Timings of DEMU train services changed on experimental basis

From our Staff Correspondent

Dibrugarh, November 14: An Assamese railway officer, the Divisiol Operations Mager of the Tinsukia Division, Dhiraj Chandra Kalita is currently planning train services, including the DEMU services in Tinsukia division, and Kalita’s immediate response to public demands was instrumental in getting the timings of the newly-introduced DEMU train services changed from the Maligaon Headquarters.

Kalita’s dymism and hard work to make the train services in this division best suited to the needs of the general public of Assam have started to yield results and during his incumbency to the post of the Divisiol Operations Mager in Tinsukia, many new and effective train services, including renovations of stations, have been planned and executed, revealed a top source in the NF Railway.

Responding to public demand, especially from the Dibrugarh district committee of the Assam Rail Passengers’ Association, and active role played by the Dibrugarh and Lahowal MLAs Prasanta Phukan and Ritupar Baruah respectively, the NF Railway has changed the timings of the DEMU train services in the Dibrugarh Town-Tinsukia-Ledo section on an experimental basis for 15 days, with effect from Monday.

According to the new timings, DEMU train no. 75901 departs Tinsukia at 5:00 AM and stopping only at Digboi reaches Ledo at 6:30 AM and DEMU train no. 75902 departing Ledo at 7:00 AM reaches Dibrugarh town at 10:00 AM stopping at all desigted stoppages. In this way, DEMU train no. 75903 departs Dibrugarh town station at 5:10 PM reaches Ledo 8:00 PM, stopping at all desigted stoppages and DEMU train no. 75904 departing Ledo at 8:25 PM reaches Tinsukia at 9:50 PM, stopping only at Digboi.

On the other hand, DEMU train no. 75905, departing Tinsukia at 5:25 AM, stopping only at Chabua reaches Dibrugarh town at 6:40 AM and DEMU train no. 75906 departing Dibrugarh Town at 7:10 AM reaches Ledo at 10:00 AM stopping at all desigted stoppages. Again, DEMU train no. 75907 departing Ledo at 4:45 PM, stopping at all desigted stoppages reaches Dibrugarh town at 7:45 PM and DEMU train no. 75908 departing Dibrugarh town at 8:10 PM, stopping at Chabua only reaches Tinsukia at 10:00 PM. However, DEMU train nos. 75902 and 75911 between Ledo and Tinsukia and DEMU train nos. 75909 and 75910 between Dibrugarh Town and Dangari will remain cancelled as of now. Sources in the NF Railway informed that the train services in the Dibrugarh-Tinsukia-Dangari section would be resumed with timings as requested by the public as and when new rake of DEMU train was available in around a month’s time. Moreover, a second platform and a foot overbridge is also coming up at the mrup station and the tendering process for the same is in progress.

Noted litterateur and former Rajya Sabha MP, Dr gen Saikia has expressed his despair regarding disruption of train services due to some bandhs and said, “Train is a public property. For the common public, train is the most convenient, safe and economic mode of transport, which everyone uses. Hence those who call for bandh or blockade of train services actually harm the common public who cannot afford to travel in a persol car or a rented taxi. We all have to work hand-in-hand with the rail administration to make qualitative and quantitative improvement of the train services.”

Amitabha Das and Sobhakaran Kohain, the organizing secretaries of the Dibrugarh district committee of the Assam Rail Passengers’ Association, have condemned the subversive activities including cutting of seats of the newly-introduced DEMU trains. They said, “It is the duty of every good passenger to keep a vigil on anti-social and subversive activities, including ticketless travel in trains, and they should inform the railway authorities as and when they come to know about the same.”