Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI: The Assam Rail Passengers' Association (ARPA) moved Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw with the issue of cancellation of many trains in the north-eastern region, besides the reduction in the number of sleeper coaches, withdrawal of concessions for senior citizens, withdrawal of many stoppages of trains, curtailment of train routes, etc.
In its memorandum, the ARPA said, "Some policy decisions need to be reviewed and changed: It enumerated the decisions as follows: (i) To ensure transparency, the Rail Budget needs to be re-introduced; (ii) pver-centralization of power at the Railway Ministry needs to be avoided. Because, at present, the zonal railways like the NFR have been reduced to paper tigers without the capacity even to grant a stoppage of a local train, (iii) kindly review the selection of stations under ABSS, as some important stations have been surprisingly left out of the scheme. Moreover, the construction wing is also not paying the required attention to the actual needs of the passengers.
According to ARPA general secretary Dipankar Sharma, it extended a few suggestions: (i) suburban services with Guwahati and Dibrugarh as hubs in the first phase; (ii) resumption of all the pre-COVIDd trains, mainly Dekargaon-Dibrugarh Intercity (05819) arriving at 3 pm at both ends and arranging 2 rakes; Mariani-Jorhat-Golaghat-Dimapur passenger (55904); C. 12525/26 Dibrugarh-Kolkata as decided via Bogibeel bridge with a daily frequency; 15771 Alipurduar Jn-Kamakhya IC; Guwahati-Rangiya-NewBongaigaon (55818 passenger(now needed up to Fakiragram), 75905 Dibrugarh Town-Ledo Morning DEMU
(iii) Extension of Guwahati-New Bongaigaon 55810 up to Fakiragram (FKM) connecting Kokrajhar (KOJ), HQ of BTR with Guwahati; (iv) extension of 15657/58 Brahmaputra Mail to its original destination of Dibrugarh. (v) Restoration of all pre-COVID stoppages of trains, along with new stoppages recommended by NFR. (VI) Resumption of New Tinsukia-Rangapara-Dhubri Express converting to daily service in normal status.
(vii) The development of Dibrugarh Town (DBRT) station with a new integrated station building under ABSS having at least three full-length platforms using railway land on both sides of the station needs to be constructed. (viii) Providing ramp facilities at all FOBs where ramps have not been constructed.
On long-term suggestions, Sharma said that (1). The new BG line connects Sivasagar with Jorhat (around 62 km) and Salona with Khumtai (around 99 km). These lines will reduce the distance between Dibrugarh and Guwahati from 556 km via New Tinsukia to 434 km. (2). The North East being located farthest to the national capital, New Delhi, the train routes to and from NE need to be short with as few stoppages as possible. But most of the trains to and from NE have longer routes with more stoppages, resulting in a much longer time of travel. So, train routes to and from NE need to be rationalised, and the passage of trains connecting NE needs to be prioritised, he said. (3.) The new BG line connecting Dibrugarh with Kanubari (in Arunachal Pradesh), a connecting town of three states-Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Nagaland-is along NH 215. This line will connect the industrial hub of Dibrugarh and the Tingkhong LAC of Assam, rich in oil, tea, and agriculture industries, with the remotest south-east part of Arunachal Pradesh. (4). Development of Dhamalgaon Jn (DMGN) with an integrated terminal for passengers and goods and providing therein an electric locomotive overhauling and maintenance facility. (5). Metro service between Narengi and Ajara as well as Changsari.
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