Bristol Temple Meads Award

[whole diary]

[bemmy]

However, things are put into perspective slightly when one considers that the Mumbai suburban network, at just over 180 route miles carries 6 million passengers per day and that the principal station, CST Terminus, sees over 6 million passengers per week.

CST is only one of Mumbai's major stations, long distance expresses also terminate at Lokmanya Tilak, Mumbai Central, Bandra and Dadar, while Churchgate is the busiest commuter terminus... the constant stream of thousands pouring out of its narrow confines during rush hour is a sight to behold.

Some of the outer terminus stations were developed because CST and Mumbai Central were already operating at 100% capacity with no room to grow, and the same has happened in Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai. It's like an express train to London being timetabled to terminate at Ealing Broadway because all of Paddington's platforms are full.

All statistics from Indian Railways are mind-boggling.... second largest single employer in the world (after the Chinese army, before the NHS), over 8,000 stations, 14,000 passenger trains a day, 1.4 million tonnes of freight per day.... It's almost pointless to compare with railways in Britain, but not quite, because there are a few things we could learn from them.

Temple Meads is one of the few British stations I know that has something of the old romance of rail travel about it.... but there's still plenty of that romance on Indian railways.

[Lee]

A team of railway experts from the United Kingdom were impressed with Indian trains (link below.)
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mumbai/Railways_efficiency_and_punctuality_is_impressive/articleshow/3575105.cms

[G.Uard]

Thanks, G.Uard!

Further details have been posted on a previous topic, at http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=3479.0 

Oh dear.  I hadn't seen that. Slap on wrist self administered.

Can this be merged with the original topic mods?

[Lee]

Can this be merged with the original topic mods?

It can, and it has.

[bemmy]

A team of railway experts from the United Kingdom were impressed with Indian trains (link below.)
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mumbai/Railways_efficiency_and_punctuality_is_impressive/articleshow/3575105.cms

I hope they're not trying to persuade India to privatise its railways... They've recently started making a profit, there are dozens of new lines and electrification projects..... the last thing they need is to become a gravy train, there are enough ways for rich Indians to get their hands in the till already.

[G.Uard]

I used CST as a comparator with BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI)) because it handles both long distance and suburban traffic.   From a purely suburban perspective, the Western Line of the Mumbai network, terminating at Churchgate, carries over 2.4 million passengers per day. 

Of course, I agree with bemmy that most comparisons between Indian and UK^▸ (United Kingdom) railways are pointless. (no pun intended). Safety considerations in the UK would never allow anything approaching the 30 second dwell time in stations for example, nor 6000 people crowding onto a 12 car rake designed for 1300.  (I can just imagine the reaction at Yate  )

That said, I also agree that we can learn from India, especially from the attitude and 'can-do-ability' of staff at all levels.

[bemmy]

Of course, I agree with bemmy that most comparisons between Indian and UK^▸ (United Kingdom) railways are pointless. (no pun intended). Safety considerations in the UK would never allow anything approaching the 30 second dwell time in stations for example, nor 6000 people crowding onto a 12 car rake designed for 1300.  (I can just imagine the reaction at Yate  )

I'm just imagining the reaction of 6000 Mumbai commuters as their train pulls into Yate! 

[G.Uard]

Of course, I agree with bemmy that most comparisons between Indian and UK^▸ (United Kingdom) railways are pointless. (no pun intended). Safety considerations in the UK would never allow anything approaching the 30 second dwell time in stations for example, nor 6000 people crowding onto a 12 car rake designed for 1300.  (I can just imagine the reaction at Yate  )

I'm just imagining the reaction of 6000 Mumbai commuters as their train pulls into Yate! 

That thought will keep me smiling this morning.

Mumbai commuters would have to leave the front car only, clear for the Yate commuters who steadfastly refuse to walk down the platform.

At some Indian stations, special  railway courts deal with fare evaders on a 'then and there' basis.  Over the last 2 days, there have been revenue blocks, complete with BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) presence, set up at Filton Abbey Wood, which has come as a distinct shock to some short distance commuters.   

[signalandtelegraph]

Paddington is a much more pleasant place, and that's coming from someone who prefers root canal work to going to London.

Platform 9 towards the H&C isn't particularly pleasant though! Whilst arriving under the canopy was excellent, a real credit to the station, departing from the unbarriered ( ) platform 9 might have well have taken place at Midnight!

Ahem! 

If you want to see 'dark and depressing', mate, go to Birmingham New Street! 

I take it you have never been to FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s 'jewel in the crown' then? Exeter Central, the most dank and depressing station on the network..

Luckily an Ex Southern Region station!

But allowed to get into that state after the Western took it over from the Southern in the sixties!

[Lee]

Union Minister of Railways Lalu Prasad Yadav has said that Indian Railways is the lifeline of the nation and it is necessary to run fast moving trains in view of ever increasing passenger and freight traffic (link below.)
http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/index.php?sid=421040

Addressing a gathering at the inauguration of an International Seminar on "Emerging Technologies and Strategies for Energy Management in Railways", Yadav said that there is need to increase the pace of electrification to meet the increase in demand.

[G.Uard]

A new bidder for the franchise.  The Western Railway.......of India