Goods Transport in Indian Railways - Inputs on Issues

Staff should be cooperative more  

Too much of red tape. Officials are not helpful and there is no correct rate chart to guide customers. Many a times unloading is done at another station and customers run here and there. System needs to be IT enabled with sms facility like we see in the case of passport etc. more  

Dear Sir,Pls Reply.WHEN WILL START BROAD GAUGE TRAIN FROM POLLACHI to PALAKKAD.  hough four months have gone since the long-awaited gauge conversion between Palakkad and Pollachi turned into a reality, the continuing delay in conducting mandatory safety inspection raises concern.According to Southern Railway sources, the mandatory final safety inspection should be conducted by experts from the Bengaluru office of the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation. It was in April last week that the railway authorities had handed over all necessary documents to the Civil Aviation Department. However, the department is yet to fix the schedule for conducting the inspection. Only after the safety inspection and certification by the Civil Aviation Department are completed, trains could chug along the route.‘‘As per the rules, the Civil Aviation Department has to inform us the date at least two weeks in advance. Nothing has happened so far. So we are not hopeful that resumption of train services will take place in August. Efforts are on to conduct the safety inspection at least by the end of the month,’’ said a senior railway official.Though a safety inspection was conducted on July 27 by an expert team led by Chief Administrative Officer K. Venkataswamy, officials said that alone would not help resume the services. Railway officials said almost all work on the gauge conversion was over and not even finishing touches were remaining. Of the 54-km stretch, 22 km are in Tamil Nadu. The rest of the stretch is in Kerala spreading between Meenkara dam and Palakkad Town railway station. Work on all the five stations, including Palakkad town station and loco shed at Vadakannikapuram, has been completed.“It was a long-drawn public agitation that prompted the Railways to complete the works at least now. The inordinate delay has caused a huge drain on the railways’ coffers apart from causing severe hardship to passengers,’’ said M.B. Rajesh, MP.The metre-gauge line between Pollachi and Palakkad was closed down in 2008 with an assurance that it would be reopened in 16 months as a broad gauge. The work had moved at a snail’s pace on the stretch flouting many deadlines set earlier. Metre-gauge lines linking Pollachi with Podanur in Coimbatore and Palani in Dindigul too have been closed for doubling.While work on the Palani-Pollachi route has already been completed and train services resumed, it is facing delay in the Pollachi-Podanur section owing to disputes over land acquisition. Railway officials now claim they would finish the works by next March. According to C. Murugan, president, Kollangode Railway Passengers Association, the line would help re-route trains from Tirunelveli to Mumbai and other locations on the Konkan route reducing the distance.Efforts are on to conduct the safety inspection at least by the end of the month Thanking you, Govindaraj.D, Proprietor, East West Shipping, 0091 9500085717, 0091 9840065717. more  

heavy luggage must be in priority basis be transported by rails. lorries may be allowed only in inaccessible places more  

Slower goods transport is a major issue. Unavailability of rakes should be addressed by inviting private players to sell wagons directly to the companies in need of those. Also, railways must promote vehicle transport rakes as there is huge potential for this business. more