Airport-like new railway terminal becomes operational in Bengaluru
Bengaluru(PTI): Built on the scale of international airports, the ultra luxury Sir M Visvesvaraya Railway Terminal in Bengaluru became operational on Monday with Ernakulam Tri-Weekly Express chugging through the station.
It was a joyous moment for the crew and passengers for being the first to use the city's third major terminal, which is situated between Banaswadi and Baiyyappanahalli in the city.
Though the formal inauguration is yet to take place, the operations started from Monday. The same train will also leave for Ernakulam on Tuesday and Thursday as well.
The return train will terminate on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Further, Kochuveli Bi-Weekly Humsafar Express will depart from SMV Terminal at 7 pm on Fridays and Sundays with effect from June 10.
In the return direction, the bi-weekly Humsafar Express starting from Kochuveli from June 11 onwards will terminate at 10.10 am at SMV Terminal on Fridays and Sundays.
The weekly Humsafar Express from Bengaluru to Patna will start at 1.50 pm on Sundays with effect from June 12. In the return direction, the train will reach Bengaluru on Saturdays.
According to the railway officials, the air-conditioned SMV Railway Terminal is a Rs 314 crore project and the third major terminal after Bengaluru City Railway Station and Yashwanthpur Railway Station. It has solar rooftop panels and rainwater harvesting mechanism.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
