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Vande Bharat Express to connect all regions: Railway Minister

Indian Railways will connect the country's different regions with Vande Bharat Express trains, said Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw while inspecting the Integral Coach Factory in Tamil Nadu. He also ruled out privatisation of the Indian Railways. Congratulating the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) team for designing and rolling out the modern train Vande Bharat Express Vaishnaw said it is a proud project for Indian Railways. “All regions of India will be connected through Vande Bharat Express trains as envisaged by the Honourable Prime Minister which is a dream coming true for all of us,” Vaishnaw said. He visited ICF and inspected the Vande Bharat express coaches under production. First two prototype rakes are planned to be turned out by August this year. Indian Railways is committed to roll out 75 Vande Bharat rakes by August 2023. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presenting the Union Budget for 2022-23 had said 400 new energy efficient Vande Bharat trains will be introduced in three years. According to Vaishnaw, the focus is totally on adaptation of new technologies for the betterment of Indian Railways, such as Kavach Anticollision safety devices, that will be fitted on Vande Bharat Express coaches as well. He said that all the railway stations are being re-developed and 50 stations have already been undergoing the process. In Tamil Nadu, five stations including Chennai Egmore, Madurai, Kanniyakumari, Rameswaram and Katpadi have been shortlisted under the project, he remarked. As regards funds allocation, he said that INR 3,685 crore have been allotted for railway projects in Tamil Nadu in the current budget. Vaishnaw also recommended that the railway staff working in Tamil Nadu should learn Tamil for better interaction with rail users in addition to smooth and safe operation of trains. “India is a country with many beautiful languages and we need to enjoy the beauty of each and every language,” he said. Vaishnaw flagged off the 12,000th ALHB (Linke Hofmann Busch) AC-II Tier Coach at ICF in the presence of AK Agarwal, General Manager, ICF, BG Mallya, General Manager, Southern Railway and other senior officials. This is a great milestone in the history of Indian Railways and a bench mark in modernisation of passenger train services. The ICF is the first production unit of Indian Railways to achieve such a benchmark in the production of LHB coaches

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Rohtang pass to stay open for vehicles 7 days of week

The mighty Rohtang pass, which remains closed for civilian movement, including tourists, every Tuesday, will now remain open seven days a week, an official said. Border Roads Organisation (BRO) keep the Manali-Rohtang highway shut every Tuesday for maintenance of the highway, and no vehicle is allowed to go beyond Gulaba. But now, given the demand from tourism stakeholders, and less traffic burden on this road after opening of the Atal tunnel, the district administration has ordered to open the highway on Tuesdays also. Kullu Deputy Commissioner, Ashutosh Garg, said, “Vehicles are now allowed to move to Rohtang pass seven days a week, provided that they have booked a valid permit online. The order has been passed after reccomendation from SDM Manali. Also, a large number of vehicles are now using Atal tunnel route which has helped decongest Rohtang pass. Given all these aspects, the notification has been issued.”

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Passenger train services between India and Bangladesh to restart from May 29

Passenger train services between India and Bangladesh will resume from May 29, an official order said. The train services between Kolkata and cities in Bangladesh were suspended in March 2020 as a precautionary measure against the spread of Covid-19. The Railway Board has issued orders to resume Kolkata-Dhaka Maitree Express from Dhaka by Bangladesh Railway rake and Kolkata-Khulna Bandhan Express from Kolkata by Indin Railways rake on May 29, 2022. The services of NJP-Dhaka Mitali Express will be started on June 1 following the scheduled virtual flagging off of Mitali Express by the Railway Ministers of India and Bangladesh from Rail Bhawan. The Railway Minister of Bangladesh is expected to be in India during that time

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US Embassy announces opening of student visa interview slots

The US Embassy in India has announced that visa interview slots for student visa categories of F, M and J have been opened for dates in June and the first half of July 2022. Last year, the US Embassy in Delhi and the consulates in India had opened student visa interviews much later on June 14, because of the Covid pandemic situation, with many students who were planning to join US universities having already received their student I-20 documents from US universities and waiting for the interviews. This year, having opened student visa interviews earlier, the US officials hope to issue more student visas than the record number of 62,000 issued last year to students joining US universities in the autumn of 2021. The latest announcement on student visas by the US Embassy has also told students not to panic if they are unable to book a visa appointment in the first tranche. “If you don’t get an appointment in this tranche, don’t panic. We will be focussing on students for the months of June, July and August and will open slots for the rest of July and the first half of August later,” the announcement assured. Further, additional June and July appointments may also be opened up if resources allow. In a relief for applicants, the US Embassy has also eased the earlier announced stand of not giving a second chance for visa interviews to student visa applicants who had been refused visas earlier. “If you have a prior refusal, watch for open appointments in the second half of August when you’ll have a second chance at the interview,” the announcement has clarified.

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Indonesia invites Indians to re-experience the Wonders of Indonesia

In light of the readiness to welcome back international travelers, Wonderful Indonesia presented some of the country’s best destination highlights and new experiences at South Asia’s Travel and Tourism Exchange (SATTE) 2022 on 18 – 20 May 2022 at India Expo Mart, Greater Noida, India. The country’s participation at SATTE arrives at a time when the country is opening up again to global tourists. Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno explained, “Bali has welcomed international tourists since early this year, supported by the granting of Visa on Arrival for 60 countries.” Besides the ease of VoA facilities, Indonesia has also lifted entry PCR test requirements for international travelers who are proven asymptomatic upon arrival. Healthy and fully vaccinated visitors can now immediately make plans to enter the country. Ni Wayan Giri Adnyani, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, Republic of Indonesia, added, “The purpose of Indonesia’s participation in SATTE 2022 is to facilitate Indonesian tourism industry players so that they can reactivate their business in India. This time, Indonesia was chosen as one of the Partner Countries, which is an appreciation to the Ministry for always participating in SATTE activities since 2008.” Twenty notable Indonesian tourism businesses will participate in the exhibition to offer various attractive packages, including Bali, a favorite destination for Indian tourists. In addition, Wonderful Indonesia will also introduce five super-priority destinations that are no less interesting than Bali, namely Borobudur, Lake Toba, Mandalika, Labuan Bajo, and Likupang. Indian tourists have been an important market for Indonesia. Prior to the pandemic, India was one of the markets that had the highest increase in tourists every year. This is inseparable from the large potential of the Indian wedding segment, which makes Bali the main destination for their wedding location. In March, Indonesia successfully held MotoGP at the Mandalika circuit in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara. The event is located at one of the ‘Super Priority Destinations’ promoted by the Government as a strategy for developing destinations outside Bali or ‘The New Bali’. Later this year in October, Indonesia will host the G20 Meeting in Bali, a global international event that reaffirms global trust in Indonesia after the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Port Blair airport to get new terminal building by October: MoCA

A new terminal building at the Port Blair airport will be built by the Airports Authority of India by October this year, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) said on Thursday. Considering the surge in passenger traffic, the new terminal building is being constructed at a cost of approximately INR 707.73 crore, the MoCA's statement noted. “With a total built up area of 40,837 square metres, the new terminal building will be capable to handle 1,200 passengers during peak hours and about 40 lakhs passengers annually,” the statement mentioned. The new passenger terminal building will have three floors comprising lower ground, upper ground and first floor, it noted. Along with new terminal, additional parking bays are also being constructed at the airport, it said. “More than 80 per cent of the project work is completed and the development project is targeted to be completed by October 2022,” it stated.

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