Some trains announced last year still only on paper

  • | Tuesday | 8th July, 2014

The most hyped announcement of last year`s rail budget was setting up of a Rail Neer bottling plant in Jaipur. In the last budget, 17 Superfast/Express trains were announced out of which four major trains are yet to chug off. Pawan Bansal had also announced some trains anticipating that the gauge conversion work of some of the routes would be completed.

JAIPUR: The frequent changes of rail ministers from Mamata Banerjee to Mallikarjun Kharge in the past few years had resulted in most projects announced in budget remaining unfulfilled. Out of 17 Express/Superfast trains announced in the rail budget 2013-14 by minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, four trains are yet to start while North Western Railway is not been able to start three passenger trains out of six announced in the budget. On the eve of rail budget 2014-15, when NWR officers and the passengers are pinning hopes on new minister D V Sadananda Gowda, TOI checked on the unfulfilled promises of previous years.

The most hyped announcement of last year`s rail budget was setting up of a Rail Neer bottling plant in Jaipur. Asked on the status of this project, a senior officer with the NWR said: "An MoU is being signed between Hindustan Salt Limited and Indian Railway Catering and Transport Corporation (IRCTC). I think both of them have also earmarked the place as the plant is likely to be set up in Sambhar lake city.

" Similarly, last rail budget announced an executive lounge at Jaipur railway station and skill development centre for youth in railway related trades. "As far as the work of executive lounge is concerned, it will be started soon as the place for it has been identified at Jaipur railway station," said an officer. Likewise, the electrification work between Delhi Sarai Rohilla to Ahmedabad is yet to begin.

"Presently, the work for electrification between Rewari and Alwar is on. This project will take some years to be completed as every year we will get budget allocation for it." The anticipated cost of this project is nearly Rs 1121.

21 crore. The then minister Pawan Bansal had also announced projects including Ajmer - Kota (145 km) via Nasirabad - Jalindri, Delhi-Sohana-Nuh-Firozpur Jhirka-Alwar (104 km), Hissar-Sirsa via Agroha and Fatehabad (93 km) and Puskhar-Merta city. "No work is started on these projects," said an officer.

In the last budget, 17 Superfast/Express trains were announced out of which four major trains are yet to chug off. "The trains including Sikar-Delhi Sarai Rohilla, Jodhpur-Bilaspur, Bikaner-Bilaspur and Jodhpur-Kamakhya are not yet started. For Sikar-Delhi, we are waiting for the completion of the gauge conversion work.

Rest all trains would be on the tracks soon," said an officer. Pawan Bansal had also announced some trains anticipating that the gauge conversion work of some of the routes would be completed. Since the work is not yet over, passenger trains including Loharu-Sikar, Ratangarh - Sardarshahar, Sriganganagar-Hanumangarh have not been started.

"These trains will chug off probably after the gauge conversion," said an officer..

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