STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The Assam Rail Passengers Association (ARPA) has urged Guwahati MP Bijuli Kalita Medhi to intervene in several long-pending railway issues affecting passengers across Assam, including the lack of unreserved services to Lower Assam, inadequate intercity connectivity and pending proposals before the Railway Board.
A delegation of ARPA, led by its general secretary Dipankar Sharma, met the Guwahati MP at her residence and submitted a memorandum highlighting four key demands.
One of the major demands was the extension of the Guwahati-New Bongaigaon passenger service up to Fakiragram Junction. ARPA said there is currently no unreserved passenger service connecting Guwahati with Kokrajhar, Fakiragram, Gauripur or Dhubri. The association said it has been raising the issue since 2008.
According to ARPA, extending the service to Fakiragram would provide direct and affordable connectivity to passengers from Lower Assam. It would also benefit tourists and devotees travelling to places such as the Mahamaya Temple at Bagribari and the Gurdwara at Dhubri.
The association further pointed out that passengers travelling from Upper Assam to western Assam continue to face inadequate direct connectivity. It sought the revival of the New Tinsukia-Dibrugarh Express service via North Lakhimpur, stating that the proposal has already been forwarded by the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) to the Executive Director (Coaching), Railway Board, but approval is still pending.
ARPA also demanded that the Guwahati-North Lakhimpur Jan Shatabdi, currently operating twice a week, be made a daily service and run at more passenger-friendly timings. It said the rake remains idle at Guwahati for several days and suggested that, after allocating one day for maintenance, the train could operate six days a week. The association also welcomed the proposal to extend the service up to Murkongselek, which is reportedly pending before the Railway Board.
Another major demand was to make the Barak Brahmaputra Express a daily service. ARPA said Assam continues to have inadequate intra-state rail connectivity despite several train services operating between Assam and Bihar. It particularly cited the difficulty of travelling by train from Dibrugarh to Tezpur (Dekargaon) and Dibrugarh to Dhubri.
The association also sought additional stoppages for trains in Assam, arguing that the state, being a frontier state, deserves special consideration while deciding railway stoppages.
ARPA alleged that although the NFR headquarters at Maligaon has been approving some essential stoppages and forwarding proposals to the Railway Board, decisions from the Board are not reaching the headquarters promptly.
The association also drew attention to the disparity in connectivity with Odisha, pointing out that while there are around 45 train services a week between Howrah and Puri, only two services operate from the Northeast/Guwahati towards Puri.
ARPA said extending train 55810 to Fakiragram would also create a useful connection for passengers from areas such as North Lakhimpur, Gohpur, Tezpur, Rangia, Nalbari and Barpeta, enabling them to reach New Bongaigaon at around 9.15 am and connect with the Vivek Express at around 10.15 am.
The delegation requested the MP to take up the issues with the Union Railway Minister and seek early action. It also suggested regular discussions between public representatives and the NFR General Manager to address the problems faced by railway users in Assam.
Also Read: Assam: Chifung Express runs with only 4 general coaches; ARPA raises concern