News

10 stations removed from Kalka-Shimla toy train route to reduce travel time

In a recent update, 10 stations have been removed from the Kalka-Shimla toy train route to reduce travel time between the destinations. As of now, there were a total 18 stoppages along the historic Kalka-Shimla railway journey. But now the route has excluded 10 stations, which are Kanoh, Kathleeghat, Shogi, Taradevi, Kathlighat, Kumarhatti, Sanwara, Koti, Gumman, and Taksal.The running time between Shimla and Kalka now has been reduced from 5.17 hours to 4.51 hours. This new route is on a trial basis, and the railway authorities plan to evaluate the results before making further decisions. Kalka-Shimla is a 92 km long journey and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This British-era railway track was severely damaged due to continuous rain in July and August this year. Because of this, more than 300 sites are expecting repair work. After restoration, six toy trains and a Rail Motor Car (RMC) started operations in September.Under the new schedule, the train will depart from Kalka at 3:45 AM and reach Shimla at 8:55 AM without stopping at Kanoh, Kathlighat, Shogi, and Tara Devi. While returning, the train will depart from Shimla at 10:55 AM and reach Kalka at 4:35 PM without stopping at Kathlighat, Kumarhatti, Sanwara, Koti, Gumman, and Taksal.Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Ambala, Mandeep Singh Bhatia, said, “We have rationalized the timetable to reduce the total travel time between Kalka and Shimla. The excluded stations from the first train are covered by the second train, and vice versa. The replacement of a single coach Rail Motor Car with a full 7-coach train enhances passenger convenience. This adjustment allows ample block margin for track maintenance. The decision to exclude certain stops is a trial, and we remain open to feedback and suggestions”.As per reports, the decision was taken after keeping a few factors in mind such as ticket sales, passenger rush, distance between stops, and the length of the railway track. Despite the reduction in stoppages, the number of train services between Kalka and Shimla remains at six services each way. With this move, the government aims to streamline services and offer quick movement between the destinations.

Read more

President Murmu unveils 3 new trains to strengthen connectivity in Odisha's tribal areas

President Droupadi Murmu flags off 3 trains in Odisha to provide connectivity to the tribal areas, takes inaugural trip to a village close to her birthplace President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday flagged off three trains from Badampahar Railway Station in Mayurbhanj district of Odisha.Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, and Governor of Odisha Raghubar Das among other senior leaders and Railway officials were present at the flagging-off ceremony. "Providing connectivity to the tribal areas of the country is Modi govt's priority. These three trains will benefit the mineral-rich areas in many ways,” Vaishnaw told PTI.It is for the first time in 91 years that this area has come up on the Railways map and express trains have started, he added. The South Eastern Railway (SER), under which the Badampahar station comes, had beautifully decorated the station and held a cultural event to welcome the President and other dignitaries.The event witnessed a huge gathering of locals who came to celebrate the historic moment. The three trains -- Shalimar-Badampahar and Badampahar-Rourkela weekly express and one MEMU between Badampahar and Tatanagar -- will connect tribal areas with bigger cities and give a huge boost to the local economy, access to healthcare and tribal tourism, a Railways official said. According to the Railways, the Shalimar-Badampahar Weekly Express will be the first-ever express train connecting Shalimar near Kolkata in West Bengal with Badampahar in Odisha. The second weekly express train will connect the mineral-rich areas of Badampahar with Rourkela, the Steel City of India while the third -- Tatanagar-Badampahar MEMU -- will be important for daily commuters as it will run six days a week except on Sunday.This will be an additional service between Badampahar and Tatanagar, an important industrial city of Jharkhand, the Railways said. The South Eastern Railway (SER) zone, under which these areas fall, said these trains will pass through mineral-rich and industrial areas and will improve connectivity. People from nearby areas will also be able to avail of this train service for visiting bigger cities for various purposes, it added. "It will benefit students and job aspirants by providing easy access to the premier educational institutes and corporate houses," an SER official said. Highlighting the importance of the trains for people who need medical treatment, he said, "Patients from this area can now consult doctors and avail treatment at reputable hospitals of Kolkata and Tatanagar."Besides providing better connectivity to boost the growth and development of the Mayurbhanj district of Odisha, these new trains will also encourage tourists from West Bengal and Jharkhand to explore and enjoy the picturesque landscape and dense forest of northeastern parts of Odisha. The President also laid the foundation stone of the redevelopment of Badampahar Railway Station as part of the Amrit Station Scheme under which more than 1,300 railway stations across the country are being redeveloped with state-of-the-art facilities. "Badampahar Station in Chakradharpur Division has been earmarked for redevelopment under Amrit Station Scheme at an estimated cost of ₹12.22 crore," according to a statement by Railways. "The redevelopment of Badampahar Railway Station will enhance rail-transport infrastructure and boost tourism for the state of Odisha," it stated.

Read more

Hong Kong's Disneyland opens 1st Frozen-themed attraction. Here's what it features

Based on Disney’s popular animation film, Hong Kong's Frozen-themed Disneyland park features different scenes from the film. Here's what's in for tourists Hong Kong Disneyland opened its first Frozen-themed attraction on Monday, with thousands of eager visitors turning up to experience the new rides, some lining up for hours to get an early start.Based on Disney’s wildly popular Frozen animation film, the new section of the park features landscapes and characters from the movie and two new rides, a roller coaster and a boat ride that takes visitors through different scenes featured in the film.“Over the past decade, the film has grown into one of the most successful franchises in Disney history,” said Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Experiences. “World of Frozen represents Hong Kong Disneyland’s largest and boldest expansion since the park opened in 2005.” The opening comes after Disney announced in September a $60 billion expansion of its parks and cruises over about a decade. Now that Chinese tourists are venturing abroad again after the pandemic, the pandemic, the new attraction is meant to be a game changer for a theme park that has run losses for years.Some of the hundreds of Disney fans who lined up hours ahead of time were dressed like characters from Frozen. Disney enthusiast Bryan Darmanic, who had travelled from California with his wife and daughter, were among the first visitors to the Frozen-themed roller coaster and received limited edition souvenirs to commemorate the experience. “The World of Frozen is really well-designed and beautiful,” said Darmanic, whose family was making its first visit to the Hong Kong theme park. Winnie Ip, a tourist from Macao, said she arrived at 9 a.m. in the morning ahead of the opening of the Frozen section. The Frozen attractions were “magnificent,” Ip said. Hong Kong has been beefing up the park to try and draw more visitors. In June 2022, it debuted its Momentous multimedia and fireworks show, which is staged at its castle on most nights.Elsewhere, Disney plans to launch a Zootopia-themed area at its Shanghai Disneyland in December, a Fantasy Springs port at Tokyo DisneySea next spring and a Frozen-themed Kingdom of Arendelle at Disneyland Paris, slated to open in either 2024 or 2025.

Read more

Vietnam may be the latest country to let Indians visit visa-free

Starting from mid-August, Vietnam began issuing e-visas for individuals from all countries and territories, providing a validity period of 90 days and allowing multiple entries. For citizens from the 13 countries exempted from visa requirements, there has been a threefo extension in the duration of stay, now set at 45 days.After Sri Lanka and Thailand, Vietnam may be the next big destination to allow entry of Indian travellers without the need for a visa. According to local news agency VnExpress, Vietnam's Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung has called for short-term visa waivers for major markets like China and India to drive tourism recovery. Currently, only nationals of Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland can enter Vietnam without a visa. In the first ten months of this year, Vietnam received nearly 10 million international visitors, marking a 4.6-fold rise compared to the corresponding period in 2022 and surpassing the targeted goal for 2023.Starting from mid-August, Vietnam began issuing e-visas for individuals from all countries and territories, providing a validity period of 90 days and allowing multiple entries. For citizens from the 13 countries exempted from visa requirements, there has been a threefold extension in the duration of stay, now set at 45 days. Indian travellers have had a good few months, with Thailand and Sri Lanka, both announcing visa waivers. Starting November 10, Thailand has scrapped the need for a visa for Indian travellers. The visa exemption allows Indian tourists a 30-day stay, and will be in place until May 10 next year. The Thai government later said there was a possibilty of the scheme being extended, if demand grew Vietnam may be the latest country to let Indians visit visa-free, “We want more travellers to visit Thailand,” Tourism Authority of Thailand told ET in a statement. “In 2022, we received 965,994 Indian tourists. This year from January 1 till October 31 we received 1,302,483 Indian tourists.”In October, Sri Lanka too introduced a visa-free entry initiative for visitors from seven countries, including India, China, and Russia, as part of a pilot project pilot project, which began immediately, will be in effect until March 31, 2024. According to a McKinsey study released in November, Indian travellers are set to soar, given the relative economic prosperity and a growing propensity for international travel. “If India follows China’s outbound travel trajectory (which it could, due to similarity in population size and per capita income trajectory), then Indian tourists could make 80 to 90 million trips a year by 2040,” said the report, From India to the world: Unleashing the Potential of India’s Tourists.

Read more

India's domestic air passenger traffic touches record high on Nov 19

India's domestic air traffic touched a new high on Sunday as airlines carried 4,56,910 passengers, marking two "consecutive days of historic numbers". On Saturday also, the air traffic number reached a new high of 4,56,748 passengers, according to official data. "Post-Covid, India's domestic aviation's turnaround story has not just been overwhelming but inspiring as well. Positive attitude, progressive policies, and deep trust among passengers are taking it to new heights with every flight, every day," the civil aviation ministry said in a post on X on Monday. There were 4,56,910 domestic air passengers and 5,958 flight movements on Sunday (November 19). The count was much higher than the 3,93,391 passengers and 5,506 flight movements recorded on November 19 last year Sharing the record numbers, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Monday said there is no stopping the country from becoming the world's largest aviation market. "The josh is high-est sir! India's air passenger traffic breaks the previous day's record, thus marking two consecutive days of historic numbers. More than a feat for the aviation industry, it is a collective achievement for the people of India. "With this, there is no stopping us from becoming the world's largest aviation market!," he said in a post on X. It was also the highest post-Covid air traffic for two consecutive days. India is one of the fastest-growing civil aviation markets in the world and domestic air passenger traffic registered an annual growth of nearly 11 per cent to 1.26 crore in October. Meanwhile, the Mumbai International Airport (CSMIA) on Monday said it recorded passenger traffic of more than 4.25 million in October, an 18 per cent growth compared to the year-ago period. "International passengers at CSMIA alone witnessed a strong 20 per cent growth with more than 1.14 million passengers travelling, in comparison to 0.94 million same period last year," it said in a release.

Read more

How The FAA Is Making US Holiday Air Travel More Efficient

After last year’s chaos and operational meltdowns, the US Department of Transportation (DOT) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are getting ahead of the holiday rush to minimize cancellations and disruption through November and December.Over the past 12 months, the DOT and FAA have been working on redeveloping and modernizing much of the United States’ aviation infrastructure. According to the DOT, over 150 new direct routes have been added across the East Coast to reduce the need for connecting services, and military airspace around the Gulf of Mexico is set to be opened to commercial air traffic through the holiday season to reduce the amount of traffic over land.In a big move, commercial air travel has been prioritized over private aviation during periods of high congestion. Commercial aircraft will be permitted to take off ahead of business jets that have not scheduled their departure well enough in advance.Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, $25 billion has been earmarked to modernize airports over the next five years. The funding includes the $2 billion Airport Terminal Grant to enhance security and digitize systems at regional and international airports, $57.6 million to overhaul winter operational equipment, and $9 billion to improve airport infrastructure. Alongside tackling disruption and enhancing infrastructure, there has also been a greater focus on rights for travelers, such as ensuring airlines accommodate delayed or stranded passengers, better protections for passengers with disabilities, and improved efforts to scrap junk fees, limiting overcharging for flights and ancillary services. While having widespread consumer support, the proposed Junk Fees Prevention Act has been met with some controversy from airlines and aviation groups citing over-regulation.Despite general improvements, much of the US aviation industry remains significantly understaffed, posing a severe challenge to airlines and airports.Earlier this month, a senate hearing for the Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations, and Innovation uncovered significant safety failures due to air traffic control (ATC) staffing shortages. Witnesses for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) cited the chronic understaffing as the cause of several recent near-miss incidents at airports across the US and urged senators to pass the FAA Reauthorisation Bill to bolster funding for training and support services.The FAA confirmed it would be taking immediate action on several recommendations, with new measures to include implementing on-the-job ATC training for certain graduates, opening a fast-track scheme for private and military-trained ATC dispatchers, and enhancing current training facilities. According to the FAA, over 1,500 new ATC controllers have been hired this year; however, the industry remains around 3,000 staff members short, with employees still undertaking excess responsibilities. Speaking at the hearing, committee chair Maria Cantwell summarized the challenges facing current ATC controllers

Read more