Important Events

2004 01st April Newly converted BG line between Villupuram and Pondicherry inaugurated. 12th July The first ever international container-carrying train of IR flagged off from Netaji Subhash Dock for Birganj, Nepal. 27th Aug. Bandikui-Bharatpur gauge conversion work inaugurated at Bandikui Railway Station. 16th Sept. Foundation stone laid for new Station building at Tirupati (South). 17th Sept. Doubling and electrification of Gudur-Renigunta section dedicated to the Nation. Foundation stone laid for a concrete sleeper depot at Bitragunta. 18th Sept. Quadrupling of Pattabiram-Tiruaallur section inaugurated. 19th Sept. -Hazrat Nizamuddin Tamil Nadu Sampark Kranti Superfast Express flagged off at Madurai junction. 20th Sept. Newly converted Rajapalayam-Tenkasi Broad Gauge line inaugurated. 02nd Oct. Muzaffarpur-Lokmanya Tilak Express introduced. 20th Oct. -Kathgodam Uttaranchal train introduced. 04th Nov. Maharashtra Sampark Kranti Express between Hazrat Nizamuddin and Bandra Terminus introduced. 08th Nov. The newly converted BG Rail Section from to Junagadh inaugurated. 13th Nov. First train service on Kotipalli-Kakinada Town new Broad Gauge line from Kotipalli was flagged off. 20th Nov. Foundation stone laid for a new Railway line from Jiribam to Imphal. 29th Nov. Tourist train ‘’ flagged off from Rajendra Nagar Terminal. 10th Dec. Rail Sleeper factory at Sitamarhi and Madhopur inaugurated. Foundation stones laid for construction of Hathua-Deoria new rail line and doubling of Chhapra-Ekma Rail section. 30th Dec. The foundation stone laid at Nashipur, Jiaganj for new line including bridge between Jiaganj and Azimganj and train service between Eklakhi and Balurghat inaugurated.

2005 08th Jan. Kharagpur Railway Workshop became an ISO-9001-2000 certified organisation. 31st Jan. Tourist train ‘Village on Wheels’ flagged off from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, . 11th March 5 Sampark Kranti trains viz. West Bengal, Orissa, Purvottar, M.P. and U.P. flagged off. 21st March Secunderabad-Hazrat Nizamuddin Andhra Pradesh Sampark Kranti Express introduced. 22nd March Jharkhand Sampark Kranti Express and Rajasthan Sampark Kranti Express flagged off. 31st March Darbhanga- Bihar Sampark Kranti Express introduced.

76 ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2004-05