Feature
Train-18 gets green signal for commercial run with speed of 160 kmph
New Delhi: The Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety (CCRS) has given his clearance — a must for the commercial run of any new service — for the launch of Train-18, India’s first Trainset, which recently had a successful trial run at speeds of up to 160 kmph.
However, the CCRS, while giving the green signal for the launch of the swank, Rs 100-crore blue-nosed engineless train equipped with many new passenger amenities, has also recommended the fencing of tracks at vulnerable locations to ensure safety.
“Based on documents submitted, along with the application and inspection and speed trial, the case is being forwarded with recommendation for the sanction of central government for operation of Train-18 up to a maximum speed of 160 kmph on Indian Railways tracks,” CCRS Shailesh Kumar Pathak has stated in his order desptached to the Railway Board on December 21.
Taking note of the inspection of the 16-coach train on December 19 at Safdarjung station in the capital and thereafter a speed trial between Safdarjung and Agra on December 20, the CCRS order has recommended certain precautionary measures like fencing and regular greasing of all the curves on the route.
“For speeds beyond 130 kmph and up to 160 kmph, the provision for sturdy fencing all along the track shall be ensured,” the letter stated.
Acknowledging the CCRS recommendation, a senior Railways official told media persons: “The train is likely to be launched on December 29 between Delhi and Varanasi.”
As far as fencing is concerned, the official said: “For 160 kmph, fencing is a must. But to begin with, Train-18 will be running at a maximum speed of 130 kmph like the Rajdhani service. Once the fencing work is complete, the speed will go up to 160 kmph.”
India’s first engineless Train 18 ready for commercial run with 160 kmph speed:
Rail fencing is essential for 160 kmph speeds to prevent trespassing of people or cattle on the tracks.
Before Safdarjung-Agra trial, the Railways had already successfully conducted a speed trial of the Train-18 at the Moradabad and Kota sections under the watchful eyes of concerned officials from the Railways’ and Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO).
In fact, laddoos were distributed in the train when it clocked 180 kmph between Kota and Kurlasi on December 2. The first sweets were offered onboard to loco pilot Padam Singh Gurjar and his assistant Onkar Yadav.
Equipped with world class facilities, the Rs 100 crore Trainset aims to take passenger-comfort to a new level with onboard WiFi, a GPS-based information system, touch-free bio-vacuum toilets, LED lighting, mobile charging points, and a climate control system that adjusts the temperature according to occupancy and weather.
The 16-coach train will have two executive compartments with 52 seats each, and trailer coaches will have 78 seats each.
Now, the Railways will turn its focus on another ambitious project — the Train-20 — the next generation aluminium-bodied sleeper class trains that will replace the Rajdhani trains on the network and is expected to be rolled out by 2020.
The State Scores Extra High on Gaming-Friendly Industry Index
Meghalaya scored 92.85 out of 100 possible points in a Gaming Industry Index and proved to be India’s most gaming-friendly state following its recent profound legislation changes over the field allowing land-based and online gaming, including games of chance, under a licensing regime.
The index by the UK India Business Council (UKIBC) uses a scale of 0 to 100 to measure the level of legalisation on gambling and betting achieved by a state based on the scores over a set of seven different games – lottery, horse racing, betting on sports, poker, rummy, casino and fantasy sports
Starting from February last year, Meghalaya became the third state in India’s northeast to legalise gambling and betting after Sikkim and Nagaland. After consultations with the UKIBC, the state proceeded with the adoption of the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Act, 2021 and the nullification of the Meghalaya Prevention of Gambling Act, 1970. Subsequently in December, the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Rules, 2021 were notified and came into force.
All for the Tourists
The move to legalise and license various forms of offline and online betting and gambling in Meghalaya is aimed at boosting tourism and creating jobs, and altogether raising taxation revenues for the northeastern state. At the same time, the opportunities to bet and gamble legally will be reserved only for tourists and visitors.
“We came out with a Gaming Act and subsequently framed the Regulation of Gaming Rules, 2021. The government will accordingly issue licenses to operate games of skill and chance, both online and offline,” said James P. K. Sangma, Meghalaya State Law and Taxation Minister speaking in the capital city of Shillong. “But the legalized gambling and gaming will only be for tourists and not residents of Meghalaya,” he continued.
To be allowed to play, tourists and people visiting the state for work or business purposes will have to prove their non-resident status by presenting appropriate documents, in a process similar to a bank KYC (Know Your Customer) procedure.
Meghalaya Reaches Out to a Vast Market
With 140 millions of people in India estimated to bet regularly on sports, and a total of 370 million desi bettors around prominent sporting events, as per data from one of the latest reports by Esse N Videri, Meghalaya is set to reach out and take a piece of a vast market.
Estimates on the financial value of India’s sports betting market, combined across all types of offline channels and online sports and cricket predictions and betting platforms, speak about amounts between $130 and $150 billion (roughly between ₹9.7 and ₹11.5 lakh crore).
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Delhi are shown to deliver the highest number of bettors and Meghalaya can count on substantial tourists flow from their betting circles. The sports betting communities of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana are also not to be underestimated.
Among the sports, cricket is most popular, registering 68 percent of the total bet count analyzed by Esse N Videri. Football takes second position with 11 percent of the bets, followed by betting on FIFA at 7 percent and on eCricket at 5 percent. The last position in the Top 5 of popular sports for betting in India is taken by tennis with 3 percent of the bet count.
Local Citizens will Still have Their Teer Betting
Meghalaya residents will still be permitted to participate in teer betting over arrow-shooting results. Teer is a traditional method of gambling, somewhat similar to a lottery draw, and held under the rules of the Meghalaya Regulation of the Game of Arrow Shooting and the Sale of Teer Tickets Act, 2018.
Teer includes bettors wagering on the number of arrows that reach the target which is placed about 50 meters away from a team of 20 archers positioned in a semicircle.
The archers shoot volleys of arrows at the target for ten minutes, and players place their bets choosing a number between 0 and 99 trying to guess the last two digits of the number of arrows that successfully pierce the target.
If, for example, the number of hits is 256, anyone who has bet on 56 wins an amount eight times bigger than their wager.
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