Tirunelveli–Chennai Vande Bharat now chugs with 20 coaches

Tirunelveli–Chennai Vande Bharat now chugs with 20 coaches

Tirunelveli - Chennai Egmore Vande Bharat Express Train leaves Tirunelveli with 20 coaches on Wednesday. Special Arrangement

The Hindu Bureau

Tirunelveli  25.09.2025

The Tirunelveli – Chennai Vande Bharat Express Train has begun its service with 20 coaches from Wednesday onwards.

The Tirunelveli – Chennai Egmore Vande Bharat Express Train with eight coaches started its journey in September 2023. Leaving Tirunelveli Junction at 6.05 a.m., this train covers 653 km to reach its destination at 1.55 p.m. In the return journey, the train departs Chennai Egmore at 2.45 p.m. to reach Tirunelveli at 10.30 a.m.

Since the train crosses this distance within 7 hours 50 minutes, even as all other super fast express trains on this section take more than 10 hours, patronage for this service is swelling everyday, notwithstanding premium ticket fare. Following an appeal from Tirunelveli MP C. Robert Bruce, the Southern Railway increased the coaches to 16 in January last for carrying 1,128 passengers, which too could not meet the demand. Hence, the service with 20 brand-new coaches was started on Wednesday for serving 1,440 commuters.

Train halts for 2 hrs for elephant to give birth

Train halts for 2 hrs for elephant to give birth 

N K

Agarwal@timesofindia.com  09.07.2025

Ramgarh : A goods train carrying coal was stopped for over two hours so that a pregnant elephant, who was in labour on the track, could give birth to a calf undisturbed. The incident took place on a forest stretch between Barkakana and Hazaribag railway stations in Jharkhand. Since the particular track is primarily used for goods transportation, no passenger train was affected. It was two weeks ago, around 3 o’clock in the morning, that forest officials contacted the railway officials to halt the goods trains for a few hours. The loco pilot was immediately alerted to ensure that both the jumbo and calf were safe. Divisional forest officer, Ramgarh, Nitish Kumar, said: “At 3 am, a forest guard informed me that a pregnant elephant is lying on the tracks in labour pain. He warned that it might get run over, and requested me to stop all train movement along the route. I immediately contacted the railway control room in Barkakana and requested them to stop all trains.” Video clips of the incident, clicked by a forest guard and some locals, went viral on Tuesday. Both the elephant and its calf are safe and healthy.

NATURE’S HALT: Both elephant and its calf are safe and healthy

Tatkal in 60 seconds: Telegram racket sells Aadhaar IDs after railway announcement

Tatkal in 60 seconds: Telegram racket sells Aadhaar IDs after railway announcement 

Unauthorised ticketing platforms claim to book Tatkal tickets in 60 seconds using bots and Aadhaar-verified IRCTC accounts, risking user data. Listen to Story

The Ministry of Railways has mandated that tickets under the Tatkal scheme can be booked through IRCTC.

Aakash Sharma

Khooshi Sonkar New Delhi,UPDATED: Jul 3, 2025 22:15 IST 

Posted By: Akshat Trivedi 

Tatkal tickets - meant for last-minute travel and released 24-hours before departure- are often bought within seconds by bots or agents, leaving genuine travellers stranded.

A network of more than 40 groups active on Telegram and WhatsApp has been identified by India Today’s OSINT team. But it represents just a fraction of the larger online black market for e-ticketing, where thousands of agents appear to be active—and business continues to boom, despite government regulation.

The Ministry of Railways has mandated that tickets under the Tatkal scheme can be booked through the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) website or app only by Aadhaar-authenticated users starting July 1.

Soon after the announcement, the e-ticketing racket on social media channels began peddling Aadhaar-verified IRCTC IDs and OTPs to both agents and buyers.

RACKET UNCOVERED Not just agents, the e-ticketing rackets are rife with tech geeks and fake service providers who claim to exploit alleged loopholes in the IRCTC system, operating through shady Telegram and WhatsApp accounts.

To mask their identities, the admins use international phone numbers.

The Aadhar-authenticated IRCTC user IDs are openly sold for just Rs. 360 each, as per posts seen by India Today. These accounts are allegedly used to generate OTPs for booking Tatkal tickets. But the process isn’t manual—agents claim to use bots or automated browser extensions to speed up bookings and overwhelm the system for genuine users.

MODUS OPERANDI India Today closely observed activity inside one of the racket’s Telegram groups, “Fast Tatkal Software,” for over three months to understand their ticketing operations.

The racket operators or the technical masterminds behind the illicit network are the ones claiming to sell bots to agents. The agents are asked to install these bots in their browsers and use autofill features to complete bookings quickly, gaining an advantage over genuine users who struggle with slow-loading pages and failed transactions.

One video shared by an operator makes the picture clearer.

The bots allegedly autofill IRCTC login credentials, train details, passenger information, and payment data. The entire process is automated and “guaranteed” to secure confirmed tickets in less than a minute.

A conversation in the channel reveals the tech expert guiding agents to evade IRCTC’s AI algorithm, which counters bot activity by blocking suspicious IPs. The fraudsters dodge these blocks by using Virtual Private Servers (VPS) to mask their IP addresses.

Some operators even claim to be developing features to complete

India Today also discovered that the racket admins operate full-fledged websites selling bots like Dragon, JETX, Ocean, Black Turbo, and Formula One—marketed for “instant Tatkal bookings” and priced between Rs 999 and Rs 5,000. After purchase, users are guided through Telegram channels on how to use them.

These bots are not just used to book tickets but steal information from users.

Malware analysis of the bot file named WinZip, downloaded as an APK, was conducted using the malware scanner site VirusTotal. The analysis revealed it to be Trojan - a malware designed to steal user information.

On June 04, the Ministry of Railway said in a press release that during the first five minutes of Tatkal booking, “the bot traffic accounts for up to 50 per cent of overall login attempts.”

The deployment of the anti-bot system by IRCTC led to the suspension of over 2.5 crore fake user IDs, the Ministry added. Also, agent bookings are now banned during the first 30 minutes of Tatkal ticket opening for both AC and non-AC categories.

‘RailOne’ app brings all train services under single roof

‘RailOne’ app brings all train services under single roof 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 02.07.2025

 New Delhi : Rail passengers can now avail all services through one superapp — RailOne — and won’t need to download several apps for their different needs. RailOne, a one-stop solution through which passengers can book reserved, unreserved and platform tickets, and track PNR and train status and coach position, was launched by railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday. 

The app can also be used to seek assistance and offer travel feedback. In an official statement, the ministry said the app can be downloaded from both Android Play Store and iOS App Store. “It integrates all passenger services, such as sale of unreserved and platform tickets with 3% discount, live train tracking, grievance redressal, e-catering, and porter and last-mile taxi booking. Reserved tickets will continue to be offered on IRCTC. 

RailOne app has been authorised by IRCTC, just like many other commercial apps that have partnered with it,” the ministry said.

Rail fare hike for AC & non-AC classes from today

Rail fare hike for AC & non-AC classes from today

Dipak.Dash@timesofindia.com 1.07.2025

 New Delhi : The hike in passenger fares will come into effect Tuesday after the railway ministry notified the revised fares for both AC and non-AC classes. The new fares will not apply for tickets issued at pre-revised rates, meaning passengers who booked tickets before Tuesday won’t have to pay any extra charge.

While fares have increased by 2 paise per km for passengers travelling in AC classes, the hike for non-AC class is 1 paisa per km. A rough calculation shows that one-way travel in 3AC in Rajdhani trains from Delhi to Mumbai, Kolkata or Patna would get costlier by Rs 20-30, while a non-AC journey in mail and express trains would cost around Rs 10-15 more. There is no hike in fares for trains on the suburban rail network and monthly season tickets for both suburban and non-suburban trains. Similarly, there is no increase in fares for second class on ordinary (non-mail or express) trains for distances up to 500km. Beyond this, they will have to pay extra half a paisa per km.

Railways to prepare charts 8 hours before departure

Railways to prepare charts 8 hours before departure

 Dipak.Dash@timesofindia.com 30.06.2025

New Delhi : In a policy change, Indian Railways will soon prepare the reservation chart (of confirmed berths/seats) eight hours before the scheduled departure of trains instead of the present four hours. To facilitate passenger convenience, for trains departing before 2pm, the reservation chart will be prepared at 9pm the previous evening. The Railway Board proposed the changes last week and railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has directed their implementation “in a phased manner so that there is no disruption”. The board will come up with the rollout plan soon. In an official statement, the railway ministry said the present practice of preparing reservation charts four hours before train departure creates uncertainty in the minds of passengers. It will especially benefit passengers travelling from remote locations or suburbs of major cities to catch long-distance trains. It will also provide more time to make alternative arrangements in case the waitlisted ticket is not confirmed. In another move, the railways announced complete revamp of the passenger reservation system (PRS) by Dec. The new PRS will allow over 1.5 lakh ticket bookings per minute, around five times more than the present capacity of 32,000 tickets per minute.A

Vande Bharat sleeper trains yet to receive nod

Vande Bharat sleeper trains yet to receive nod 

B Anbuselvan


Updated on:

 
22 Jun 2025, 7:42 am

Following its production, commissioning of the rake was delayed for a few months after ICF flagged several manufacturing defects, which BEML later addressed.

The 16-coach rake comprises 11 three-tier AC coaches, four two-tier AC coaches and one first-class AC coach, with a total seating capacity of 823 passengers.Photo | Express B Anbuselvan Updated on: 22 Jun 2025, 7:42 am 2 min read Follow Us CHENNAI: It has been over six months since the prototype of the Vande Bharat sleeper version was dispatched from the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) for trials and testing, but it is yet to receive clearance for operation. The 16-coach prototype, designed by ICF and manufactured by the Bengaluru-based public sector company BEML (formerly Bharat Earth Movers Limited), was built at a cost of Rs 120 crore.

Following its production, commissioning of the rake was delayed for a few months after ICF flagged several manufacturing defects, which BEML later addressed. Although the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) successfully completed speed trials at 160 kmph in January, the train is still awaiting approval from the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS), officials said.

Sources indicate that the CRS has raised certain objections regarding the design and expressed reservations about some of the safety features incorporated in the train. However, the Railways has asserted that there are no issues with the electrical or mechanical components.

 VB’s sleeper version is equipped with Kavach

ICF General Manager U Subba Rao told TNIE that the CRS had raised a few queries concerning the prototype, which have already been addressed. “A detailed response has been sent. The clarifications pertained to minor technical aspects. There were no major flaws in the prototype,” he said.

After receiving the prototype from BEML, ICF identified more than 73 design and technical issues, particularly related to safety. These included concerns about crash buffers, fire barrier walls, and the hooks connecting the middle and upper berths. These issues led to the project missing its initial deadline by a few months.

Rao stated that all concerns raised by ICF had been resolved. “It’s just a matter of time before the 16-coach sleeper version is cleared for operation by the Railway Board. We have already received orders to build nine more Vande Bharat sleeper trains this financial year,” he added.

ICF has incorporated several enhanced safety features in the sleeper version. The rake is also fitted with the Kavach Train Collision Avoidance System, crashworthy couplers, front and side crash buffers and a fire detection system.

In January, the train successfully completed oscillation trials, emergency braking tests and evaluations of its control and electrical systems conducted by RDSO in Lucknow. It also underwent high-speed testing at 180 kmph in the Kota division, along with short- and long-distance trial runs, before being submitted for CRS approval.

The 16-coach rake comprises 11 three-tier AC coaches, four two-tier AC coaches and one first-class AC coach, with a total seating capacity of 823 passengers.

From July 1, Aadhaar authentication must for Tatkal booking

From July 1, Aadhaar authentication must for Tatkal booking

Dipak.Dash@timesofindia.com 12.06.2025

 New Delhi : From July 1, only users who have authenticated their IRCTC account with Aadhaar will be able to book Tatkal tickets through its website and app. To make the process more foolproof, the use of OTP for Aadhaar authentication will be introduced from July 15, the railway ministry said on Wednesday. 

The new norms have been notified to check malpractices by agents and ensure that only genuine passengers benefit from the Tatkal scheme. The ministry has urged people to ensure Aadhaar linkage with their IRCTC user profiles to avoid inconvenience. Even to buy paper tickets at rail ticket windows from July 15, passengers or their representatives will have to provide a mobile number on which an OTP will be sent for verification purposes.

 “Certain provisions have also been made to ensure that bots (or other software means) are not able to book tickets faster than genuine users,” a senior railway official said. As per the notification, authorised ticketing agents will not be permitted to book opening-day Tatkal tickets during the first 30 minutes of the booking window, a move aimed at preventing bulk bookings during this critical period. 

“For AC classes, this restriction will apply from 10 am to 10.30am, and for non AC classes, from 11 am to 11:30 am,” it said. Around 2.2 lakh passengers book Tatkal tickets through the IRCTC website and app daily

2.5cr ‘bogus’ IDs solve case of vanishing tickets on IRCTC site

2.5cr ‘bogus’ IDs solve case of vanishing tickets on IRCTC site 

2.9L Suspicious PNRs Detected In Past 5 Mths 

Dipak.Dash@timesofindia.com 04.06.2025

New Delhi : If you have been baffled by how and why railway tickets in certain trains disappear within minutes of the booking window opening even 60 days before the scheduled journey, IRCTC has detected those behind creating this artificial crisis. Only in the past five months, it detected 2.9 lakh suspicious PNRs while analysing ticket purchases done within just five minutes after booking commenced for both general and Tatkal tickets. 

Top railway officials said between January and May, they have deactivated 2.5 crore suspected user IDs for booking tickets and put 20 lakh user IDs under revalidation as a part of a special drive. “A total of 134 complaints have been registered with the national cyber crime portal and over 6,800 disposal email domains have been blocked. 

This drive will be intensified further,” said an official. Disposable email addressing refers to an approach that involves using a unique email address for each contact or entity, or using it for a limited number of times or uses. The fraudsters have been resorting to these tactics to book tickets and charge more from unwary passengers. Sources said the problem of all tickets getting booked quickly is confined to certain routes and trains. “So, the focus is on weeding out users who are beating the system. Passengers can’t be blamed as there is a genuine shortage of confirmed tickets. So, the effort has been to increase capacity and to run more trains, particularly during peak travel seasons,” said an official. 

Officials claimed that IRCTC has taken “systemic measures” including engagement of leading content delivering network and anti-BOT applications — security techniques used to distinguish between genuine human users and automated bots or scripts —with cutting edge technology to ensure a smooth booking process for genuine travellers. 

They added that the railways’ ticketing  and catering arm achieved its highest ever per minute booking of 31,814 tickets on May 22, 2025 at 10 am. “Attempt versus booking ratio has increased from 43.1% to 62.2% between Oct 2024 and May 2025,” said an official. He added that none of the travel platforms can guarantee confirmed ticket bookings and hence people should not fall prey to them.

Now, travel in Third AC at the fare of sleeper

Now, travel in Third AC at the fare of sleeper

With Railways deciding to prioritise filling seats in AC coaches through auto upgrades, such CB vacancies are unlikely to become available in AC coaches, except in very rare situations.

The current booking facility was introduced for last-minute bookings, if there are any vacancies after the preparation of the first chart File photo

B Anbuselvan

Updated on:

17 May 2025, 8:43 am

CHENNAI: In a key policy shift, Indian Railways have issued instructions to fill all vacant seats and berths in AC coaches of trains through the “auto upgrade” facility with holders of confirmed tickets from lower classes like Sleeper Class (SL) and Second Sitting (2S) during the preparation of the first chart, which is usually done four hours before the departure of a train from its source.

The move is likely to make the Current Booking (CB) facility unavailable in AC coaches, such as Chair Car (CC), Third AC (3A), Second AC (2A), and First AC (1A). However, the CB will be available for SL and 2S.

The CB facility was introduced for last-minute bookings, if there are any vacancies after the preparation of the first chart. It is allowed usually up to 30 minutes before departure.

Seats will be available under the CB category for any train only if there are vacant seats – after emergency quotas and different types of waitlists are processed – available after the preparation of the first chart.

With Railways deciding to prioritise filling seats in AC coaches through auto upgrades, such CB vacancies are unlikely to become available in AC coaches, except in very rare situations when seats remain vacant even after upgrades.

The new changes communicated by the Railway Board to Southern Railway and all other zonal railways on Thursday will not only ensure that all the seats and berths in AC classes get occupied to the maximum extent possible but also enhance the chances of confirmed tatkal ticket holders in SL and 2S to get upgraded to 3A or CC, respectively.

The Railway Board has also ordered that upgrades can be done only up to two levels. For example, SL can be upgraded to 3A and 2A. Similarly, 2S tickets may be upgraded to Vistadome 2S or CC. Upgrades to 1A and Executive Class are, however, restricted to only one level below, that is, from 2A to 1A or from CC to EC. For instance, a person with confirmed ticket in 3A cannot get upgraded to 1A.

Auto upgrade – such as from SL to 3A and from 3A to 2A – facility was introduced in 2006. However, this facility is limited to passengers who paid the highest fare in their class, which would mean those who paid tatkal fare or full fare of the tickets without availing of any concessions.

An official from the Southern Railway stated, “Currently, most AC seats and berths get fully booked across the zone. However, during off-peak periods, on trains with higher AC seat availability, passengers with non-AC tickets might receive upgrades.”

Rail passenger suffers head injury as middle berth collapses on her

Rail passenger suffers head injury  as middle berth collapses on her

The middle berth that collapsed on a woman passenger on Train No. 22651 Chennai-Palakkad Express.

S. Vijay Kumar

CHENNAI  13.05.2025

A woman passenger suffered a head injury after the middle berth of a sleeper class coach fell while she was asleep. The incident happened on Train No. 22651 Chennai-Palakkad Express shortly after it crossed Jolarpet early on Monday. The victim’s husband alleged that first aid was not provided by the railway authorities for more than an hour until the train reached Salem where an ambulance was arranged.

According to railway sources, Suria Murugan, 39, of Chennai, was sleeping on berth no. 1 (lower berth) when the unoccupied middle berth suddenly fell on her around 1.15 a.m. Other passengers alerted her husband Jyothi Jayashankar who was sleeping in another coach. On seeing Ms. Suria bleeding with a head injury, he sought medical assistance from the Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) and other railway employees on the train. “There was no first aid kit in the train. They did not even provide a cotton roll. The TTE said we could get down at the next stop [Morappur] and seek help there. But what can we do at an unknown place in the middle of the night? My wife managed to control the bleeding with a piece of cloth and we travelled for almost an hour-and-a-half so far as Salem,” Mr. Jayashankar told The Hindu.

Taken to hospital

On arrival at Salem around 2.40 a.m., the ambulance paramedics did basic dressing and shifted Ms. Suria to the Government Hospital. “We later took an autorickshaw and went to a private hospital. My wife had a deep cut on the forehead and underwent sutures. There was no assistance from the Railways. It is shocking that a train with about 1,000 passengers does not have even paramedics or a first aid box,” he said.

Railway sources said the chain and locking mechanism of the middle berth was found to be normal when inspected at Dindigul Junction. The coach was allowed to run through the service without any change.

Southern Railway spokesperson M. Senthamil Selvan said the “berth may have fallen owing to improper locking of the berth hook by the passenger”. The coach was 19 years old and fit for operation. A total of 154 ICF-designed rakes were operational in the zone, and a complete migration to LHB rakes would happen in three years, he said.

On Monday evening, the Chief Public Relations Officer said medical assistance was promptly arranged by the commercial and medical control staff, but the passenger refused to disembark at Morappur. “The unfortunate incident appears to have occurred owing to the passenger’s improper handling of the chain link, which is the designated locking mechanism for the middle berth,” the CPRO said.

Indian Railways will implement new rules from May 1, everyone will be effected

Indian Railways will implement new rules from May 1, everyone will be effected

Sweta Mitra

April 30, 2025 - 12:06 PM

Indian Railway New Rules: Big news for railway passengers. Now, from May 1, there are so many rules going to change in the railway. On the first day of each month, the rules change. This time there is going to be a big change in the rules of the railway, due to which the passengers of the railway will be affected. Passengers with waiting list tickets will not be allowed to travel in sleeper or AC coaches. They will be allowed to travel only in general class. Indian Railways is implementing strict rules to improve the travel experience for those with confirmed tickets from May 1.

If the ticket booked online through IRCTC remains on the waiting list, it gets automatically cancelled. However, many passengers who buy waiting list tickets from the counter still travel in sleeper and AC coaches. From May 1, passengers with waiting list tickets will be banned from traveling in sleeper and AC coaches.

If a passenger with a waiting ticket is found sitting on a seat in these coaches, the TTE will have the right to impose a fine on him or shift him to the general compartment. Captain Shashi Kiran, Chief Public Relations Officer of North Western Railway, said that this rule has been implemented to ensure the convenience of passengers with confirmed tickets so that they do not face inconvenience during travel due to those with waiting tickets.

Often passengers with waiting tickets enter sleeper and AC coaches and try to forcibly occupy the seats of those with confirmed tickets, causing trouble for everyone. Moreover, when the number of passengers with waiting tickets increases in these coaches, the routes get blocked, making movement difficult and travel inconvenient for all the passengers. So, if you often travel with waiting tickets, then you will now need to be extra cautious and plan your journey more carefully.

Tambaram faulty escalator irks commuters

Tambaram faulty escalator irks commuters 

Christopher.M@timesofindia.com 07.04.2025

Chennai : For thousands of commuters passing through Tambaram, the foot overbridge (FOB) connecting GST Road to the pedestrian platform near Tambaram Railway Station has become a source of frustration as the escalator there breaks down frequently. This forces people to take the stairs or lengthy ramps, causing significant inconvenience, particularly for people with disabilities, senior citizens, children, and those carrying heavy luggage.

 “For people like me, it’s an everyday struggle,” said T Suresh Kumar, a person with disabilities, who is resident of Tambaram Camp Road. ‘Elevator under maintenance’ is a common sight for suburban train users in Tambaram. Even on platforms, the escalators rarely function consistently, he said. 

“Just last week, I lost my balance and fell down the stairs. Thankfully, others helped. Despite repeated complaints to the station master, who keeps assuring of a swift resolution, there has been no tangible progress,” he said. 

S Valli, also a regular user of the FOB, pointed out the increasing encroachment by hawkers. “Earlier, vendors only occupied the pavements near the bus terminus. Now, they are all over the foot overbridge. It is difficult to walk through this congestion,” she said. Valli also raised concerns about safety.

 “With the absence of CCTV sur veillance, the area has become unsafe for women” she said. S Aravind, a resident of Tambaram Periyar Street, echoed her sentiments. “Tipplers often occupy the bus terminus and the foot overbridge for illegal activities. Police must take action to curb this menace,” he said. Attempts by TOI to reach railway officials for their comment went unanswered, but an official from the highways department, responsible for the FOB’s maintenance, said that a private contractor is in-charge to daily maintenance. “Repairs are carried out whenever problems are reported,” he said.

New train between Rameswaram, Tambaram

New train between Rameswaram, Tambaram 

04.04.2025

Board, on Wednesday, approved Southern Railway’s proposal for the introduction of a daily train between Tambaram and Rameswaram. The train, which will travel through the mainline connecting delta districts, is likely to be flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday. In a letter, Railway Board said Train No. 16103 Tambaram – Rameswaram Express will leave Tambaram at 6.05pm every day and reach Rameswaram at 5.45 am the next day. Train No. 16104 Rameswaram – Tambaram Express will leave Rameswaram at 5.35pm every day and reach Tambaram at 3.10am the next day. 

The train will have stoppages at Chengalpet, Villupuram, Tirupadiripuliyur, Chidambaram, Mayiladuthurai, Thiruvarur, Tiruturaipoondi, Pattukottai, Arantangi, Karaikudi, Sivaganga, Manamadurai, Paramakudi, and Ramanathapuram. It will have LHB (LinkeHoffman Busch) coaches with one 2-tier AC coach, five 3-tier AC coaches, six sleeper coaches, four general coaches, one luggage-cum-generator coach, and one guard and differently abled (divyaang) coach. 

These trains will run on electric traction from Tambaram to Tiruvarur and diesel traction from Tiruvarur to Rameswaram and vice versa. TNN

Poor mobile network at Tambaram railway station, harrowing time for commuters

Poor mobile network at Tambaram railway station, harrowing time for commuters

Lack of separate route for suburban and non-suburban travellers leads to overcrowding

B Anbuselvan

Updated on:

31 Mar 2025, 9:25 am

CHENNAI: Imagine entering a railway station to board a train and being stranded without mobile connectivity — no signals, no data, unable to contact anybody or even buy food using digital payment apps.

A 35-year-old woman who entered Tambaram Railway Station on a Friday last month to board the Sengottai-bound Silambu Express had a harrowing time, unable to call her relatives who had boarded the train at Egmore, or even purchase snacks for her six-year-old child.

Hundreds of passengers faced a similar ordeal a day before an auspicious (Muhurtham) day, which coincided with an extended holiday weekend. An erratic public announcement system only added to their woes.

Though Southern Railway officials acknowledged the issue and assured that they would coordinate with telecom providers and restore connectivity, the root of the problem lies deeper – the railway’s inability to separate suburban and non-suburban travellers on the Tambaram-Chengalpattu route.

Chennai city gets the highest floating population from Chengalpattu, Maduranthagam, Villupuram, Vriddhachalam and villages near Chengalpattu and Kallakuruchi districts. These passengers return to their natives during weekends and holidays. A chunk of commuters bound for Chengalpattu mostly board express trains instead of local trains, resulting in packed reserved coaches and dangerously congested unreserved ones, forcing passengers to travel hanging on footboards.

Nirmala Rajendran, a resident of Madipakkam said, “I had to return the snacks I bought for my child because GPay wasn’t working. My relatives had boarded at Egmore, and I wanted to join them at Tambaram. But the FOB was jam-packed and I could barely move. With no mobile network, I could not even check if they were on the train.”

She further recalled, “Even the ATMs near the station weren’t dispensing cash. I had to use whatever little I had for auto-rickshaw fare. There was no coach indicator at the platform and the announcement system only added to the tension.

They announced the Silambu Express’ arrival, but before it arrived, another express train was allowed to pass through leaving everyone at their wits’ end.” Another passenger, S Sivaraj from Pallavaram, said, “I spent 20 minutes trying to buy an unreserved ticket to Vriddhachalam through an automatic ticket vending machine, but the payment wouldn’t go through.

Then, I took my phone outside the station to book through UTS app and it still did not work. When the train arrived, I had no choice other than boarding without a ticket.”

Suburban traveller D Lalith from Tiruvottiyur said, “The ticket counter line stretched all the way till the station entrance. Since I had to catch the last train to Gummidipundi from Chennai Central by 10 pm, I boarded at Tambaram without a ticket.”

Tambaram station receives around 1.8 lakh passengers every day, which swells to 2.2 lakh on weekends and festival seasons. The station’s monthly average earnings stood at Rs 18.4 crore in 2024-25 (till February).

TNIE learnt that Kilambakkam bus terminus faced similar network failures during last Deepavali and other holiday seasons. After the CMDA notified the issue to telecom providers, the connectivity issues were resolved.

Railway station

I had to return the snacks I bought for my child because GPay wasn’t working, says a Madipakkam resident

I spent 20 minutes trying to buy a ticket, but payment didn’t go through, says a Pallavaram resident

Queue was too long and I couldn’t wait for a ticket & risk missing the last train from Central, says a suburban traveller

Indian Railways: You can book an entire train! Just know the right procedure

Indian Railways: You can book an entire train! Just know the right procedure

Pritam SantraMarch 06, 2025 - 08:10 AM

Indian Railways: The wedding season has commenced, leading many individuals to reserve train tickets for extended travels. To facilitate this, one has the option to book an entire coach or multiple seats simultaneously. According to railway regulations, any individual is permitted to make such bookings.

Know the process

There are two available methods for this process. You may either visit the ticket counter to secure a seat for the entire journey in one transaction or opt to apply online from the comfort of your home. Indian Railways provides passengers with the opportunity to reserve an entire coach or several coaches at once, which is particularly advantageous for transporting individuals or groups from an organization. To proceed with this, you can access the railway’s official website for bookings or utilize the online platform.

For those interested in reserving an entire train coach, please visit IRCTC’s FTR website at www.ftr.irctc.co.in and log in using your user ID. This platform will present you with options to book coaches and trains. Upon selecting this option, you will need to input travel-related information, including the travel date and coach details. After completing this information, you will proceed to make the payment, thereby securing the entire coach. It is important to note that when booking an entire railway coach, individual details for each passenger are not required; only the information of the person making the booking is necessary. Consequently, the entire coach will be reserved under the name of a single individual, allowing all passengers to travel together.

Book train online

To book a train online, you must reach out to the Digital Commercial Manager or Station Master and provide comprehensive journey details. After calculating the fare, they will facilitate the booking of the entire coach. Please be aware that booking a complete coach will incur an additional charge of 30 to 35 percent over the standard fare, along with a security deposit of Rs. 50,000 for the coach, which will be refunded after the journey concludes.

However, should you wish to reserve an entire train, a separate fare will apply. Usually, there are 18 coaches in a train. So along with all these coaches, you will also have to pay the train engine fare. The reason for this is that when the entire train is booked, the engine goes to the place you have booked.

முன் பதிவில் லாமல் முன் பதிவு பெட்டிகளில் பயணிக்க டி-ரிசர்வ் டு டிக்கெட்!

3/5/25, 6:52 AM 

முன் பதிவில் லாமல் முன் பதிவு பெட்டிகளில் பயணிக்க டி-ரிசர்வ் டு டிக்கெட்! 

விரைவு ரயில்களில் முன்பதிவு பெட்டிகளில் பயணிக்க டி-ரிசர்வ்டு டிக்கெட்!

அவசரமாக ரயிலில் பயணிக்க வேண்டியவர்கள், முன்பதிவு செய்யாவிட்டாலும், முன்பதிவு பெட்டிகளில் பயணிக்கும் வசதி உள்ளது. அதுதான் டி-ரிசர்வ்டு டிக்கெட். 

வட மாநில தொழிலாளர்களால், முன்பதிவு செய்த பெட்டியிலேயே, தங்களது இருக்கையில் நிம்மதியாக பயணிக்க முடியவில்லை என்று அண்மைக் காலமாக ரயில் பயணிகள் புலம்பி வரும் நிலையில், முன்பதிவு செய்யாமலேயே, முன்பதிவு பெட்டிகளில் பயணிக்கும் வசதியை அளிக்கும் டி-ரிசர்வ்டு டிக்கெட் பற்றி அறிந்துகொள்ள வேண்டும். இது மிகவும் பழைய வசதிதான் என்றாலும், இது பற்றி பயணிகள் பலருக்கும் தெரியாமல் இருப்பதால்தான், இது பற்றி தற்போது விளக்கங்கள் வெளியாகி வருகிறது.

முன்பதிவு செய்யாமல், முன்பதிவு ரயில் பெட்டிகளில் பயணிக்கும் வசதியை இந்த டி-ரிசர்வ்டு டிக்கெட் வழங்குகிறது.  இந்த டி-ரிசர்வ்டு டிக்கெட் முறையை தெற்கு ரயில்வே அறிமுகப்படுத்தி செயல்படுத்தி வருகிறது. இந்த டிக்கெட் எடுத்தவர்கள் முன்பதிவில்லா மற்றும் முன்பதிவு பெட்டிகளில் பயணிக்க முடியும். 

இந்த டி-ரிசர்வ்டு டிக்கெட்டை, ரயில் நிலையத்தில் உள்ள டிக்கெட் கவுண்டர்களில் மட்டுமே எடுக்க முடியும். 

இந்த சேவையை முன்பதிவு செய்ய முடியாது.  முன்கூட்டியே பெறவும் முடியாது. நாம் டிக்கெட் கேட்கும் ரயில் நிலையத்திலிருந்து ரயில் புறப்படுவதற்கு ஒரு மணி நேரத்துக்கு முன்பாக மட்டுமே இந்த டிக்கெட்டை எடுக்க முடியும். டிக்கெட் கவுண்டர்களில் டி-ரிசர்வ்டு டிக்கெட் என கேட்க வேண்டும். நாம் கேட்கும் ரயிலில் டி-ரிசர்வ்டு படுக்கை அல்லது இருக்கை காலியாக இல்லை எனில் வழங்கப்படாது. 

இந்த ரயில் டிக்கெட், ரயிலில் பயணிக்கும் தூரத்தைப் பொறுத்து கணக்கிடப்படுகிறது. அதிகபட்சம் 100 கிலோ மீட்டருக்குள்தான் இந்த டிக்கெட் மூலம் பயணிக்க முடியும். தெற்கு ரயில்வேயில் இயக்கப்படும் 35 ரயில்களில் டி-ரிசர்வ்டு படுக்கை வசதி பெட்டிகள் பயன்பாட்டில் உள்ளன. இந்த வசதியை மேலும் விரிவுபடுத்தவும் தெற்கு ரயில்வே திட்டமிட்டுள்ளது.

இந்த வசதி எப்படி செயல்படுத்தப்படுகிறது? உதாரணமாக கொல்லம் விரைவு ரயிலை எடுத்துக் கொள்வோம். இந்த ரயிலில் நெல்லை - சென்னை பயணிக்க ஒரு படுக்கை வசதி முன்பதிவு செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது. அப்போது நெல்லை - கொல்லம் வரை அந்த இடம் காலியாகவே இருக்கும். எனவே, இந்த காலியாக இருக்கும் படுக்கை வசதியை நெல்லை - கொல்லம் செல்லும் பயணி பயன்படுத்த அனுமதி அளிக்கும் வகையில் செயல்படுத்தப்பட்டிருப்பதே இந்த டி-ரிசர்வ்டு டிக்கெட். 

ஒருவர், முன்பதிவில்லா பெட்டியில் பயணிக்க டிக்கெட் எடுக்கும்முன்பு, அதே ரயிலில் டி-ரிசர்வ்டு இருக்கை காலியாக இருக்கிறதா என்பதை கேட்டுக் கொள்ள வேண்டும். இருந்தால், சற்று அதிகக் கட்டணம் செலுத்தி அந்த டிக்கெட் எடுத்து கூட்டம் இல்லாமல் பயணம் செய்யலாம். இல்லை என்றால் முன்பதிவில்லா டிக்கெட் எடுத்துக் கொள்ளலாம். 

Chennai Metro Rail services on Poonamallee-Porur stretch to be operational by year-end: CM

Chennai Metro Rail services on Poonamallee-Porur stretch to be operational by year-end: CM

Infrastructure push: Once the ongoing works are completed, Chennai will set new standards in connectivity, urban mobility and public transportation, says the Chief Minister.B. Jothi Ramalingam

Inspecting the ongoing CMRL works on Thursday, Mr. Stalin instructed officials to speed up the work on the remaining sections. He further urged the Union government to swiftly approve Metro Rail projects for Coimbatore and Madurai

The Hindu Bureau  14.02.2025

CHENNAI

The Metro Rail services on the Poonamallee-Porur stretch would be operational by the end of 2025, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said on Thursday.

In a social media post, Mr. Stalin said he had instructed officials of the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) to accelerate the work on the remaining sections.

Once the ongoing works were completed, Chennai would set new standards in connectivity, urban mobility and public transportation, he said.

After “delays in the previous administration”, Mr. Stalin said his government took the lead in implementing Phase II, making Tamil Nadu the first State to “continue metro expansion through its own funding.”

With the recently approved Union contribution, we are expediting the works further, the Chief Minister said.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Stalin, accompanied by officials, inspected the ongoing CMRL works.

“I was elated to witness our vision taking shape and expanding. At this moment, I once again urge the Union government to swiftly approve Metro Rail projects for Coimbatore and Madurai,” he said.

Mr. Stalin further said the Chennai Metro Rail project, initiated during the tenure of the late DMK leader and former Chief Minister, M. Karunanidhi, was advancing rapidly under his government.

AC EMU trains soon; tickets to cost three times more than ordinary

AC EMU trains soon; tickets to cost three times more than ordinary

Feb 13, 2025, 04.02 AM IST

Chennai: Southern Railway’s first fully air-conditioned Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) train will soon be introduced on two key routes — Chennai Beach to Tirumalpur and MGR Chennai Central to Arakkonam. The ticket prices may be three times that of regular trains.

While the present 12-rake EMU can seat 1,168 people and 2,336 people can stand, the new AC EMU 12-car rake has only 1,116 seats but space for 3,798 to stand.

With the maximum speed of 110kmph, the train has advanced bogies with fully suspended traction motors, wheel-mounted disc brakes and air spring suspension, similar to Vande Bharat trains.

The rake designed by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) is stationed at the commissioning shed in Anna Nagar.

Deputy chief mechanical engineer Udhayakumar said ticket prices have not been finalised, but early estimates suggest fares could be three times higher than regular EMU trains. Southern Railway adopting Western Railway's fare model would mean commuters traveling 29km from Chennai Beach to Tambaram pay 95, with fares set at 35 for 9km, 70 for 24km, and 95 for 34km.

The stainless-steel coaches have wide entrances and automatic sliding doors. Passengers will have access to aluminium luggage racks, GPS-based LED display boards, an announcement system and CCTV cameras in all compartments.

Now, you may book smart lockers at Ghaziabad, Sahibabad RRTS stations

Now, you may book smart lockers at Ghaziabad, Sahibabad RRTS stations

 TIMES NEWS NETWORK 24.01.2025

New Delhi : Smart locker facilities are now available for passengers in the operational section of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Namo Bharat corridor, offering a secure and affordable storage solution at a minimal hourly cost. While the service is currently available at Sahibabad and Ghaziabad stations, it will be introduced at other stations soon too. Passengers can use the lockers not only for storing their luggage, but also for receiving ecommerce parcels. The service is available at Delhi Metro stations too. 

“The locker facility will soon be available at all operational Namo Bharat stations, including DPS Raj Nagar, Guldhar, Duhai, Muradnagar, Modinagar South, Modinagar North, and Meerut South. Installation work for the lockers has already begun at these stations. The service will also be accessible at Anand Vihar and New Ashok Nagar stations in Delhi soon,” said an official. 

The option to book lockers will be available on the Namo Bharat and DMRC Momen- tum apps. Passengers can access the facility through the ‘Rent a Locker’ option, and choose the station name and date for which they wish to book the locker. They will need to make an online payment of Rs 20 per hour for a small locker, Rs 30 per hour for a medium locker and Rs 40 per hour for a large/ extra-large locker. Once the payment is made, the locker will be booked, and the passenger will receive a unique access code. This code will be required to open₹400 and close the locker, ensuring that no one else can access it. “This digital booking process will further enhance convenience and accessibility for commuters,” said the official. If the passenger wants to order an e-commerce parcel, he will have to tell his access code and phone number to the delivery person. When the delivery person reaches the station, after the parcel security check, he will have to inform the customer care booth of the Namo Bharat station about the parcel delivery. After this, the delivery person will be allowed to put the goods in the locker