`It was a momentous occasion'

Interview with Shyam Kumar, General Manager, Eastern Railway.

Shyam Kumar took over as General Manager, Eastern Railway, in December 2003. A civil engineer by profession, Kumar joined the Indian Railways in 1969 in the cadre of Indian Railway Service of Engineers. He has served in various zones of Indian Railways, and prior to his appointment as General Manager, was posted as Additional Member, Civil Engineering in the Railway Board.

In an interview to Suhrid Sankar Chattopadhyay, he speaks of the Eastern Railway's 150th year celebrations, and its important ongoing and future projects. Excerpts:

With Eastern Railway's 150th year celebration almost coming to an end, what feedback have you got from the employees and the general population?

It was a momentous occasion. Although train services first started in the western sector, the main work of developing and expanding the railway network was initiated from the eastern sector. For that reason, last year we tried to recreate the whole scene as it was when the first train left the Howrah station in 1854. The purpose of the celebration was also to create an awareness among the public that we have been serving them for 150 long years. More important, it was to give our staff a sense of belonging - that they too are a part of such a great heritage. It served to remind them that what people expected from us 150 years ago, they are expecting still, that is, good service. And it is our duty to provide them with that.

The response of the public was wonderful. They were very enthusiastic, particularly the people of West Bengal who are very proud of their railway. The book that we had brought out on the occasion Symphony of Progress - The Saga of Eastern Railways got a tremendous public response.

We have a very large workforce. Many people may not be working for the railways, but their forefathers did, and they would have heard so many stories about the railways. The railways have always been a matter of fascination for the people. So when the old memories were recreated by running a special heritage steam train, the response was tremendous. We got a lot of letters not only from old-timers but also from those who grew up hearing stories of the past from their grandparents. Even the invitation card on the occasion was similar to what was in vogue in those times. Some people have told me that they preserve the uniforms of their ancestors who had worked in the railways. The whole experience re-strengthened our emotional bond with the people.

What is the status of important ongoing projects such as the Circular Railway extension?

There are three important projects that we have taken up. Both our major terminals for passenger and mail express trains, Howrah and Sealdah, have become saturated. They cater to over 10 lakh passengers each day, and with the increase of population, there is requirement for more trains. Moreover, with the spread of industrialisation, the demand for connecting various suburban towns is also increasing tremendously. So we have decided to develop a big terminal at Chitpur which, because of its location in the heart of Kolkata, will help reduce the workload in Howrah and Sealdah. By next June, this terminal should be operational.

We intend to complete the Circular Rail project by the end of this year. The basic idea is not to use the Circular Rail within a small circle. We are trying to add the trains from the northern and southern suburbs in the Circular Rail system. So people from outside Kolkata can come directly into the central business district of the city without having to use a second mode of transport from the station.

We are also developing a new line connecting the metro to the Netaji Subhas Airport in Dum Dum. A major portion of this new line will be on an elevated structure that will cost around Rs.110 crores.

Other than these, we are doubling the Bolpur-Ahmedpur section and are on the verge of completing the Lakshmikantpur-Namkhana line. We are also constructing a new bridge across the Hooghly river, near the 120-year-old Jubilee Bridge. The new project, using bowstring technology, will be modelled on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and would cost Rs.115 crores.

What is being done to modernise Eastern Railway further?

The main modernisation project we have undertaken is the laying of optical fibre cable (OFC) all along our tracks. We have a large suburban network, and this system provides a much more reliable and modern means of telecommunication that is extremely essential for smooth running of trains in the busy suburban and main line sections. The OFC system will provide uninterrupted communication between the guard, the driver and the control room, ensuring punctuality and security of the trains. Everything will be so well coordinated after this that we will finally be approaching our final objective of running a paperless office. This will be completed in another couple of years, and the project cost is estimated at around Rs.100 crores.

The computerised passenger reservation system of Kolkata, which is under our control is a huge success. The highest computer reservation centre is situated at Thegu near the Nathula Pass in Sikkim. Now we have turned our focus on unreserved booking. We have already introduced the first phase of this project known as the unreserved ticketing system (UTS) and have set up counters in Howrah and Sealdah for this purpose.

The Freight Operations Information System (FOIS) enables freight customers to have instant access to information regarding the current status of their consignments in transit. It also helps the management in movement and optimisation of asset utilisation. Last September (2003), we replaced the route relay interlocking system at Howrah in a record time of 22 hours. Among other new measures being taken are the introduction of modern coaches and upgradation of the signalling systems.

Another aspect on which we are placing great importance is cleanliness. This we have taken up as a mission. For years we were dependent on sweepers. Now it has been mechanised, as in advanced countries. This improves the entire image of the railways.

The main income of the railways comes from freight movement. What has been your performance on this front?

At the moment, we are the fourth or fifth highest loading railways. Last year, we had moved over 38 million tonnes of freight, which is a record for us. This year we are hoping to cross 40 million tonnes. Coal is our main commodity of loading. The other commodities are stone, finished steel, petroleum products, jute, cement, fertilisers and foodgrain. The total revenue earnings a year was over Rs.1,900 crores.

What important projects are on the cards?

We want to have a separate corridor line for suburban traffic. At the moment, we are moving both suburban and non-suburban traffic on the same line. We are also planning to run suburban point-to-point trains.

Improving station facilities is a continuous effort. As the Howrah station is very congested we are making subways. We are seeking the State government's help and cooperation for this.

Tell us something about the social work that Eastern Railway is involved in.

One of our biggest social obligations is moving suburban traffic, which we are doing at a huge loss to our organisation. Otherwise, we want the railways to be a part of all good activities necessary in society.

We have a quota for the disabled and recruit 40 to 50 people each year under this category. Almost all the announcers in our stations are visually handicapped. We feel very proud to have them in our system.

Our Women's Welfare Organisation is active among the poor. This is being run mainly by the wives of railway staff. This organisation does various kinds of social work - vocational training, educational camps for children, handicraft stores for the poor, and so on.

Eastern Railway has a tradition of encouraging sports. Three people from Eastern Railway will be representing our country in the Athens Olympics - Soma Biswas, Saraswati Saha and Dibakar Prasad. They carry with them our very best wishes. As far as sports is concerned, we are one of the biggest contributors. We recruit around 60 people every year on the sports quota.

We have two football clubs - Eastern Railway and Railway Football Club playing the Super Division League in Kolkata. We maintain a full-fledged sports complex, where even Sourav Ganguly occasionally comes to train.

Which areas in Eastern Railway need improvement

I feel the station areas require improvement. Another problem we have not been able to control is that of outsiders causing trouble by illegally getting into train compartments. Even though we provide security escorts in the trains, it is not always possible for them to handle the situation. Unfortunately, this creates a bad impression among the people. But we are trying to find a solution to this. We have given our police more powers, but a lot more needs to be done.

What do you see on the horizon for Eastern Railway?

We have a very bright future. Ours is the only railway which handles such heavy traffic on both the passenger front and the freight front. Our suburban system is probably the second-largest after Mumbai. Our potential is immense, and in spite of such a heavy workload, I am confident we will do even better. Besides, as West Bengal grows, Eastern Railway is bound to grow.