Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Mar 31: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances,Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh personally called on the Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu and requested him for increasing the number of coaches in the Jammu-Rishikesh Hemkunt Express. He also submitted a written representation to the Railway Minister.
The Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu promptly responded to the request and summoned the concerned railway officers and Railway Board Members whom he instructed to follow up the issue on priority.
In response to the constraint expressed by the railway authorities that the Railway station at Rishikesh has the capacity of accommodating only 15 coaches, Dr Jitendra Singh suggested to the railway authorities to work out the feasibility of carrying additional 9 to 10 coaches between Jammu and Haridwar and then dissociate the same at the Haridwar Railway Station so that further length of the train is reduced to 15 coaches only.
The railway authorities said that out of concern for safety, they were discouraging the attachment of additional “Slip Coaches” and therefore, they will consider this option but at the same time also consider the option of increasing the capacity of passengers in the existing coaches.
Dr Jitendra Singh said , Hemkunt Express caters mostly to the family members carrying last mortal remains of their diseased ones for immersion in the holy Ganges and therefore, a huge amount of faith and holy sentiment is attached with this train.
He reiterated the earlier request made by him for running extra DMUs between Udhampur and Jammu in order to accommodate the increasing number of passengers from Udhampur as well as those who are unable to find room in Jammu bound trains originating from the recently set up Katra Railway Station.
Upgradation of the Kathua Railway Station and railway link to Basohli- Billawar were the other issues which came up during the meeting between the two Ministers. Dr Jitendra Singh explained to Prabhu that Basohli -Billawar were located at a reasonably short distance from the Pathankot-Jammu rail line and therefore, it should not be difficult to include this area on the rail map of India.
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