The Mahratta Chamber of Commerce,Industries and Agriculture,Pune (MCCIA) has come up with proposals and suggestions for the Union Railway Budget 2012-13,which will be presented next month. The MCCIA has demanded setting up of new terminal for long distance trains and a separate terminus for Pune-Lonavla trains.
Chandmal Parmar,chairman,Railway,Road,Traffic Committee said,“Number of people travelling between Pune and Mumbai has gone up over the years and there is a need to increase the number of trains on the route. As per the report,we had received during the Zonal Railway User’s Consultative Committee meeting,trains cannot be start between 11 am and 3 pm due to the maintenance of the tracks. Therefore we have requested to start two-three trains at suitable time from both ends.”
MCCIA has also demanded new trains for Kolhapur,Surat,Shirdi,Chennai,Bangalore,Amravati,Jammu and Guwahati. They have also suggested to increase the frequency of existing trains on few routes. “Considering the huge response that the Delhi Duronto has received,we have suggested to ply the train everyday. The frequency of Pune-Jodhpur Ahimsa Express,Ahmedabad Duronto,Poorna Express,Ernakulum Express,Lucknow Express and Jaipur Express via Ratlam-Sawai Madhavpur also needs to be increased,” added Parmar.
On need for new terminals for long distance trains,Parmar said,“Due to space constraint at the Pune station,two new terminals are required to be set up between Pune-Lonavla and Pune-Daund sections. If land is not available here,necessary land could be created at Khadki and Manjari stations.” Parmar said,adding,they had demanded that a separate terminal be set up for local trains near RTO. “This has been rejected by the railways,but now we have demanded a separate terminus near parcel office,” he said.
Anant Sardeshmukh,executive director general,MCCIA said,“We have come up with these proposals to let the ministry know what the needs of the commuters are.”