Kolkata Port to Repurpose Three Pilot Launches for Tourism

21 May 2025 CW Team

Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata, is inviting proposals to convert three of its historic pilot launches — PL Rupsa, PL Hooghly, and PL Gopal — into floating venues for tourism, culture, and leisure along the Hooghly River.

Originally built in the 1990s to guide ships, these vessels are now positioned to serve as floating cafés, mobile museums, heritage cruises, wedding venues, or performance spaces. The initiative seeks to preserve maritime legacy while promoting economic and community development.

PL Rupsa and PL Hooghly, constructed in 1997 with steel hulls, offer one thousand to two thousand square feet of space, accommodating fifty to one hundred guests. PL Gopal, built in 1994 with a fibreglass hull, offers up to one thousand square feet for thirty to fifty people.

Kolkata Port will provide free berthing for repairs and retrofitting, as well as complimentary jetty access for operations. The plan draws inspiration from the earlier restoration of paddle steamer P.S. Bhopal into Bengal Paddle, now used for cruises and cultural events.

Source:Millennium Post

Infrastructure Transport

07 Aug 2026

Government Plans Rs 450 bn Rail Investment Along Borders

The government plans to invest Rs 450 bn to upgrade railways along borders with China, Pakistan and Bangladesh, the press release said. The programme will run over 18 to 24 months and will finance new tracks, platforms and network strengthening across Punjab, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Assam and several northeastern states. That is about $4.7 bn. Officials indicated the initiative represents nearly 22 per cent of all railway infrastructure outlay planned over the next two years and is among the most significant strategic infrastructure pushes in recent years. The plan extends be..

Indian Railways Approves Daily Express Between Mumbai CSMT And Sawantwadi Road

Indian Railways has approved a new daily express service between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Mumbai, and Sawantwadi Road to boost rail connectivity across Maharashtra and the Konkan region. The service will operate over a 510-km route and will run daily as Train No. 15087 CSMT–Sawantwadi Road Express and Train No. 15088 Sawantwadi Road–CSMT Express. It is intended to provide direct and reliable rail connectivity for passengers travelling for tourism, education, employment and business. The Ministry of Railways said the move forms part of ongoing efforts to expand passenger..

SECR Invites Rs 4550.2 mn EPC Tender For Chhattisgarh Line

South East Central Railway (SECR) has invited bids for an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract worth Rs 4550.2 mn for a section of the Dallirajhara-Rowghat-Jagdalpur New Railway Line in Chhattisgarh. The contract covers a nearly 30 km stretch between Kurkanar and Bhanpuri and forms part of the larger corridor linking the mineral-rich Bastar region with the state rail network. The authority has positioned the package as a key link to improve passenger and freight movement within the region. Tender documents carry tender number CAO-C-BSP-26-27-14 and an earnest money deposit ..