on the wheels or bogies in the same way as a conventional diesel-electric locomotive.

Advantages: 

 

1. No need for a separate locomotive as the same is incorporated in one of the carriages. 

2. Each passenger-carrying car  - Its own source of motive power fitted below the Coach. 

 

3. Does not need reversal at both ends (Terminals).  This will reduce a lot of traveling time by eliminating shunting operations.  

 

4. Quick acceleration & deacceleration render them most suitable for short-distance passenger trains.  

 

******

Did you know ?

Previous	Now
Railway Branch	Railway Board
Public Works Dept	Railway Dept
Secretary, Railway Branch	Chairman & CEO, Railway Board
Dy.Secretary – Accounts	Member (Finance) - MF
Dy. Secretary – Traffic	Member (O&BD - Operations & Business Development) - M/O&BD
Dy. Secretary – Construction	Surrendered now.  (Previously it was Member - Engineering)
Circle	Zonal Railway
Consulting Engineer	General Manager
Govt Examiner of Accounts	PFA – Principal Financial Advisor

·         Initially (i.e., Before 1905) regulation and control of Government Railways was exercised by the Railway Branch of the Public Works Department (PWD) of Government of India. 

·         Till 1905 (the year Railway Board was established), the Railway Branch was headed by The Secretary and 3 Deputy Secretaries (Traffic, Accounts & Construction) – like The Chairman, FC & Members as in current Railway Board set up.

·         The entire Railway system was divided into seven circles  (like present Zonal Railways )

·         One Consulting Engineer and one Government Examiner of Accounts were posted to each of these seven circles. (like General Manager and PFA-Principal Financial Adviser)

·         The accounting and auditing functions of the Railway Branch were combined and looked after  by The Accountant  General, Public Works Department.

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Green Railways - REMCL

·        

·        ·         Indian Railways  vision is to become Green Railways

·         Click for REMCLCorporate Website

·         Stands for Railway Energy Management Company Limited.

·         Established in 2013 year (under the Companies Act, 1956)

·         as a joint venture (JV) company Indian Railways (49%) and RITES ltd ( 51 %)

·         Object : Tap the business potential in the energy sector.

·         Renewable Power projects in Solar and Wind sectors

·         Hqrs - Gurgaon, (New Delhi)

·         2018-19 Financials

1.       Profit  - Rs. 49.46 Crores

2.       Turnover - Rs. 83.03 Crores

3.       Share Capital - Rs. 70 Crores

·          Solar Power Projects: 1000 MW of solar roof top & ground mounted power plants to harness the untapped potential of roof-top spaces on Railways buildings, stations, hospitals etc. and vacant Railways land lying with different ZR.

BINA Plant  - Record break - First of its kind project in the World

·         1.7 MW Solar Plant - TSS - Traction Sub Station at Bina, Madhya Pradesh.

·         A CSR project (Corporate Social Responsibility) of BHEL - Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited

·         Connected directly to Overhead Traction system for running of Trains - First time in the World

·         Innovative technology for converting DC - Direct Current to single phase AC - Alternating Current for feeding directly to Railway's Overhead traction system.

·         It can produce approx. 25 lakh units of energy annually and savings to IR exchequer for Rs. 1.37 Crores every year.  

Indian Railways & Solar power

·          Indian Railways - Going to transform itself as "Net Zero" Carbon Emission Mass Transportation Network - by 2030 year.

·          Planning Solar projects on un utilized Railway land on mega scale.

·         IR wants to become a Green mode of Transportation - by meeting its entire traction power requirements

·           Here after RE Projects means, not only Railway Electrification Projects, but also Renewable Energy Projects.

·         Land based Solar Power Plants - Planned by REMCL

1.       50 MW Solar power plant - Bhilai

2.       2 MW Solar power plant - Diwana (Haryana)

·         1 GW solar plants - Planning installation of solar projects along operational Railway Track to enable to injection of solar power into traction network directly - innovative concept. 

·         Already REMCL floated Tenders for 2 GW of Solar projects on unutilized Railway lands.

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