Articles by Shashank Rao
Amid corruption inquiry, monorail top boss Murthy shunted by MMRDA
MMRDA’s independent internal inquiry and investigation comes close on the heels of the ongoing Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) probe into a case registered against Murthy for allegedly taking a bribe from a private contractor in 2021. Murthy, who joined MMRDA around 2016-17, is expected to retire soon
Updated on Oct 04, 2023 10:06 AM IST
Shashank RaoManish K Pathak
WR cracks down on ticketless travellers, collects ₹4.60L fine in eight hours
The TCs formed a human chain on the FOBs and asked for tickets from everyone passing by. We saw people putting it out on social media asking others to buy tickets at Dadar. We want to ensure that people travel with legal authorised tickets and so we shall continue such drives, said a WR official
Updated on Oct 02, 2023 07:20 AM IST
Frustrated by delay, Mangaluru Express passengers vent rage on railway property
A courier severely injured his hand in a fit of rage after his train was delayed for several hours at Nilje railway station in Thane. The delay was caused by a goods train derailment near Panvel station. Passengers of the stranded Mangaluru Express staged a protest, further disrupting rail services. The incident resulted in the vandalism of railway property. The courier, Rutik Ghadashi, suffered severe damage to his forearm and will not be able to use his hand for the next six months.
Updated on Oct 02, 2023 06:34 AM IST
Anamika Gharat/Shashank Rao
British-era Kalyan railway station set for a ₹900-crore makeover
Central Railway (CR) is planning to upgrade the 169-year-old Kalyan railway station in Mumbai, India with a long-distance train terminus and other facilities. The upgrade, estimated to cost ₹900 crore ($121m), will help segregate tracks for suburban local trains and express trains, improving punctuality and reducing inconvenience for passengers. The project is expected to be completed by 2025-26. The redevelopment will also include a railway office building, retail and commercial buildings, and a multi-level car parking.
Updated on Sep 30, 2023 09:20 AM IST
Shashank Rao, Mumbai
CR bans cooking food on railway platforms for safety purposes
The CR officials said they need to rethink the menu now which will avoid cooking food on the platforms. The food stalls at railway stations ensure that passengers commuting on the local trains get decent food at a reasonable rate
Updated on Sep 28, 2023 07:36 AM IST
Japanese firm inks 80-yr lease with MMRDA for BKC plots
This plot is close to Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed train and Metro rail stations. The group through its subsidiary Goisu Realty Pvt Ltd had bid successfully for two commercial plots C-69C and C-69D in G Block in October 2022
Updated on Sep 27, 2023 08:54 AM IST
Installation of high-speed rail line to be completed by October: CR
The leap in train speeds will save travel time and provide buffer space to add more services in the future, a CR official said, adding, “We are working on improving the condition of rail tracks and eliminating speed restrictions. Once this is complete by October end, it will benefit the train operations”
Updated on Sep 27, 2023 08:12 AM IST
Motormen threaten ‘burqa andolan’ against surveillance in motor cabs
The motormen on Central Railway have threatened a ‘burqa andolan’ later this week to protest the GPS-cum-CCTV based system installed inside motor cabs last week
Published on Sep 26, 2023 12:41 AM IST
Railways stops packaged food in Vande Bharat trains for six months
Senior railway officials said that a crucial element in the passenger feedback was the unwanted congestion inside the coaches because of vendors focused on selling additional a la carte dishes to passengers who had already ordered lunch or dinner
Published on Sep 24, 2023 12:57 AM IST
Motormen oppose new safety gadget, claim they can’t ‘focus’
According to sources in Central Railway (CR), the ADAS has multiple functions, such as in-built GPS to gauge the real-time location, front and back cameras to monitor motormen manoeuvring the train and the track on the front, video recording of the trip, among other technical benefits
Updated on Sep 23, 2023 01:00 AM IST
Sion bridge to be demolished to make way for two new rail lines
The Sion ROB, which passes over CR’s main line, is being demolished to make way for the fifth and sixth railway lines between Kurla and Dadar/Parel in order to segregate local train lines from long-distance ones
Updated on Sep 22, 2023 12:46 AM IST
Shashank RaoMegha Sood
BEST to replace electric meters with prepaid smart meters starting next month
According to BEST officials, the initial study on these smart meters has already been conducted, and Adani Electricity has been appointed as the contractor, after following the due process, they will also maintain it for 10 years
Updated on Sep 18, 2023 12:37 AM IST
Commuters fret as new Thane-Diva rail lines fail to address travel woes
The inauguration of two new railway lines between Thane and Diva stations in Mumbai has failed to ease travel for suburban rail commuters. Despite the potential to run up to 100 more local trains, only 36 new services have been introduced. Commuters are demanding that the railway authorities make better use of the new infrastructure. The delays in completing the project led to escalating costs, with ₹620 crore ($82.9 million) spent when it was ready in 2022. Railway officials have said there are no plans to add more suburban trains at present.
Updated on Sep 16, 2023 12:52 AM IST
Shashank Rao, Mumbai
Legacy of iconic non-AC double-deckers will remain
The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking will be putting up the bus on display either at their museum or depot.
Updated on Sep 16, 2023 12:13 AM IST
Now, separate queues for women at shared auto stands in Malad and Goregaon
This initiative was undertaken after complaints from women passengers about incidents like unscrupulous co-passengers, inappropriate touching during the journey, and discomfort when the driver seats more than three passengers, among other issues. The union members are discussing the possibility of having a single queue for a particular route
Published on Sep 15, 2023 01:03 AM IST
City to get 900 AC double-decker e-buses in 9 months
The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking in Mumbai is set to replace non-air conditioned double-decker buses with 900 AC double-decker e-buses over the next nine months. The buses will be operated from 12 out of the 27 bus depots and will have automatic entrances, CCTVs, and mobile charging facilities. The non-AC double-decker buses, modeled after London's iconic red buses, will be scrapped, but there are calls to preserve them in the BEST museum.
Updated on Sep 15, 2023 12:38 AM IST
Citizens drive down memory lane on old double decker bus
On Tuesday, to bid adieu the group boarded the bus from Agarkar Chowk, outside the Andheri East railway station for a nine-hour drive to CSMT. The special bus was booked by an NGO Jeevan Jyot Prathistan Sanstha for the citizens
Published on Sep 13, 2023 12:44 AM IST
Platform 2 at Dadar station to be shut down, platform 1 to be widened to control crowd: CR officials
At present, the length of platform 1 is 270 metres, and the width is 7 metres. “It has been decided to increase the width to 10.5 metres. The work will start from Friday and is expected to be complete in two months at a cost of ₹1 crore,” a CR official said, adding that the tracks, next to platform 2, will likely be removed to accommodate the widening works
Published on Sep 13, 2023 12:39 AM IST
CR to soon appoint clean up marshals to fine passengers for spitting, littering
The Central Railway in Mumbai is set to appoint clean-up marshals to fine passengers who spit and litter on trains and railway stations. The marshals will be appointed by private contractors, and will initially be stationed at important stations that require attention. The fine amount is yet to be decided, but will be in accordance with the law. There are concerns about the possibility of corruption, but the railway officials are confident that measures will be put in place to prevent such issues.
Updated on Sep 12, 2023 12:23 AM IST
Mumbai: Mega block to hit 37 train services on these lines till Oct 2
The block has been put in place to allow for construction work on the Dadri-JNPT western dedicated freight corridor.
Updated on Sep 12, 2023 12:23 AM IST
Keep doors open: BEST’s solution to defunct ACs in buses
Mumbai's Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) has instructed bus drivers to keep doors open if the air conditioning is not working. The move comes after repeated complaints from passengers about broken or malfunctioning ACs on buses. BEST has plans to acquire 900 AC electric double-decker buses and 4,500 AC single-decker buses on wet lease in the coming years.
Updated on Sep 10, 2023 12:23 AM IST
Charni Road station to get a swanky facelift ahead of Ganpati immersion
Recently, the WR authorities inspected Charni Road railway station and also held meetings with the contractors who will take up soft upgradation of the station under the Amrit Bharat scheme, which would be 50% of the total works. The total cost of the entire renovation is estimated at ₹10 to ₹15 crore, and the deadline is December this year
Published on Sep 10, 2023 12:05 AM IST
Work on Panvel-Karjat suburban rail line begins
Mumbai is set to get a new suburban rail corridor with the construction of the Panvel-Karjat rail line, including a 2.6km tunnel, the longest in the city's suburban railway. The line will connect Navi Mumbai with the Raigad district and is part of efforts to reach untapped areas of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Work is expected to be completed by December 2025.
Updated on Sep 09, 2023 12:21 AM IST
On public demand, BEST decides not to scrap open-deck buses
The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking in Mumbai will be procuring new open-deck tourist buses after receiving positive feedback from the public. The decision comes after the announcement that the last three such buses would be scrapped. The buses will be used for curated and non-curated tours, with fares ranging from ₹180 to ₹400.
Updated on Sep 07, 2023 12:34 AM IST
Shashank Rao, Mumbai
No RailNeer packaged drinking water at stations from September 7 to 20
IRCTC officials and the company’s spokesperson, when asked about such a letter and the technical issues at the plant, did not respond. Sources in the railways, however, said that IRCTC has been unable to meet the demand for water, which has gone up due to the heat. Although IRCTC had carried out maintenance works and created avenues for a back-up supply this February and last October, the situation at the moment is critical
Updated on Sep 07, 2023 12:22 AM IST
BEST to scrap open-deck Nilambari buses soon
The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking in Mumbai is scrapping its open-to-sky double decker tourist buses due to their age.
Updated on Sep 05, 2023 12:48 AM IST
Shashank Rao, Mumbai
Viral video: RTO officers make an auto driver fine other auto drivers
The video, which was recorded on August 29 and went viral on Thursday, showed the flying squad officers asking an outsider, who is seen holding a point of sale (POS) machine, to perform the task of slapping fines on autorickshaws. This POS machine issues receipt for the fines paid
Updated on Sep 01, 2023 01:00 AM IST
AC double-decker e-buses to operate on BKC route starting next month
The undertaking will allot 10 buses of this type that will bring respite to the business district of BKC, which sees a daily footfall of two to two and a half lakh. BEST officials said these buses will be stationed at Kurla depot from where it will be operated on BKC route.
Updated on Aug 31, 2023 12:57 AM IST
RTO, traffic police launch drive against unruly autos in Kurla, LTT
On Wednesday, the authorities conducted this drive at Kurla, and Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) where drivers were caught for various offences such as fare refusal, seating more people than permitted and for operating vehicles not in road worthy condition.
Updated on Aug 31, 2023 12:54 AM IST
Andheri, Borivali RTOs launch helpline against share auto/taxi menace
Two Regional Transport Offices in Mumbai have launched a helpline for citizens to complain against erring autorickshaws and taxis in their region. This comes after a campaign by the Mumbai Rickshawmen's Union and the publication of articles highlighting the issue of unauthorised shared autorickshaw stands. The RTO has also started sending surprise flying squads to various auto rickshaw stands to take action against erring drivers. The RTO helpline numbers have been posted on autos and citizens can also send complaints via WhatsApp.
Updated on Aug 30, 2023 12:53 AM IST
