Latest news with #DRM
Time of India
10 hours ago
- Time of India
Railway worker dies, 4 hurt as train hits trolley
Patna: A railway worker was killed and four others were seriously injured when the Dibrugarh-bound Awadh Assam Express (15910) collided with a track inspection trolley near Maharani village, between Kadhagola and Semapur railway stations, around 2.20pm on Friday. The site falls on the Barauni-Katihar section under the Sonepur division of East Central Railway (ECR). The deceased was identified as Pramod Kumar. The four other railway workers injured in the crash were taken to Katihar hospital where their condition was stated to be stable, Sonepur divisional railway manager (DRM) Vivek Bhushan Sood. "The incident is deeply saddening. We are in touch with the families of those affected and are extending every possible support. A high-level inquiry will be conducted to determine the cause of the accident," Sood said. According to initial information, the collision occurred when the express train struck the trolley from behind while it was moving slowly on the track. Preliminary findings indicated that the team had been engaged in track maintenance and safety-related duties at the time of the incident. A team has been constituted to investigate the incident with the inquiry focusing on whether technical failures or procedural lapses contributed to the mishap. Senior railway officials are also reviewing CCTV footage from nearby stations to reconstruct the events leading up to the collision, said officials from the Sonepur and Katihar divisions. Sood said the railways had sanctioned funeral allowances in accordance with the rules and had prioritised the process for ex gratia payments and compensation for the bereaved and injured.
Time of India
2 days ago
- General
- Time of India
DRM Prayagraj division inspects DFCCIL operation control centre
Prayagraj: Newly appointed divisional railway manager (DRM) of Prayagraj Division Rajneesh Aggarwal conducted an extensive inspection of the Operation Control Centre (OCC) of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor on Wednesday. His visit emphasised the division's commitment to harnessing advanced technology for safer and more efficient train operations. ADRM (Infrastructure) and senior divisional operations manager (coordination) along with other officials accompanied him. The DRM reviewed train reception procedures at key locations like New Sonnagar, New Chirailapauthu, and New Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction and engaged with teams from Eastern Central Railway, North Central Railway, Northern Railway, and the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor. "We are on a path of progress, and it is essential to focus on our loading goals to support the growing demand for rail transport," said Aggarwal, while highlighting the importance of the Dedicated Freight Corridor in achieving load targets. He pointed out specific challenges in the Dhanbad division and advocated for improved planning and infrastructure. The DRM also discussed the proposed connection between New Dagmagpur station and the Chopan area via Vishwanathpuri, underlining the need for surface crossings to reduce traffic disruptions. He praised the work of Controllers at the OCC and expressed satisfaction with performance systems like the Hot Axle Box Detector, Machine Vision Inspection System, and Wheel Impact Load Detector . The day also witnessed the inauguration of a new running room at New Kanpur, a facility that provides essential rest for train crew and helps reduce operational delays.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
PM to flag off Vande Bharat train on Patliputra-Gorakhpur route
Patna: Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi is likely to flag off a new Vande Bharat Express train between Patliputra Junction and Gorakhpur via videoconferencing from Siwan during his visit on June 20. The much-awaited semi-high-speed train is expected to improve connectivity in north Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh, much to the relief of residents in both states. Danapur divisional railway manager (DRM) Jayant Kumar Choudhary said preparations were underway for the launch of the new Vande Bharat Express. "The function will be held on platform number 1 at Patliputra Junction. Other details are still awaited," he said, adding that the Danapur division is already operating Vande Bharat trains on the Patna-Ranchi, Patna-Howrah, Patna-New Jalpaiguri, Patna-Tatanagar and Patna-Lucknow routes. According to sources, the new train will have eight modern coaches and cover the 234-km distance in just about five hours, almost half the time taken by conventional passenger trains, which usually take up to nine hours. The train will offer 1,130 seats with each coach featuring four emergency windows for passenger safety. A railway official from the Danapur division said the new Vande Bharat Express would run via Bettiah, Bapudham Motihari and Muzaffarpur with scheduled halts at eight stations between Patliputra Junction and Gorakhpur. Preparations for the inaugural run, including track inspections, station readiness and security arrangements, are already in progress. The addition of this new train is seen as a major step toward improving intra-state travel in Bihar and improving connectivity with eastern Uttar Pradesh. Sources said the train's advanced features, such as reduced travel time, modern amenities and enhanced safety, are expected to draw a substantial number of passengers on the Patna-Gorakhpur route. Fare details and the final list of stoppages are currently being finalised by the Railway Board.
Sunday World
4 days ago
- Sunday World
Former teacher jailed over sex abuse of two boys back in court
With William Maher appearing by video link from prison, defence counsel Michael Boyd confirmed the 38-year-old was entering guilty pleas to each of the eight charges against him A former teacher and youth group leader turned pervert, recently jailed for sex offences against two boys, was back in court to admit multiple breaches of his Sexual Offences Prevention Order With William Maher appearing at Newtownards Magistrates Court by video link from prison, defence counsel Michael Boyd confirmed the 38-year-old was entering guilty pleas to each of the eight charges against him. Maher, currently serving a two year sentence but who has an address at Shaftesbury Drive in Bangor, admitted eight counts of breaching his SOPO in that between 8 June last year and 23 January this year, he used public computers at libraries in Bangor, Holywood and Ballyhackamore in east Belfast. The 'sexual predator' had only been handed the SOPO, along with a three year probation order, in May 2024. Opening the facts of the case, a prosecutor told District Judge Conor Heaney how Maher is a registered sex offender and as such, he is restricted on what devices he can use to access the Internet and any that he does use, have to be registered and approved by his Designated Risk Manager (DRM). Earlier this year, 'a concerned member of the public' contacted police to report they had spotted Maher using a computer at Ballyhackamore library. Officers conducted enquiries and established that Maher 'had attended various libraries and had accessed the computers' but that at no point, had he alerted or sought permission from his DRM. Arrested and interviewed, Maher 'made admissions' but claimed he was using the computers to print off documents relating to his mother selling her house. Mr Boyd conceded that Maher's claims 'might raise slight suspicion' but he submitted there was no evidence to the contrary and further, there was also no evidence that apart from the use of the computers, that he had done anything more sinister. 'His career has been shattered of course,' the barrister highlighted, 'and his whole life has been destroyed by his behaviour.' At the time of the breaches, Maher had just been sentenced in the Crown Court case where he sexually abused two boys. Described by a detective as a 'sexual predator,' Maher had entered guilty pleas to three counts of sexual communication with a child and three counts of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual offences on dates between 1 Sept 2021 and 24 May 2022. William Maher News in 90 seconds - 16th June 2025 In May last year, Maher was put on probation for three years and also made the subject of a five year SOPO which was deemed 'necessary and proportionate' to protect against further offending. The former teacher and youth group leader, who was also ordered to sign the police sex offenders register for five years, admitted charges of engaging in sexual communication with two young boys, one between 6-25 May 2022 and a further child on dates between 20 August 2018 and 1 July 2019. Last month, he was handed a two year sentence and ordered to serve half in jail and half under supervised licence conditions after two further victims found the bravery to come forward. In court, Judge Heaney told Maher it was 'very significant' that he breached the SOPO, an order put in place 'and designed to protect the public,' within weeks of it being imposed. He imposed two month jail sentences on each of the eight counts and ordered them to be served concurrently to the sentence Maher is already serving so 'that will not affect your release date.'
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
25% surge in unreserved ticket sales in June: Rlys
1 2 3 4 5 6 Patna: An intensive ticket-checking drive conducted across the Danapur division of the East Central Railway (ECR) in June has begun to show results, leading to a 25% surge in ticket sales through the Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS) in the month. According to Danapur divisional railway manager (DRM) Jayant Kumar Choudhary, the intensified ticket-checking drive conducted during June led to the penalisation of 51,644 passengers who were found travelling without valid tickets. The crackdown resulted in the collection of fines amounting to Rs 3.50 lakh, he said. "The objective behind the drive was not just to penalise offenders, but to instil a sense of responsibility among daily commuters and casual passengers. This has evidently led to an increase in the number of passengers purchasing proper tickets before boarding either long-distance or short-distance passenger trains in the division," the DRM said. Danapur senior divisional commercial manager (Senior DCM), Abhinav Siddarth, said on Monday the railways has already introduced the UTS mobile app and automatic ticket vending machines (ATVM) across major stations of the division to reduce congestion at general ticket booking counters. These digital facilities allow passengers to conveniently purchase unreserved tickets without standing in long queues, he said. Similar inspection drives will continue in the future, he said.
