STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The Assam Rail Passengers’ Association (ARPA) has urged Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to take up the issue of the resumption of all the post-Covid train services in the state with the Railway Minister.
In a letter sent to the Chief Minister, the ARPA said that the services of many local trains as well as express trains, which were suspended during the COVID-induced lockdown in the state, have not yet been restored by the railways. The non-restoration of many of the suspended train services by the railways caused much loss for passengers who had to travel by train only for their professional work, besides the common people. The ARPA expressed its shock that NF Railway has not even felt like making an announcement on the restoration of the suspended train services.
"In view of ongoing doubling work, we have not demanded any additional train services, although the requirement is there. Demanding the resumption of the suspended trains, people in the state are agitating. Several MPs from the state have written to the railway authorities, but to no avail. Unfortunately, the Ministry of Railways and the Railway Board have adopted a lackadaisical attitude towards the needs of the railway passengers of the state," the ARPA said in its letter to the Chief Minister. The ARPA further said that several proposals for more train stops have been pending before the Railway Board, which forwarded the proposals to NF Railway for approval.
"Hence, we urge you to look into the matters personally and take up the issues with the Railway Ministry soon so that the people of Assam can avail themselves of better services here like in other developed states," said ARPA working president Jagadish Chandra Goswami and general secretary Dipankar Kumar Sharma.
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