Indian Economy-News & Updates

[Local_Legend]

The Deccan Odyssey is a special luxury train based on the model of Palace on Wheels to boost tourism on the Maharashtra route of the Indian Railways. The route starts in Mumbai and travels to Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Goa, Kolhapur, Belgavi, Solapur, Nanded, Aurangabad, Ajanta-ElloraNasik, Pune and then back to Mumbai.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deccan_Odyssey

The Royal Rajasthan on Wheels is a luxury tourist train run by Indian Railways. It is modelled on the Palace on Wheels, and follows a similar route through Rajasthan. Tourists are taken to several important tourist, wildlife and heritage sites across Rajasthan

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Rajasthan_on_Wheels

 

[Star Wars]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1062853327133469

First Broad gauge Train in Tripura (14019, Tripura Sundari Express).
look at the joy among local people!

These people have been neglected for soo long, its just sad..

 

[Local_Legend]

SBI launches cheaper home loans for 7th Pay Commission beneficiaries


To attract the beneficiaries of 7th Pay Commission, SBI has launched cheaper home loan schemes for defence and other government employees with installment tenure extending up to 75 years of age. It will offer two new home loan products ‘SBI Privilege Home Loan’ for government employees and ‘SBI Shaurya Home Loan’ for defence personnel without any processing fee.

“Under the new schemes, employees of central/state governments, defense forces, public sector banks, public sector enterprises of central government and other individuals with pensionable service will be offered home loans tailored to their specific needs,” State Bank of India (SBI) said in a statement. The bank said the tailor-made products will help customers purchase a spacious or luxurious home without stretching their post-retirement finances.

The new product includes extending the repayment term till the borrower turns 75 years from the existing 70 years, and also a full waiver of processing fees, it said. There will be a lower EMI burden post-retirement and 0.05 per cent concession over the home loan interest. “Benefit of lower interest rate as a concession of 5 bps (0.05 per cent) over the home loan card interest rate is available wherever check-off facility is extended by the government under tie-up arrangement with the bank,” SBI said.

Among others, customers of other banks or financial institutions will have an option to switch over their home loan outstanding balance to SBI. “The launch of ‘SBI Privilege Home Loan’ and ‘SBI Shaurya Home Loan’ products is timed with the notification of 7th Pay Commission recommendations. Surplus income can thus be utilised by government employees and defense personnel towards purchase of new/better house,” SBI said.

http://www.firstpost.com/business/s...7th-pay-commission-beneficiaries-2928974.html



All you wanted to know about Goods and Services Tax


For many months now, the GST Bill has been an incendiary issue in the Parliament with the ruling administration positioning it as a big reform, while the Opposition is insistent on ironing out glitches. The Bill has edged a few steps closer to passage lately. So here’s how it impacts you.

What is it?
The Goods and Services tax is an indirect tax to be levied when a consumer buys a good or a service. It is intended to replace all indirect taxes that you currently pay. Today, apart from the central excise duty or service tax, there are indirect taxes levied at multiple points on every product or service — be it VAT/sales tax, octroi, luxury tax — which all add up to pinch your pocket.

If the GST Bill becomes law, all the above taxes would now be subsumed under a single GST tax rate. While the final rate is yet to be decided, it is expected to be in the range of 15-18 per cent. In order to bring in GST, a constitutional amendment is needed — with approvals from both the houses of Parliament. The GST Constitutional Amendment Bill, which incorporates the provisions of the GST, was passed in the Lok Sabha last May and is pending approval from the Rajya Sabha. After many a push and pull from the Opposition, the elder’s approval might finally be at hand. It is likely the deadline for the roll out of GST would be April 1, 2017.

Why is it important?
GST is expected to help in a seamless flow of goods and services, unifying India into a single national market. This can improve ‘ease of doing’ business. The current taxation structure has created compartmentalization of markets due to many inter-State taxes which didn’t qualify for credits. GST might simplify the taxation structure and remove distortions in allocation of resources.

Finance minister Arun Jaitley has said that having a one-nation-one-tax regime would provide a congenial business environment. He expects India’s GDP growth rate to be boosted by 1-2 per cent over the long-term due to GST.

Why should I care?
Many of your purchases, including groceries, may get cheaper. Assume you are customer staying in Mumbai, buying Apples from Shimla. They currently cost ₹100 a kg. This is because there are multiple taxes levied across the five or more States they traverse. With GST, the apples may be taxed just at a single rate, they may also move faster. While the example of a food item has been taken here, GST would applicable for most consumer items, except fuel, liquor and tobacco. GST, apart from making your life simpler through a single tax, may make some of your favourite items available throughout the year by improving the nation wide supply chain too.

Today, it is largely potatoes that have bulk share in cold storage facilities. Ushering in of GST opens up possibilities, for instance, of processors or producers setting up large-scale cold-storage facilities for all vegetables and fruits. This means you might get your Shimla apples in off-season, instead of just imported Fuji or Washington apples.

It is also possible that ‘ease of doing’ business, could bring in private investments and foster economic growth. So, don’t rule out the possibilities of more job offers and income.

The bottomline
GST is the way forward, with most developed nations having a unified tax structure. States will have to bite the bullet on revenues. But a proper compensation package would ensure that the apple-cart isn’t upset.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com...out-goods-and-services-tax/article8929212.ece

 

[Local_Legend]

PM Narendra Modi approves new policy to end discretion in senior railway appointments

NEW DELHI: The Appointments Committee of Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved a new policy to end discretion in senior appointments in Indian Railways.

There has been lot of tussle over filling vacancies of GM level positions lately and government is now expected to fill them up as per the new policy. A senior government official said the new policy would ensure that officers are posted as General Managers (GMs) - a much coveted position - "strictly in order of their seniority" vis-a-vis the date on which the vacancies arise. This will be a change from the present regime where the vacancies of GM are often bunched together at the time of filling them up and officers end up being posted in a discretionary manner. Similar principle has been brought at the important Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) level posts where a service-wise distribution of DRM posts has been fixed to do away with discretion and provide for posting as DRM based on service-wise seniority eliminating probability of pick and choose.

Also, the new policy had mandated that at least one post of GM for each of the Railway services at any point of time - so far there were no stipulated minimum posts of GM prescribed for each service resulting in a situation where some services did not have a single officer as GM at any point of time. Also, the new policy specifies that carried forward vacancies would be treated as first vacancies for GM in subsequent panel year. Much jostling has been seen among empanelled officers for posting as GM (Open-Line) since working as same is a mandatory prerequisite for further career progression as member. The new policy says officers who have been empaneled for GM (OL) posts will also be eligible for promotion as members, irrespective of whether they worked as GM (OL).

Also, suitability for GM (OL) posts would now be determined by Departmental Promotion Committee to do away with over-dependence on the certification regarding suitability as GM (OL) in an officer's Annual Performance Appraisal Report (APAR) and ensure than an officer is assessed fairly and impartially taking into account his entire service record. Previously, a single entry in APAR of an officer certifying his unsuitability for GM (OL) post could impact his career and instances were seen where an officer with outstanding grading was declared unsuitable for OL or where relevant columns were left blank amounting to denial of posting as GM (OL) and Member. The new policy has also created a post of Advisor (Resource Mobilisation and Development) to be filled on lateral entry of external talent as much needed impetus to the development and modernization initiatives.

Further, the ACC has approved an encadred DG post in apex scale for three railway services - IRPS, IRSSE and IRSS, to fulfill a legitimate aspiration of these organized 'Group A' services. To reorganize the Railway Board on functional lines, the posts of the three Members have also been re-designated as Member Infrastructure, Member Rolling Stock and Member Traction.


http://economictimes.indiatimes.com...railway-appointments/articleshow/53494818.cms

 

[Grevion]

Railways to shortly float expression of interest for levitation trains; meeting with manufacturers on 2 September

The EoI is aimed to promote domestic manufacturing and is part of the government’s ‘Make in India’ strategy.



Gearing up for its meeting with the global ultra-high-speed train manufacturers on 2 September, the Indian Railways will shortly issue an expression of interest (EoI) to design and develop ultra-high-speed rail levitation technology in the country.

The national carrier aims to increase the average speed of trains to ease congestion and attract traffic on the railways network, thereby increasing its freight and passenger revenues.

The EoI is aimed to promote domestic manufacturing and is part of the National Democratic Alliance government’s ‘Make in India’ strategy. The EoI will invite agencies to discuss the concept and establish a development process under the public-private-partnership mode.

“First we want to know what all is coming up. The scope here is huge—there is first-generation Maglev and then there’s second generation. There are also hyperloop trains—so we have quite a few options. The EoI is for all types of levitation trains,” said a railway ministry official requesting anonymity.

InfraCircle on 19 July reported about the national carrier’s plans to scout for ultra-high-speed rail technology.

“The idea is that we need to create the opportunity within the country, maybe in 10-15 years, and make a breakthrough in this space so that India can benefit. We intend to start on this now. The conference will be along these lines. We have given a brief to the railway minister (Suresh Prabhu) and we will issue the EoI in a day or two,” said the official quoted above.

This comes at a time when the Indian Railways has also signed an agreement with Japan entailing an investment of Rs.97,636 crore to run a bullet train using Shinkansen technology. India is also experimenting with the Spanish Talgo, which is currently under trials.

“We will be inviting a number of knowledge holders such as national and international universities, manufacturers and researchers. We want to attract any reputed agency which will come forth with its investors, designers and a concept, and show that concept to us,” said the official.

Maglev stands for magnetic levitation, and is a transport system that uses magnetic levitation to suspend and propel vehicles with magnets without touching the ground.

“We are going to issue an EoI for calling levitation train knowledge holders but all these things are at a conceptual stage. The plans may materialise in more than a decade down the line,” another senior official, who also did not want to be named, at the ministry of railways said.

Queries emailed to a spokesperson of the ministry of railways on 28 July remained unanswered.

According to experts, although it is imperative for the national carrier to keep pace with modern technology, the financial viability of such projects must also be considered carefully.

“When technology is progressing, we should always try to keep pace with it. But financial viability is also a crucial aspect for any organisation. If it is not financially viable, the railways must also find out how the viability gap funding can be arranged as these are very costly propositions. A seminar is the right place for the railways to discuss all these points,” said former chairman of the Railway Board, Vivek Sahai.

The Indian Railways plans to invest Rs.8.5 trillion in the next five years with a total capital for infrastructure for the current financial year set atRs.1.21 trillion.

Of late, the railways has been losing traffic to roads and air routes. For financial year 2015-16, the railways earned a revenue of Rs.45,384 crore from passenger traffic against a target ofRs.50,175 crore. The target for the current financial year has been set at Rs.51,012 crore
http://www.vccircle.com/infracircle...ion-trains-meeting-manufacturers-2-september/

 

[ashok321]

https://twitter.com/x/status/760398451771179008

 

[ashok321]

Oops

High-speed Talgo train reaches Mumbai three hours late

The train had commenced its final phase trial run from Delhi on Monday at 7:55pm and arrived in Mumbai on Tuesday at 11.40am

 

[anant_s]

The Longest Train in India
A multimedia journey on the Kanyakumari Express

Ed Hanley

If all journeys are teachers, it may well be that a journey to India is the greatest teacher of all. As Kurt Vonnegut said, ‘Bizarre travel plans are dancing lessons from God’, and it was in search of a new dance that I purchased a one-way ticket on the longest train in India.

Indian Railways train #15906, the Dibrugarh-Kanyakumari Vivek Express, travels 4,273km as it winds its way from the north-eastern corner of Assam to the southernmost tip of mainland India, an 85-hour journey which gives it the prestigious title of the longest train in India, by both time and distance. It departs Dibrugarh at 10:45pm on Saturday and arrives in Kanyakumari at around 11am Wednesday, three days and 4 nights. The first part of the journey is in darkness, and making your bed and meeting your neighbours are the only activities. When the sun rises, the lovely hill station of Diphu, Assam slides by, shrouded in a light fog.

The train itself is 21 cars long, and fully loaded, carries over 1800 people, 3 or 4 times the capacity of a modern jetliner, or perhaps equal to the population of a small town. There are 4 classes of accommodation on the train: 2 and 3 tier AC (two or three levels of bunks), sleeper (also 3 tier, but no air conditioning) and unreserved (floor to ad hoc hammock... anything goes). There is also a pantry car with a kitchen, and various luggage and specialty cars, plus an electric locomotive.

Bathroom facilities are a bit grim, and you can forget about a proper shower. Tip: pack baby-wipes and hand sanitizer.

That sinking feeling...

The conductor verifies my ticket, and I quiz him for trivia. He searches through the jumbled mass of loose paper in his lap, and it turns out I’m the only person doing the entire 4,273km trip, passengers or staff. I’m haunting #15906 on this run.

So, what is there to do for 85 hours on a train? No shortage of things, it turns out, especially shopping.

The train is plied by vendors and vagabonds of all kinds, at all hours. You can buy bracelets, batteries, or donate to a beggar, procure wristwatches, wicker-ware, a new wallet or mouthwash, invest in a cellphone, a bedsheet, a comb or a set of headphones, and purchase food ranging from bananas to biryani, eggs hardboiled or omelette-ized, idli, vada, tomato soup, water or chocolate, soft drinks (but no booze) and one hundred varieties of chaat...a cornucopia of snacks. The train is a rolling street market, complete with the odd acrobatic act tumbling deftly down the aisle, and occasionally punctuated by the two sharp claps of a hijra making her way through the coaches collecting alms.

But, most importantly, you can buy little cups of chai.

Tea number...uh...twenty-something...

Tea is ritual in India, and doing garam garam chai shots on the train & platforms is a vital part of the experience. I was determined to track my chai consumption, but lost count in a caffeinated delirium about 48 hours in.
Tip: a wallet full of 10 rupee notes is necessary preparation for adequate caffeination.

A snacks vendor prepares for a rolling disembarkation near Asansol, West Bengal. He made it look easy, but stepping off a moving train in flip-flops onto coarse gravel while balancing a tub of cookies on your shoulder is an art, without a doubt.

 

[anant_s]

Combs, nail clippers, soap, peanuts or tea… these guys have you covered.

A young acrobat boarded the train at Jagiroad, Assam, performing an astonishing floor routine of tumbles and cartwheels down the aisle, hoping for donations.

On the train you can: Eat...

Drink tea...

Watch...Charlie Chaplin movies?

Read...

Look out the window...

or just hang out, watching the world go by...

 

[anant_s]

All that consumption produces a fair amount of garbage, and I was initially encouraged to discover that a cleaning crew swept through the train once a day. I wondered where all the collected refuse went, since there were no garbage receptacles, and sadly, the tracks are consistently and liberally littered with trash, for good reason:

Station stops are highlights, and increasingly familiar nods to fellow passengers waiting in the doorway as you pull into a new station herald conversation and new friends. If the train is a street market, train platforms are street markets on speed. Vendors have only minutes to sell as many cups of chai, samosas, idlies and vadas as possible, and the platforms are filled with as unique and varied a set of calls as any jungle.
The romance of train travel is legendary, and while I think 85 hours might possibly be a tad long for a first date, the experience of Indian railways train #15906 definitely has its moments. I watched the three sunsets from the train door (where I spent an inordinate amount of time drinking tea and taking photos), and none failed to impress. Deep sleep eluded me for the duration in the cacophony of doppler horns, rattles and snores, so I was unfailingly at the door waiting for the sun to make her appearance each morning (the train travels so far south that the 3rd sunrise is 42 minutes later than the first).

Morning light at Asansol Railway Station, West Bengal

7:07am, Trivandrum Central, Kerala

Chaparmukh Junction, Assam

Morning commute, Neyyattinkara, Kerala

It’s not all tasty snacks, misty mornings and romance however. Stations can be dirty, rough places, frequented by the homeless, crippled and desperately poor.

A boy begs for money between cars at Guwahati Junction, Assam

An amputee makes his way along the tracks outside Guwahati Junction, Assam

The largest employer in India with 1.4 million employees, Indian Railways is one of the largest railways in the world with over 115,000km of track over a route of 65,808km and 7,112 stations, carrying a staggering 23 million passengers a day, with freight and passenger revenues of US$24 billion. Rolling stock includes 10,499 locomotives and 66,392 passenger coaches. The infrastructure is gargantuan, and at times beautiful.

Where railway ties are born, outside Cuttack, Odisha

 

[anant_s]

Evening on a trestle bridge across the Mahanadi River in Odisha

Indian railways is so large it has its own police force, the R.P.F., or Railway Protection Force. I’ve rarely felt unsafe on my 10 trips to India, but three soldiers toting sub-machine guns suddenly whipping back the curtains and stepping into my coupe to chat did give me a moment, I have to admit. Likely they were only there to quell the growing unrest due to the late appearance of the morning chai-wallah. Tip: photographing the RPF is frowned upon.

An RPF officer guards the door of the 3 tier AC car outside Diphu, Assam.

The train winds her way west through Assam on the first day, then south overnight through the Siliguri Corridor, or “Chicken’s Neck” , a thin strip of West Bengal at times only 20km wide between Nepal and Bangladesh that had my phone connecting to a Nepali cellular network for awhile. The second morning finds you in Dubrapur, West Bengal, crossing into Odisha after lunch, and passing through Srikakkulam in Andhra Pradesh as you prepare for bed.

Mr Upper Berth, Feb 2016, outside Cuttack, Odisha

A glimpse into a packed unreserved (aka Second Class) car at Vellore Railway Station, Tamil Nadu

Bustling Vijayawada Jn. in Andhra Pradesh, the 2nd busiest railway station in India (after Mumbai Central), greets you on the third morning, you lunch near Nellore, and pass into Tamil Nadu in time for afternoon tea, with the train angling west to cross into lush, coconut-laden Kerala overnight. The final sunrise of the trip arrives about 6:30am as you pass Thiruvananthapuram, and the almost empty train crosses back into Tamil Nadu about 8:15am for the final push south to Kanyakumari, finally gliding to a stop around 11am.

Train #15906 cruises ever southwards, less than 1 hour outside Kanyakumari

End of the line

As far as dancing lessons go, it’s an an epic gambol across India ending in an appropriate location, as Kanyakumari takes its name from the Hindu goddess Devi Kanya Kumari, who removes the rigidity of mind, and is also home to a 40m tall statue of Tamil poet/philospoher Thiruvalluvar, who reminds us:

It is compassion, the most gracious of virtues,

Which moves the world.

Thiruvalluvar statue, Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu

Copy rights of Images and Original essay by Ed Hanley
https://edhanley.atavist.com/the-longest-train-in-india


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

@AndrewJin @Abingdonboy @nair @AUSTERLITZ @Joe Shearer @PARIKRAMA @ranjeet @gslv mk3 @Rain Man @Levina @Parul @Stephen Cohen @Vergennes @Taygibay @WAJsal @Robinhood Pandey @Roybot

 

[anant_s]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10154206986540272

RENFE TALGO Behind WAP5 (yeah ) on it final set of trials on New Delhi Mumbai sector

30039 does the honors

@Roybot @Abingdonboy

 

[Ankit Kumar 002]

Out of 120 sports players , from the largest ever contingent of India at Olympics , 35 are from Railways .

Archery:
1. Ms. Laxmirani Majhi,
2. Ms. L. Bombayla Devi,
· Athletics:
3. Ms. Manpreet Kaur (Shot Put) [DMW],
4. Ms. Lalita Babar (3000m Steeplechase) [CR],
5. Ms. Tintu Luka (800m) [SR],
6. Ms. Sudha Singh (Marathon) [CR],
7. Ms. OP Jaisha (Marathon) [ER],
8. Ms. Khushbir Kaur (Walk) [NR],
9. Ms. Dutee Chand (100m) [CR],
10. Shri Lalit Mathur (4x400m Relay)
11. Shri Renjit Maheswari (Triple Jump)
· Boxing :
12. Shri Manoj Kumar (Boxing Men-64 Kg),
· Shooting:
13. Ms. Ayonika Paul (10m Air Rifle)
· Wrestling:
14. Shri Hardeep Singh (Greeko-Roman),
15. Ms. Vinesh Phogat and
16. Ms. Sakshi Malik (Free-Style).
17. Shri Praveen Rana
· Swimming
18. Shri Sajan Prakash
· Weight Lifting
19. Ms. Saikom Mirabhai Chanu
20. Shri Satish Kumar
· Hockey Women
21. Ms. Rajani,
22. Ms. Sunita Lakra,
23. Ms. Deepika,
24. Ms. Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam,
25. Ms. Namita Toppo,
26. Ms. Deep Grace Ekka,
27. Ms. Renuka Yadav
28. Ms. Lilima Minz,
29. Ms. Navjot Kaur,
30. Ms. Monika,
31. Ms. Poonam Rani,
32. Ms. Vandana Kataria,
33. Ms. Anuradha Devi Thokchom,
34. Ms. Nikki Pradhan
· Hockey Men
35. Shri Chinglensana Singh
· Coaches
1. Shri C R Kumar (Hockey Women)
2. Ms. Helen Mary (Hockey Women)
3. Ms. PT Usha (Athletics)
4. Shri Kuldeep Malik (Wrestling)
5. Shri Vijay Sharma (Weightlifting)
6. Shri Jagdip Hooda (Boxing)
AKS/AK
***

Best of Luck to our contingent.

 

[PARIKRAMA]

@anant_s
Fantastic share Sir, Assam being my home state is very much dependent on this train. Such long distance trains were the only way affordable to connect to Assam in the past.

Way back when i was in Gujarat i use to go to New Delhi in Chair Car overnight and then take a Rajdhani from New Delhi to Guwahati. The whole journey was so so long ... Towards the end its very boring as when you reach New Jalpaiguri, the train has a pilot train in front checking the tracks.

Of course that was the peak time when Bihar/Jharkhand combined had various gangs rushing to loot trains. and NE was infested with ULFA.. peak time of militancy issues.

The train network in Assam i wish could improve a lot. Travelling from Guwahati (Lower Assam) to Upper Assam is a nightmare. Roads have improved but most places potholes are enough to take a dip and bath there. There is a a even bigger issue of trains being slow

Take for example Guwahati to Dibrugarh a distance of 550 odd kms. How much time it should take as per your own guesstimates. ...

Now look at this

http://indiarailinfo.com/search/546/7288?&s0=19&sr=0

The Reds shows the average trains running lates in Minutes and hours.

Look at Durations. The 05595 tarin no does not reach complete destination so pls ignore that.

Look at the avg speed in last column and durations. Even with Rajdhani with just 5-6 halts as seen in the lower side has an avg speed of 50 kmph.

Yet many folks normally take this train as they happily board around 7:25 pm and get off in the morning to get their work done.

Wish we could have a robust network around the place.

We also need proper Diesel or Electrical EMUs in Guwahati Region for better connectivity and ease of travel.

 

[anant_s]

@anant_s
Fantastic share Sir, Assam being my home state is very much dependent on this train. Such long distance trains were the only way affordable to connect to Assam in the past.

Way back when i was in Gujarat i use to go to New Delhi in Chair Car overnight and then take a Rajdhani from New Delhi to Guwahati. The whole journey was so so long ... Towards the end its very boring as when you reach New Jalpaiguri, the train has a pilot train in front checking the tracks.

Of course that was the peak time when Bihar/Jharkhand combined had various gangs rushing to loot trains. and NE was infested with ULFA.. peak time of militancy issues.

The train network in Assam i wish could improve a lot. Travelling from Guwahati (Lower Assam) to Upper Assam is a nightmare. Roads have improved but most places potholes are enough to take a dip and bath there. There is a a even bigger issue of trains being slow

Take for example Guwahati to Dibrugarh a distance of 550 odd kms. How much time it should take as per your own guesstimates. ...

Now look at this


View attachment 322734

http://indiarailinfo.com/search/546/7288?&s0=19&sr=0

The Reds shows the average trains running lates in Minutes and hours.

Look at Durations. The 05595 tarin no does not reach complete destination so pls ignore that.

Look at the avg speed in last column and durations. Even with Rajdhani with just 5-6 halts as seen in the lower side has an avg speed of 50 kmph.

Yet many folks normally take this train as they happily board around 7:25 pm and get off in the morning to get their work done.

Wish we could have a robust network around the place.

We also need proper Diesel or Electrical EMUs in Guwahati Region for better connectivity and ease of travel.

Yes, sadly NE states were ignored and let alone fast trains, even a good BG network itself took some doing.
But in last 10 years, massive track gauge conversion and electrification of tracks upto Guwahati (expected to completed by 2018) has been taken. I've already mentioned how all NE state capitals are now being connected to Delhi through a direct BG line.
A small note on trains operating at slow speed. The reason for that is Railways operating responsibly and trying to protect elephants. A lot of railway lines from bengal to NE states pass through thick forests and these being habitat of Elephants, trains ply at very slow speed (sometimes less than 50 kph) should there be a requirement of sudden braking. This of course has bearing on overall average speed.