STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The Assam Rail Passenger Association (ARPA) has urged the Northeast Frontier (NF) Railway authority to improve passenger train services in Assam.
Talking to The Sentinel, ARPA's general secretary Dipankar Sarma said that 60 per cent of railway tracks under the NF Railway exists in Assam, but conditions have not been created to make train travel the first option for commuters of the State. He said apart from lack of adequate number of trains, commuters are dissuaded from availing railway services due to "absence of logical stoppages".
Sarma mentioned that although the NF Railway authority had written to the Railway Board for permission to add 10 stoppages for various trains, the required approval has not been accorded as yet. The proposed trains and stoppages are - 20505 Rajdhani Express at Dhemaji station, Rangia-Murkongselek train at Bedeti station, train No 22411 at Biswanath Chariali station, trains No 22411 and 15817 at New Missamari station, train No 15929 Chennai Express at Udalguri station, trains No 15815 and 15613 at Khoirabari station, train No 15813 at Siajuli station, trains No 22411 and 15916 at Majbat station, train No 15613 at Goreswar and 12423 at Rangia Junction. Apart from these, proposals have also been sent for adding stoppages of various trains at Kokrajhar, Gossaigaon, Fakiragram and Goalpara stations, but these are pending as well, Sarma said.
The ARPA general secretary also reiterated their demand for resumption of 13 train services which were suspended at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, which he alleged was done with the aim of earning more revenue by operating more goods-carrying trains. Sarma said that eight of the suspended train services - Guwahati-New Bongaigaon passenger, Alipurduar Junction-Guwahati IC, Mariani-Dimapur passenger, Dibrugarh-Dekargaon (Tezpur) IC, Dibrugarh-Ledo passenger, Dibrugarh-Guwahati Shatabdi, Dibrugarh-Kolkata Superfast and New Jalpaiguri-Rangia (New Bongaingaon-Rangia part) - are directly linked with the livelihood of people.
Sarma appealed to the State Government, along with MPs and MLAs of the State to exert pressure on the Railway authority to ensure resumption of these train services.
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