Hopes shattered,only 1 new train for city

With constant increase in commuter traffic,commuter groups and industrial bodies were hoping to get at least half a dozen new trains to cities such as Amritsar,Chennai,Ranchi,Palitana and Howrah. The only new train,Amravati-Pune Express,would be a bi-weekly and would ply via Akola,Purna and Latur.

“It’s a very disappointing rail budget,we were hoping to get a good number of trains that the different communities have been demanding for long. The budget hasn’t said anything substantial about modernisation of the Pune Station and implementation of Pune-Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor,” said Harsha Shah of Railway Pravasi Sangh.

The budget also seemed to have disappointed railway officials from the Pune Division. “Though there were demands for many new trains and increase in frequency of existing trains,we were hoping to at least get three trains,for northern cities and for Kerala,” said an official,who didn’t wished to be named.

Union Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi said feasibility study of the Pune Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed passenger corridor was complete and work on the finalisation of financing was yet to be done,which according to activists is only a way to buy more time and delay the project.

Commuter group representatives are also sceptic about the announcement regarding laying of new Pune-Nashik lines and electrification of Londa-Pune-Miraj stretch.The project that would be undertaken with a shared investment by Railways and state government has been sent to Planning Commission for appraisal and ‘in-principle’ approval.

“They had declared electrification of Pune-Daund line six years ago which hasn’t been completed due to lack of fund. It’s highly unlikely that the newly announced projects would be implemented in near future,” said Manik Birla,president,Rail Travellers Service Agents Association.