Ghazipur:

Two teenagers, listening to music via earphones on the railway lines, died after being hit by a train, police said on Monday.

Station House Officer (SHO) of Kotwali police station, Deendayal Pandey, said the two friends, Sameer (15) and Zakir Ahmed (16), are residents of Rajdepur.

The incident occurred on Sunday evening when the boys were sitting on the railway line and listening to music with their earphones. As the train reached the track, they couldn’t hear the sound of the train’s horn, Pandey said.

They were hit by the train and died on the spot, Pandey said.

The bodies were sent for post-mortem. Further investigation is underway, Pandey added. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Observing that there was negligence and deficiency in services by the Indian Railway, a consumer commission here has directed its general manager concerned to pay more than Rs 1.08 lakh to a passenger whose luggage was stolen during a journey.

The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (Central District) was hearing the complaint which said the passenger’s bag containing valuables worth Rs 80,000 was stolen by some unauthorised passengers in January 2016 between Jhansi and Gwalior when he was travelling in a reserved coach of the Malwa Express.

“It was the duty of the railways for safe, secure and comfortable journey as well as safety and security of belongings of passengers,” the complaint said.

The commission, comprising its president Inder Jeet Singh and member Rashmi Bansal, said it had the territorial jurisdiction to try the case as the complainant boarded the train from New Delhi and there was “a continuity of the journey” till its arrival in Indore.

Besides, the office of the opposite party (General Manager, Indian Railway) was situated within the commission’s jurisdiction, it said in an order passed on June 3.

The commission rejected the argument of the railways that the complainant was negligent about her belongings and that the luggage was not booked.

Noting that the complainant was made to “run from pillar to post to register an FIR”, the commission said, “The manner in which the episode has happened and valuables were stolen followed by the efforts of the complainant to get the FIR registered with the authorities for appropriate enquiry or investigation, she suffered all kind of inconvenience and harassment to pursue her legal rights.” It said the complainant had established her case against the Indian Railway for negligence and deficiency in service as her belongings kept in a bag were stolen during her journey against reserved ticket.

“Had there been no negligence or deficiency in services on the part of the opposite party or its staff, there would be no such incident. There is no other defence or evidence to deny the value of the articles being carried by the complainant during her journey, therefore, the complainant is held entitled to reimbursement of loss of Rs 80,000,” the commission said.

It also awarded her Rs 20,000 as damages for suffering inconvenience, harassment and mental agony besides Rs 8,000 towards litigation cost.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

A user on the microblogging website X and the Railway Ministry took swipes at each other over a viral video of a crowded 2nd AC sleeper coach in which many people were seen allegedly travelling without a ticket.

The user, Kapil, alleged that the crowd had reached “one of the most premium coaches” of Indian trains.

“Only First AC is left to be destroyed,” he said on Friday while re-sharing an April 14 video of the overcrowded Kashi Express, which runs between Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur.

The video was originally shared by a passenger on the train and showed people blocking the pathway to the washroom and standing at the entry and exit doors.

“Due to the open doors, the AC of the train was not working well,” he claimed and tagged Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, urging him to take necessary action.

This is not a General Coach
This is not a Sleeper Coach
This is not a 3AC Coach

This is a 2nd AC Coach!!

The crowd has reached one of the most premium coaches of Indian Trains. Only First AC is left to be destroyed by @AshwiniVaishnawpic.twitter.com/qyByUevhUd

— Kapil (@kapsology) April 19, 2024

The Ministry of Railways, however, responded to Kapil’s tweet on Saturday and shared a “present video of the coach”, which showed “no overcrowding”.

“Please don’t malign the image of Indian Railways by sharing misleading videos,” the Ministry said.

The present video of the coach. No overcrowding. Please don’t malign the image of Indian Railways by sharing misleading videos. https://t.co/70xQkhRVdTpic.twitter.com/ivz9LDyFly

— Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) April 20, 2024

In response, the user pointed out that the Ministry shared today’s video to “call something misleading” that happened on April 14.

“Your intimidation is not going to stop the Indians from exposing the poor service offered by Indian Railways,” he wrote.

Railways To Operate Record Summer Train Trips

The Railway Ministry on Friday said that it will operate 43 per cent more train trips this summer as compared to last year to ensure that more passengers can travel to their desired destinations.

In a press statement, the Railway Ministry said that to ensure the convenience of passengers and manage the anticipated surge in travel demand during summer, it is operating a “record-breaking” 9,111 trips during this season.

“This marks a substantial rise compared to the summer of 2023, where a total of 6,369 trips were offered. This translates to an increase of 2,742 trips, demonstrating the Indian Railways’ commitment to meeting passenger demands effectively,” it said.

Out of these 9,111 train trips, the Western Railway will operate the highest number — 1,878 — followed by the North Western Railway with 1,623 trips. Other Railway zones, which will run a significant number of trips are the South Central Railway (1,012 trips) and the East Central Railway (1,003).

“All zonal railways spread across India have geared up to operate these additional trips catering to the summer travel rush from states like Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi,” the Ministry said.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has arrived in Russia, after travelling from Pyongyang on his luxury armoured train for a summit with President Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok. The trip marks Kim’s first visit abroad in more than four years and the first since the Covid-19 pandemic, the Guardian reported. 

According to a BBC report, Kim spent 20 hours travelling 1,180km (733 miles) on the slow-moving green-and-yellow train, in accordance with a long-standing tradition followed by North Korean leaders. When it comes to international trips, he is well-known for his preference for train travel.

The train’s heavy armoured protection makes it rattle at a speed of about 50km/h (31mph) which is much slower than most modern trains.

The mysterious dark green train which has 90 carriages also features tinted windows to obscure the identities of those on board the machine. Each carriage is completely bulletproof, making the train thousands of pounds heavier. 

It also has a restaurant that carries expensive French wine and passengers could feast on live lobster and pork barbeque. Apart from that, the train has conference rooms, audience chambers, and bedrooms, with satellite phones and flat-screen televisions installed for briefings.

Tradition of long-distance travel via train

Kim Jong Un’s grandfather Kim Il Sung was the one who started the tradition of long-distance travel via train after he started going on train trips to Vietnam and Eastern Europe. Notably, the leader’s father and predecessor, Kim Jong Il, was famously scared of flying. He once took 10 days to get to Moscow in 2001 to hold a meeting with Mr Putin.

Security agents heavily guard these luxurious trains and scan the routes and stations ahead for bombs and other threats. 

Kim Jong Un, the current leader of North Korea, has continued the family tradition and believes the armoured train provides more security and luxury than a flight.

According to anNPR report, he traveled around 4,500 kilometers through China in his train to reach Vietnam to meet President Donald Trump. The journey took two-and-a-half days.

Russian military commander Konstantin Pulikovsky also talked of the train’s opulence, boasting how it was possible to order ”any dish of Russian, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and French cuisine” aboard the train. 

Even Mr. Putin’s private train “did not have the comfort of Kim Jong Il’s train,” Mr. Pulikovsky noted. 

Experts suggest the Russian president is seeking artillery shells and antitank missiles from North Korea for Moscow’s war in Ukraine, while Kim is reportedly in search of advanced technology for satellites and nuclear-powered submarines, as well as food aid for his impoverished nation.

He is accompanied by unspecified members of the country’s ruling party, government, and military.