Bhuj-Ahmedabad Vande Metro renamed Namo Bharat Rapid Rail hours before inauguration
Bhuj (Gujarat) Sep 16: The Railway Ministry has renamed the Bhuj-Ahmedabad Vande Metro to Namo Bharat Rapid Rail hours before its inaugural run on Monday, according to a spokesperson.
The service will be flagged off from the Bhuj railway station at 4:15 pm virtually by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who will be present in Ahmedabad, he said.
The Rapid Rail, which aims to enhance intercity connectivity, will cover 359 km distance from Bhuj to Ahmedabad in 5:45 hours. In between, the train will stop at nine stations.
For the public, the regular service will start on September 17 from Ahmedabad. The total journey will cost Rs 455.
"The ministry has decided to rename Vande Metro to Namo Bharat Rapid Rail," the Railway spokesperson said.
According to the Railway Ministry, while the other metros cover only short distances, Namo Bharat trains will connect the heart of Ahmedabad with its peripheral cities.
Featuring 12 coaches with seating for 1,150 passengers, the Rapid Rail offers a host of innovative features, it said. "With ergonomically designed seats, fully air-conditioned cabins and modular interiors, it definitely proves to be superior to other metros."
A significant upgrade, according to the Ministry, from traditional suburban trains and metro coaches is its modular design that includes ejector-based vacuum evacuation toilets.
"The train offers faster journeys between mid-distance cities. Its rapid acceleration and deceleration contribute to efficient travel while driving cabs at both ends eliminates turnaround time," it added.
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Airlines got 999 hoax bomb threats till Nov 14 this year; 256 FIRs filed: Govt
New Delhi, Nov 28: Airlines received 999 hoax bomb threats this year till November 14 and as many as 256 FIRs have been filed while guidelines have been issued by aviation security regulator BCAS for objective assessment of threats, the government said on Thursday.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said a total of 1,148 hoax bomb threat messages/calls have been received since August 2022 till November 14, 2024 threatening the operations of international and domestic air travel.
While 999 threats were received by airlines during the period from January to November 14, 2024, the count stood at 122 last year and at 27 for the August-December 2022 period.
"256 FIRs have been filed since January 2024 till 14 November 2024, out of which 163 FIRs have been filed during 14 October- 14 November 2024. 12 arrests have been made in view of hoax bomb threat since January 2024 till 14 November 2024," the minister said.
The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has issued guidelines for objective assessment of threats. The indicative factor has been useful in reducing time taken by the Bomb Threat Assessment Committee (BTAC) during the decision-making process.
"Also, to reduce the overall time taken for convening BTAC to less than 5 minutes, virtual assembly of BTAC through pre-generated video link has been set up. Further, advisories for compulsory 10 per cent of secondary ladder point check-in for all flights, strict monitoring of non-scheduled flight operations, enhanced security measures and surveillance at cargo terminals were issued," Mohol said.
Further, the minister said the government is considering amending the Aircraft (Security) Rules, 2023 to put hoax threat messenger in the no-fly list.
"It is also being considered to amend Suppression of Unlawful Acts against Safety of Civil Aviation for covering Aircraft in flight as well as on ground, airport etc," he added.
