Trains back on track in Punjab

Our Correspondent
Ferozepur, November 23

The train services were partially restored today in the state, exactly two months after they were discontinued on September 24 in the wake of ‘rail roko’ agitation by farmer unions in protest against the Central farm laws.

The Railways has first resumed freight and goods train movement in the state. The passenger train services would be restored in a phased manner over the next few days, starting tonight.

Tentative plan ready

• A tentative plan to resume 40 mail and express trains has been chalked by the Northern Railway
• Officials said 14 trains would remain cancelled till further orders and 39 partially cancelled or short-terminated
• DRM (Ferozepur Division) Rajesh Aggarwal said the plan was subject to track safety and clearance

A Lucknow-bound goods train loaded with gypsum today started from Jammu and crossed Punjab in the evening. Another empty BTPN (bogie tank wagon for loading of petrol) was moved from Jalandhar to Delhi in the afternoon.

As per the information available, a tentative plan to resume 40 mail and express trains in the region has been chalked by the Northern Railway. Officials said 14 trains would remain cancelled till further orders and 39 partially cancelled or short-terminated.

DRM (Ferozepur Division) Rajesh Aggarwal said the plan for the restoration was subject to track safety and clearance to be received by the respective divisions, besides from the state government and security units. In this division, a total of 17 trains would be restored, including eight for Punjab and nine for Jammu and Katra, he said.

Treading cautiously, the Railways has put maximum speed limit of 60kmph for security reasons. The DRM said the rail tracks were checked throughout last night by the inspection teams. “After finding the inspection reports satisfactory, the trains were resumed”, said another official, adding it would take a few days for the rail services to limp back to normalcy. The DRM said the “Golden Temple” Express from Mumbai Central to Amritsar, which was earlier being short-terminated at Ambala would come to Amritsar on Monday night. Similarly the train service from Amritsar-Haridwar will also be resumed Tuesday morning. Similarly, the other trains, including the Ferozepur-Dhanbad Express from Ferozepur to Lucknow via Saharanpur will start Tuesday evening.

The other trains which will be resumed by Tuesday include Paschim Deluxe Express Covid-19 Special, Saryu-Yamuna Covid-19 Special, Amritsar Shatabadi Covid-19 Special, Dhanbad-Ferozepur Covid-19 Special, Nagpur-Amritsar Covid-19 Special, Begampura Festival Special and Gorakhpur Jammu-Tawi Amarnath Festival Special. “As per the availability of parcels, the number of goods trains will be increased” he said.