COMMENTS

We will need to ask questions for which crisp answers are possible, otherwise we know how some of them respond to the RTIs.

Does anyone know the best way of asking the question on load on the lines? There must be some technical terms to get an idea on 1) how much load the tracks are designed for (speed/frequency) 2) gap between adjacent services at peak hours 3) capacity of stations to handle multiple concurrent trains.

About provision for land around some of these single line stretches - is there a unit within Sout Western Railway who keeps the land records? Can ask this unit directly, otherwise SWR PRO will waste time by simply redirecting us.

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Pranav,

I have not filed any RTI with SWR on Local Train, only enquired over the phone and  and was trying to understand how RTI's are filed with Railways.  I am ready to file  RTI with SWR  and  we need to file seperate RTI's  for the each query so that we get the reply  at the eraliest, other wise, they may use the delay tactic if  many questions are asked in single RTI application.

Following are the Questions can be asked :

1 : Railway Status on Letter from CM / Karnataka regarding the starting of Local Trains similar to Mumbai Local Trains which was forwarded in Feb'2009.

2 : For DEMU / EMEU services which are announced during budegt 2010 for differnet states,  State Govt or  Railways, who is paying the cost of Rakes for these.

3 : What is percentage of utilization of track capacity between Yelahanak to Chikballapur, Bangalore City to Bidadi, Bangalore city - Yesvanthpur - Hebbal - Anekal

I stumbled upon the Railway RTI application query. Here Railways stores the RTI applicaion with application number. Main website  is :http://rti.railnet.gov.in/default.asp  In this website, you can search the RTI application status thru : Status Of Application

RTI application need to be addressed to following officer :

Central Public Information Officer, Railway Board,  Rail Bhawan, New Delhi - 110011

All the RTI applications of Railways are  scanned in pdf format  and stored with application number. Here is the sample RTI application relating to Railway Saloons used by Mr Lalu Prasad  http://rti.railnet.gov.in/rtidata/scanned/7115.pdf   You may be knowing, last week this subject came into news with Lalu has used Saloon 370 times in his period and Mamtha has not used till  now.

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Let me merge from our comments above:

RTI to State Govt

To be asked to GoK. We will send the RTI to IDD.

Please answer the following questions regarding a proposal to run local trains on South Western Railway's broad guage tracks within Bangalore Metropolitan Region. This proposal is being referred to as Circular Rail, and is sometimes also mentioned as Commuter Rail.

1. Share details of cost sharing agreement between GoK and SWR regarding Commuter or Circular Rail  that were recently announced by a few ministers via local newspapers.
2. Which department or agency within Government of Karnataka is responsible for finalizing the project proposal.
3. Please provide the details on how the cost of the project was estimated - who did the estimate, and what are the major cost components (cost breakup)
4. Is Circular Rail different from the Commuter Rail system proposed in CTTP 2007? If yes, then share the proposed route map.
5. Details of Public Consultations done or planned for the Circular Rail Project
6. Minutes of last 3 meetings held between Government of Karnataka (Infrastructure Development Department) and South Western Railways.

RTI to South Western Railways

A) Please answer the following questions regarding a proposal to run local trains on South Western Railway's broad guage tracks within Bangalore Metropolitan Region. This proposal is being referred to as Commuter Rail, and is sometimes also mentioned as Circular Rail.

1. Share details of cost sharing agreement between GoK and SWR regarding Commuter or Circular Rail  that were recently announced by a state and central ministers via local newspapers.
2. Provide the details on how the cost of the project was estimated - who did the estimate, and what are the major cost components (cost breakup)
3. Please share the proposed route map

B) Not related to the Circular or Commuter Rail proposal directly, please provide following information regarding SWR's assets and operations in the Bangalore Metropolitan Region.

1. What is the utilization of track capacity at following stretches. a) between Yelahanaka to Chikballapur, b) Bangalore City to Bidadi, c) Yesvanthpur to Hebbal, d) Banaswadi to  Anekal, and e) Bangalore Cantt to Whitefield
2. List at least 2 stretches where SWR does not have enough land available for doubling the track between Byappanahalli and Anekal.
3. Excluding land costs, what will be the approximate cost of doubling the railway tracks between Banaswadi and Anekal at 2009 or 2010 cost levels
4. Minutes of last 5 meetings held between South Western Railways (SWR) and Government of Karnataka (GoK) to discuss Railways projects in Karnataka.
5. Alternatively, if SWR is aware of any meeting held with GoK to discuss commuter/Circular railway for Bangalore, please share minutes of the same.

Comments ASAP everyone. Will mail these RTIs during the coming week.

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 1. What is the utilization of track capacity... 

Add e) Banaswadi to Whitefield

2. ...where SWR does not have enough land available for doubling the track between Byappanahalli and Anekal.

??? why not hebbal/ to anekal

 3. ...Banaswadi and Anekal at 2009 or 2010 cost levels

Can be hebbal to Anekal to make it more accurate.

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Lets start building the list of questions that we will put in this RTI.

Let me put out the context first, and then we will build the questions:

• We don't know the details of 50% cost sharing agreement between GoK and SWR regarding Commuter Rail.
• What exactly will be Circular Rail? Based on statements from Mr Muniyappa, these could involve laying some new tracks, and some doubling work to make a ring rail like system around Bangalore. There is not talk of Circular Rail coming in to the city
• What is the status of an experiment that was proposed over 9 months ago - run trains from Chikballapur to Cant station?

Since we will be at it, why not ask questions abot load on SWR's tracks in the city.

• Load on Byappanahalli-Anekal stretch. Status of land around this stretch - does SWR have buffer space for a possible doubling.
• Load on Cantt - Whitefield stretch.
• Load on Byappanahalli - Hebbal - Lottegollahalli stretch, scope for doubling.

There are lots of articles in local papers about shallow announcemens (shallow = not on the floor of the house, but in public meetings). See http://www.deccanherald.com/content/55910/cm-proposes-local-train-city.html and more.

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