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DRM's presentation (regarding Commuter Rail etc)
Written By murali772 - 25 January, 2009
Bangalore railways CRS SWR Analysis BCIC Transportation public transport Commuter rail
The following interesting points arose from the presentation made by the DRM (Divisional Rly Manager, Mr Akhil Agarwal), and the discussions that followed:
1) Track and platform capacity:
There are some 140 pairs of express (not all of them operating on all days of the week), and 90 pairs of passenger trains operating in and out of Bangalore (I am not sure I got the figures exact; but, they are around these). And, there is continuous pressure from the public to have them arrive/ depart during the peak hours (6 to 8 AM for arrival; 7 to 11 PM for departure).
As such, the tracks and platforms are too clttered presently to operate Commuter trains at desired timings.
Some stretches of tracks (particularly amongst the most busy ones like between Bangalore City and Byappanahally) are currently operating at over 150% capacity, allowing for 2.5 hrs maintenance breaks. Now, I must admit I didn't quite understand this fully, nor many others in the audience. For a non-IR man, 100% capacity would imply that he will then be seeing trains running throughout. But, apparently, IR has certain norms for determining the denominator based on safety and other aspects. Also, the DRM mentioned that unlike in coastal and level terrains like in Mumbai, they have to allow for higher safety factors in hilly terrains like in Bangalore, since the momentum of loaded rakes becomes a crucial factor here. During the discussions that followed, however, it appeared there could be a scope for reviewing these factors, and thereby increasing capacity. And, that's where, I believe, Devesh has requested technical help from PRAJAgalu.
2) Passenger (non-express) trains:
Another matter that became evident was the financial drag caused by the "passenger" (non-express) trains. The operations are totally uneconomical, and it is almost impossible to increase the fares because of vote bank politics. Most of them were introduced by various politicians to serve their respective constituencies, and then it became impossible to withdraw them. Some of them are well patronised (like the ones between Bangalore and Mysore), largely because of the low fares, compared to the bus fares.
And, there are plenty of them in operation eating into track and platform capacity, and during peak hours, denying the IR the opportunity to provide more revenue earning express and goods train services and thereby serve the public and economy better. The so-called social purpose of these operations thus becomes questionable.
An answer may be to offer all the regular commuters on these trains one year's free pass bus pass on KSRTC (paid for by IR), and then to withdraw these services altogether.
3) Additional tracks to Devenahalli:
While adding additional parallel tracks beyond Hebbal may not be difficult, doing that in the inner city is going to be extremely difficult.
4) Shifting of Bangalore City station:
There is no proposal to shift the Bangalore city station to Devanahalli.
Muralidhar Rao
COMMENTS
idontspam - 26 January, 2009 - 20:44
IR will always be under a permanent Laloo effect. Listening to the DRM they will have their pulls and pressures from center leading to constant fights on train services. Witness the begging and fight we have to put up for inter city services and laying of tracks now. While we work out a revenue sharing arrangement with IR for using their land within the city (they have PPP model for cargo already) we should, instead of fiddling with IR owned city railway station, create a separate railway hub in Devanahalli called Bengaluru Rail Hub (BRH) using standard guage (so it doesnt mix with Broad guage IR).
From here we run high speed (shinkansen type) trains to all major cities (Top 10?) in Karnataka. At 300KMPH even the farthest regions of the state will be within couple of hours reach. We can choose to run some key commuter services from BRH and allow IR to continue servicing the rest of the places and interstate traffic as they currently do from city, cant, ypr etc. This way when we take away some key traffic IR gets some breathing space to share rail space inside the city.
The BRH will be either below or adjacent to the BIA and connected to each other via underground pathways with escalators and travelators. The HSRL will then connect both BIA Air and BRH Rail passengers to the city. The HSRL needs to be high speed about 180/200kmph so one can get to city within 20 mins otherwise it will frustrate everybody to wits end. The HSRL Itself can be underground from Minsk to BDA junction from where it can go overhead till the airport with stops at yelahanka, hebbal and minsk. Hebbal can become a hub for connections for north and west Bangalore. Minsk will be the hub for south and east Bangalore
Goes without saying the only thing govt will do is setup a good regulatory authority. Help in procuring land but have private party Build and Operate. If we are putting money on HSRL might as well go the whole hog and make the whole thing count.
What say folks?
Here is something to whet your appetite. This is westbound Nozomi 500 passing by Shin-Iwakuni station at 300KMPH
[video:http://se.youtube.com/watch?v=Bkoz8aEUssQ]
The AGV (360KMPH) successor to the French TGV will change our perception of trains
[video:http://se.youtube.com/watch?v=CB6tgKT-u1Q]
IDS - Economics won't work out
s_yajaman - 27 January, 2009 - 05:15
IDS,
Was just scanning the net for these bullet train plans and IR has been talking this for a long time without any action. There is possible a very good reason for it.
Investment per km can run as high as Rs.60 crores (I am not sure if this includes rolling stock and signaling and new stations, etc). So for a Bangalore-Hubli line we are talking Rs. 24000 crores at the very least For a Bangalore-Bellary-Gulbarga line we are talkign another 60000 crores. Where do we get this sort of money from? Given our sad state of human development indices (literacy, maternal mortality, infant mortality, teacher-student ratios in schools) how do we justify investment on these magnitudes for bullet trains?
Next - do we have enough people who can afford to travel on such trains on a daily basis? Once you put in such expensive track and rolling stock, you have to run them 16 hrs a day. In Japan, bullets run every 6 minutes at peak hours between Tokyo and Osaka. Many of these are 16 coach trains carrying 1600 people. My round trip from Shin-Kobe to Hiroshima cost me 20000Y or rs.10000. Even if a round trip to Hubli cost Rs.5000 will there be demand?
If there really is a need for people to zip from Bangalore to Hubli and Gulbarga in 2 hrs there is a thing called a plane. The investments needed are far lesser and HAL Airport can be used. Strange coming from me this - but I cannot see the wisdom of 1000s of crores being spent on bullet trains inside Karnataka.
Srivathsa
idontspam - 27 January, 2009 - 06:07
I dont have numbers but if there is not a demand for every 6 mins there will be for every hour. You may not need 10 lines may be 4 with stops to connect these towns. I am looking at longer term benefits. Economy of these towns connected will increase people will dare to put up industries elsewhere knowing the international airport and the state capital can be reached relatively quickly by workers. The kind of prosperity roads have bought us will be doubled by train only.
s_yajaman - 27 January, 2009 - 06:51
IDS,
JR loses billions each year in running the Shinkansen. The funds and operating costs don't change just because a private party puts in the money. Just for comparison the entire GQ project cost rs.20000 crores.
I like your idea in general that we need to have a good rail network in Karnataka with high speed trains. Our current trains average 50-60 kmph thanks to single line operation for the most part and tracks that cannot handle more than 110 kmph. Hubli should not be more than 3.5 hrs by train in this day and age.
The economy of those towns is suffering IMHO because of other big problems - local infrastructure (schools, hospitals, employable workforce, power, water) more than their apparent distance to Bangalore and the international airport.
Srivathsa
Slow and Steady wins the race!
narayan82 - 28 January, 2009 - 12:07
I agree with Srivatsa - Bullet Train is too much investment.
GIven our track record with infrastructre projects (Excuse the Pun) - anything which requires a large amount of investment is going to run into corruption and delays!
What we need to do is give our existing railways a HUGE facelift. One option would be to privatise certain areas. Some examples I can think of are:
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Station maintainence: The Platforms/Station can be leased out to a private party on an annual contract. This party can use Advertising and maybe collect a small UDF from A/C passengers (Say RS 50/-) as income. Or myabe then can be allowed vendor rights in the station. They are responsible for upkeep, hygene and overall cleanliness as well as service. Hence they would control porters, parking and wheelchairs etc etc. If we can have a profitable parking system like at BIAL - why cant we have one at the railway station too? Why not offer trolleys like the airport to those traveling by train?
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In Train Maintainance: We really need new toilets on trains. Dumping the dump between the tracks is an age old system that HAS to be changed. For that we need its relevant infrastructure at the stations! If basic items such as the coaches, the window ledges and the floors could be cleaner I am sure IR will be respected in much higher standards.
Again, Privatisation here has begun (With the kurkure express), but I do hope it takes off into something much more successful.
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Access to railway stations: We dont mind spending 1000s of crores on a HSRL to an airport, but we hardly have a bus that takes us in front of the railway station. if you have a lot of luggage, and you want to take a volvo you have to lug it from the KBS station to the Railway station. How come not a single flyover/underpass/multi storey car park has come up close to City or Cantt? Getting on a train (with luggage) means Auto or car right now! Why not have a scheme as peaceful as the Meru/Easycab Line at BIAL outside City/Cantt? Why is it that if Fly i dont have to haggle with a Auto Driver, but if I take train the jounrye is a haggle all the way home!
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Tie up with Air/Bus: This to me is a untapped money making op! Ticketing should be made multi-modal. Image KF and Jet Airways (perhaps) tied up with IR so you could book a Mysore-Bangkok ticket at one go! Or you coudl book a Hubli - London ticket at one go! Alternatively, KSRTC could tie up and offer journeys such as Ooty/Connor - Delhi or Kodaikanal - Hyderabad and maybe even Tumkur to Kanyakumari!
An earlier idea I suggested was to run the Mysore Chennai Shatabdi via the Devannahalli Airport (Once the station is built there.) this way Mysore can access Devanahalli/BIAL easily.
I hear IR is planning to build a spanking new station at Byappanahalli with a Chinese consorium! They could really start by sprucinng up Cantt and City to bring it to a much higher level of comfort. I think that is far more dire in need than a brand new Railway station.
I hope IR pulls up its socks and offers us some change.
Narayan Gopalan
User Interaction Designer
Bangalore
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