Indian 'semi-bullet train' sets new national speed record

NEW DELHI - An Indian passenger train set a new national speed record of 160 kilometers per hour (100 miles an hour) on Thursday during a test between the capital and the Taj Mahal city of Agra.

The introduction of high-speed links and bullet trains were one of the key poll campaign promises of India's new right-wing prime minister, Narendra Modi, who won elections in May.

Thursday's test, part of the government's plans to upgrade the ageing rail network, saw the train complete the 200 km between New Delhi and Agra in around 90 minutes. The top speed clocked at 10 kph more than the previous record.

"This is now the fastest train in India," Delhi divisional railway manager Anurag Sachan told AFP from inside the train. "We are recording all technical parameters during the trial run and hope to introduce it to the public by this November."

While fast by Indian standards, the train is some way from the Japanese "Shinkansen" admired by Modi which reach speeds of 320 kph.

The Indian media labelled it a "semi-high-speed train" or "semi-bullet".

Observers say the railways have been neglected by successive governments over the past three decades of rapid economic growth during which car ownership has surged and low-cost airlines have mushroomed.

But it continues to be one of the main modes of long-distance travel for most of India's 1.2 billion people, while increased use of the tracks for freight could help ease road traffic congestion.

Similar high-speed rail corridors are being planned between New Delhi and the northeastern city of Chandigarh, and the national capital and the industrial town of Kanpur 500 kilometres away.

"The cost of upgrading tracks, signal systems and other related infrastructure isn't high on some of the corridors which already have other high speed trains," Sachan told AFP.

"We are confident of expanding it once this project is completed," he added.

source: interaksyon.com

Miss Universe apologises to India over Taj Mahal photoshoot

NEW DELHI—Organisers of Miss Universe extended their "deepest apologies" to India over a photo shoot at the Taj Mahal that triggered a police case and accusations that she disrespected the famed monument to love.

Reigning Miss Universe Olivia Culpo, a 21-year-old American from Rhode Island, visited the Islamic mausoleum on Sunday during a 10-day tour of India.

During her time at the World Heritage site, she posed for cameras with branded shoes and sat on the Diana Seat, a marble ledge named after the late British princess who visited in 1992.

Acting on a complaint from the site's caretaker, police filed a case because any advertising or promotional work is banned at the site.

"The Miss Universe Organization would like to extend its deepest apologies to the people of India for the incident involving the reigning Miss Universe," said a statement sent to AFP late Thursday.

It said Culpo was making a video diary for fans. "As part of these videos, we sometimes incorporate sponsors into these shoots," it said, adding the footage was not meant for commercial purposes.

"We sincerely apologise for any unintentional harm our indiscretion and insensitivity may have caused," it added.

Indian-born fashion designer Sanjana Jon, who accompanied Miss Universe to the site, has also been booked for an alleged breach of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act.

They are likely to face a fine if found guilty, officials say.

The Taj, visited by millions of tourists each year, was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a tomb for his beloved empress, Mumtaz Mahal, who died during childbirth in 1631.

Visitors are asked to remove shoes while climbing the plinth and entering the Taj, but footwear is allowed in the surrounding garden area where Culpo posed, wearing a long peach-coloured off-the-shoulder dress.

The Mumbai-based Mid-Day tabloid quoted Taj caretaker Munazzar Ali earlier this week as saying Culpo's behaviour amounted to "disrespect and insult".

"The sandals from a bag she carried were taken and placed on the Diana Seat for shooting pictures, which is not permitted by the ASI (Archaeological Survey of India). It also amounts to disrespect and insult," he told the paper.

The tabloid suggested that security personnel responsible for frisking at the entrance gates "were too impressed" with Culpo and allowed her to carry her bag inside, which is normally not permitted.

Culpo, seemingly unaware of any brewing controversy, uploaded a photo of the Taj to an Instagram account on Monday, a day after her visit to the Taj in Agra, a three-hour drive south of the capital New Delhi.

"We made it to the Taj Mahal. One of the most beautiful places I've ever seen!!!! So amazing," she wrote.

source: interaksyon.com