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Majestic Palace on Wheels to resume its glorious journey

The luxury tourist train Palace on Wheels will soon return in operation offering a mesmerising journey through majestic Rajasthan. The COVID pandemic has kept the train halted for two years and as the situation improves Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC) is all geared up to get it back on tracks. The initial meetings between RTDC officials, national and international tour operators, hoteliers, and other stakeholders have assured that the Palace on Wheels continues to hold its charm for those traveling to Rajasthan. “The corporation has been consistently receiving tourist inquiries regarding the commencement of the train and initial meetings with stakeholders have also received earnest responses and suggestions. The suggestions are being taken into consideration and accordingly a decision shall soon be made,” said Mrs. Gaytri Rathore, Principal Secretary Tourism, Government of Rajasthan RTDC in association with Indian Railways has been operating the Palace on Wheels since 1982. The luxury train is inspired by the personal coaches of erstwhile rulers and offers modern facilities amid a heritage backdrop. Every coach has several chambers and each chamber is decorated with furniture and details in accordance with local heritage. Its route and stoppages are also planned according to popular tourist trends. A perfect week-long tour where the journey is as enchanting as the destination.

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Uttar Pradesh govt will develop 14 tourist circuits: Minister

The Uttar Pradesh government will develop 14 tourist circuits to promote tourism in the state, a Minister said on Friday. One of these 14 tourist circuits would be dedicated to martyrs, Uttar Pradesh Minister for Tourism and Culture Jayveer Singh said. Braj Bhoomi, the birthplace of Lord Krishna, would be developed as a new tourist hub displaying its ancient culture, the Minister said after inaugurating the four-day Amrit Sangeet Utsav in Uttar Pradesh. "The state government will develop new infrastructure and provide a facelift to Mathura with the cooperation of people," he said.

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Concerns raised over management of Mexico City's airspace

Pilots and airlines have expressed concerns over an increase in potentially dangerous incidents in Mexico City's airspace since it was redesigned to accommodate a second airport, including alerts that planes could crash unless action was taken. They suggest air traffic controllers have been insufficiently trained to operate the newly configured airspace. In the past year, there were at least 17 incidents of ground proximity warning system alerts for planes approaching Mexico City's Benito Juarez International Airport, according to a letter the International Air Transport Association, which represents some 290 airlines, wrote this week to the head of Mexican Airspace Navigation Services, the government agency responsible for managing the airspace. "As you know, these alarms, without the quick action of the flight crew, can lead to a scenario of controlled flight into terrain, CFIT, considered by the industry to be one of the highest risk indicators in operational safety, and with the highest accident rate, as well as fatalities," the letter said. The Mexican agency referred a request for comment to the transportation ministry Friday. The following day, the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations issued a safety bulletin drawing attention to such incidents, as well as planes landing with very low fuel after being forced to circle unexpectedly and diversions to other airports because of excessive delays. It also cited "significant" ground proximity warning systems alerts, including a near collision. The incidents follow the opening of the new Felipe Angeles International Airport north of Mexico's capital in March. The converted military air base was one of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's signature projects. "It would appear that with the opening of this newly converted airport, (air traffic control) has apparently received little training and support as to how to operate this new configuration in the airspace," the bulletin said. Both the pilots' federation and the International Air Transport Association noted that a factor in the incidents appeared to be air traffic controllers not using standard phraseology in their communications with flight crews. The association requested a meeting with Mexican aviation authorities as soon as possible. Lopez Obrador cancelled the previous administration's partially constructed airport, which was supposed to replace Benito Juarez, because it was too lavish. There were concerns at that time that Lopez Obrador's plan to operate two airports simultaneously could create problems over the capital. The International Air Transport Association's letter said the incidents had been reported "since the implementation of the first phase of the redesign of the Mexico Valley airspace." The pilots' federation bulletin said, "Crews have received clearances that do not adhere to terrain avoidance restrictions" on routes used to approach the Benito Juarez airport. IFALPA declined to comment beyond their safety bulletin and referred questions to their Mexican affiliate. Mexico announces tourist protection battalion to safeguard popular beaches The new unit will begin operations on December 1. On Wednesday, Transportation and Infrastructure Undersecretary Rogelio Jimenez Pons told local media the government has decided to reduce the number of flights allowed to land at the old airport by 20 percent. He made no mention of the safety bulletin or the reported incidents. The reduction is to start in July, and could force about 10 daily flights to the new airport. The government had already said any new flights scheduled into Mexico City will have to use Felipe Angeles, but the new reduction applies to some existing routes. Jimenez Pons said the old airport had to reduce traffic because it is overloaded and needs updates. He said airlines can choose to go the Felipe Angeles terminal or to an even more distant, largely unused airport in city of Toluca over a mountain pass to the west. The Mexican pilots association, a member of the international federation, said Thursday that it had requested a meeting with Mexican aeronautical authorities to discuss the situation and share the experiences of its pilots. It called on Mexican Airspace Navigation Services "to address Mexican and foreign pilots' reports, seeking in the first place the safety of air operations and the efficiency of our airspace." One year ago, US regulators downgraded Mexico's aviation safety rating, a move that prevents Mexican airlines from expanding flights to the United States. The Federal Aviation Administration had found that Mexico's ability to oversee its airlines falls short of standards set by a United Nations group called the International Civil Aviation Organization. Those standards cover a broad range of issues including the regulator's technical expertise, inspection procedures and record-keeping. The International Air Transport Association letter alluded to that situation, noting that these incidents "without a doubt do not help in the process in which Mexico finds itself immersed, trying to recover its Category 1 (aviation safety rating) that was withdrawn by the FAA last year." Mexico's National Air Transport Chamber called on the country's aviation authorities "to address with the highest priority the reports that have been made to them for months and make known the diagnosis and the measures to mitigate the corresponding risks."

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Responsible Tourism stall a hit at Kerala Travel Mart

A water-filled rectangular trench giving a hands-on feel of a canal with a floating bamboo raft (changadam) welcomes visitors at the ongoing Kerala Travel Mart (KTM), highlighting the spirit of the state's famed Responsible Tourism (RT) that emphasises on ecological conservation and community development. Adjacent to this installation at the entry are two sights bearing the signature of Malabar, highlighting government's fresh initiatives to promote tourism in north Kerala - a specimen of upstate Kasaragod's suranga irrigation tunnel and mock fights by exponents of ancient Kalaripayattu martial art. These, and more, spectacles instantly draw people's attention to the RT Stall at KTM-2022, conveying that RT is a critical component in sustainable and inclusive tourism development. With its clean-blue water, the 12x7 feet 'channel' at the centre of the pavilion recaptures a common sight in the rural landscape of God's Own Country. Though the bamboo raft gives a toy-like appeal at a glance, one can board it and glide across to the other side of the bank at the sprawling Sagara and Samudrika convention centres on Willingdon Island, the venue of the event. "This is great fun," said AU Faizal Khan, a Delhiite Malayali attending the May 5-8 KTM that has delegates from 69 countries, besides buyers from 25 states within the country. "It reminds me of my native place in lower Kuttanad," he said. Organised by KTM Society, the mart was inaugurated on Thursday by Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan. Perhaps more adventurous at KTM is the replica of suranga, the traditional water-management system which functions as a horizontal tunnel dug in the slope of a laterite hill. Employing gravitational force to extract underground water, the suranga enables the collection of this natural resource into a storage tank. Kerala Tourism's RT Mission, as part of its efforts to revive suranga based on ancient rustic wisdom, displays its working model at the mart. The apparatus has a narrow and dark passage, through which visitors at KTM enjoy walking with caution to find a trickle of water at the other end. "The surangas are among the biggest natural wonders of the world. The guides here come from Kasaragod area, who double up as our regional coordinators" said State Coordinator of Kerala's flagship RT Mission, AK Rupeshkumar. "Tourism is not just about seeing places. It must be experiential. For that, we provide visitors enormous opportunities to interact directly with the ecosystem and our people," he added. KTM Society President Baby Mathew noted RT has immense scope to sustain tourism in the long run. "It gifts us not just new tourism products, but works for the socio-economic benefit of local communities," he added. As for the Kalaripayattu drills at the KTM stall, young practitioners of the celebrated Kadathanadan School clank their spears against metallic shields of their aopponents', creating an audio-visual sensation of the martial art believed to own a history of three millennia. The half-a-dozen men from Puthuppanam Gurukal's Kadathanadan Kalari of Vadakara in Kozhikode district have also put on display their weaponry. The KTM Society, formed in 2000 as the country's biggest organisation in the travel and tourism segment, has been working towards reviving the industry hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Alstom hands over first Rapid Rail trainset to NCRTC

Alstom has successfully handed over India’s first semi high-speed regional trainset to the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) on Saturday. This train will ply on the first phase of the 82.5 kilometre long DelhiGhaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS). The rollout ceremony was held at Alstom’s manufacturing unit at Savli in Gujarat. "Designed and built to move passengers at kilometres per hour (kmph), these trains are expected to reduce the travel time between Delhi and Meerut by 40 per cent," an official statement said. Speaking at the hand over event, NCRTC's Managing Director, Vinay Kumar Singh, said, "The delivery of trainsets on time is a sign that the priority section of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) will be completed as per schedule, if not earlier." Commenting on the delivery, Alain Spohr, Managing Director, Alstom India, said, "Our trains and Signalling systems will ensure safer and seamless intercity commute." The Savli unit produces bogies, car bodies and undertakes train testing. Alstom’s unit has also successfully delivered trains for Delhi Metro, Queensland Rail and is currently producing metro trains for Kanpur and Agra. In 2020, Alstom was awarded the contract worth EUR 436 million to design, build, and deliver 210 regional commuter and transit train cars along with comprehensive maintenance services for 15 years. Alstom is also supposed to design, supply, install, test and commission Signalling and Train Control, Supervision, Platform Screen Doors and Telecommunication Systems The manufacturing process of this train began in July 2021 and has been delivered within a year. This RRTS line is the first in India to adopt the European Train Control System (ETCS) hybrid Level 2 signalling system, which is the core signalling and train control component of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS).

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Remodelling of Kalyan station underway; to offer faster travel through local trains

One of the biggest revamp to prevent a substantial number of long distance trains from entering Mumbai has begun. The Central Railway has started the Kalyan remodelling to ensure that long-distance trains terminate at Kalyan and don't enter Mumbai precincts. The Railways have begun work on the remodelling of Kalyan station to accommodate more local trains as well as Terminus for long distance trains. The remodelling of the Kalyan yard will offer respite to commuters as it will result in saving operational time and increasing the punctuality of local trains. According to officials from Central Railway, work will include the construction of four suburban railway tracks and six outstation train tracks along with foot over bridges, an elevated deck and a connection with the present Kalyan railway station. "We have begun initial basic works for the construction of Kalyan yard remodelling and its up-gradation into a terminus. This project will not only help in segregating local and outstation trains but also allow us the terminate a few long-distance trains at Kalyan itself," said a CR official. The crossovers and the joints at the station overlap the running of both local and long-distance trains, impacting the punctuality of the suburban local trains. The remodelling will also create additional platforms as well at Kalyan. This work is expected to cost Rs 866 crore and is being undertaken by the Central Railway in a phased manner. Sources said that the work is very tedious and construction works will go on for 4 years or so. Senior officials from CR said that they will get a headway of 2-3 minutes in train operations that will improve punctuality and train running. Kalyan station is among the most critical station and congested sections of the Central Railway. It is a junction between trains coming from Kasara/Nashik and Karjat/Pune and caters to more than 750 trains every day that including both suburban local and outstation trains. The trains arriving and departing from north and south of the country into Mumbai will have to pass via Kalyan station.

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