Technology
Railways to run 102 festival special trips via Solapur division
The Central Railway’s Solapur Division will operate 102 festival special train trips, including 64 services between Kolhapur and Kalaburagi, to meet the additional passenger rush during the Dasara and Deepavali festive season.
The special services will be operated between Mumbai and Chennai, Mumbai and Latur, and Kolhapur and Kalaburagi between October 10 and November 24, according to a revised press release issued by the Solapur Division on Friday.
On the Kolhapur-Kalaburagi route, 64 special trips will be operated daily except on Fridays from October 10 to November 15. Train No. 01451 will leave Kolhapur at 6.10 a.m. and reach Kalaburagi at 4.10 p.m. the same day. The return train, No. 01452, will leave Kalaburagi at 6.10 p.m. and reach Kolhapur at 5.40 a.m. the next day.
The train will stop at Hatkanangale, Jayasingpur, Miraj Junction, Arag, Belanki, Sulgare, Kavathe Mahankal, Langarpeth, Dhalgaon, Mhasoba Dongargaon, Javale, Wasud, Sangola, Pandharpur, Modnimb, Kurduwadi Junction, Solapur and Kalaburagi Junction.
The Kolhapur-Kalaburagi special will comprise four AC III-tier, six Sleeper Class, six General Second Class and two luggage-cum-brake vans, totalling 18 ICF coaches.
On the CSMT Mumbai-Chennai Beach route, 12 weekly special trips will be operated. Train No. 01015 will leave CSMT Mumbai at 12.35 a.m. every Wednesday from October 14 to November 18 and reach Chennai Beach at 11.30 p.m. the same day. The return train, No. 01016, will leave Chennai Beach at 4 a.m. every Thursday from October 15 to November 19 and reach CSMT Mumbai at 4 a.m. the following day.
These trains will halt at Dadar, Thane, Kalyan, Lonavala, Pune, Daund, Kurduwadi, Solapur, Kalaburagi, Wadi, Krishna, Raichur, Mantralayam Road, Adoni, Guntakal, Gooty, Tadipatri, Yerraguntla, Cuddapah, Razampeta, Renigunta, Arakkonam and Perambur. They will have 22 LHB coaches, including two AC II-tier, two AC III-tier and two luggage-cum-generator-cum-brake vans.
Another 26 special trips will be operated between CSMT Mumbai and Latur every Tuesday and Thursday from October 13 to November 24. Train No. 01105 will leave CSMT Mumbai at 12.35 a.m. and reach Latur at 11.40 a.m. the same day. Train No. 01106 will leave Latur at 4.30 p.m. and reach CSMT Mumbai at 4.10 a.m. the next day.
These trains will halt at Dadar, Thane, Kalyan, Lonavala, Pune, Uruli, Daund, Bhigwan, Jeur, Kurduwadi, Barshi Town, Dharashiv and Harangul. The service will comprise four AC III-tier, 11 Sleeper Class, five General Second Class and two luggage-cum-brake vans, totalling 22 ICF coaches.
Reservations for the festival special trains, which will run on special charges, will open on September 27 at all computerised reservation centres and through the IRCTC website and RailOne app.
Passengers have been advised to travel with valid tickets and make use of the additional services during the festive season. Detailed timings at intermediate stations can be checked through the Indian Railways enquiry system, RailOne app and NTES app.
The Hindu·4 hours ago·2 min read
Technology
In a first, waste plastic mixed with bitumen in pilot test section of NH-44
NEW DELHI: In a first for the road sector, govt has used waste plastic as a wet mix with bitumen to lay a bituminous highway stretch, a move that is likely to reduce imports of the key construction material while addressing the growing problem of plastic waste.On Thursday, a pilot test section was laid on the main carriageway of NH-44 in Jhansi. Officials associated with the pilot said the technology has potential to reduce conventional bitumen consumption by around 4%, lowering demand for a material that India largely imports to meet domestic requirements. They added that the modified bitumen could cost around 20% less than conventional bitumen.The waste plastic wet-process technology for producing premium-quality Waste Plastic Modified Bitumen (W-PMB 76-10) has been developed by IIT (BHU), Varanasi, under a research programme funded by the ministry of road transport and highways. The performance of the pilot stretch will be monitored by IIT (BHU) to assess its long-term engineering performance and field suitability, officials said.India generates around 25,000 tonne of plastic waste every day. Until now, waste plastic has been used in road construction only as a dry mix with aggregates while laying the bituminous layer. The new method mixes processed waste plastic directly with bitumen before it is laid, making it the first such pilot on a national highway. Officials said the technology offers multiple benefits, including the value-added reuse of waste plastic through a scientifically controlled process and improved rut resistance of bituminous mixes under high ambient temperatures and heavy axle loads. Join conversation View All Comments → Share your thoughts in the comments Insightful Agree Disagree Skeptical Concerning Promising Worth Reading Big Development Post Comment Be respectful · TOI community guidelines The technology has also recently been granted a patent. The low-density polyethylene (LDPE) used in the process — a soft, flexible and lightweight thermoplastic made from petroleum — includes discarded irrigation pipes, waste files and plastic folders. The material has been processed with the support of local recyclers and MSMEs, creating an opportunity to integrate local waste recycling with infrastructure development.“Laboratory evaluations have shown that LDPE-modified bitumen provides better resistance to moisture damage and greater resistance to rutting at high temperatures. The modified binder increases the stiffness and high-temperature performance of asphalt, helping pavements withstand permanent deformation under heavy traffic loads and extreme temperatures,” an official said.
Times of India·5 hours ago·2 min read
