Lok Sabha elections 2024: An activist in the fray aims to improve the lot of rail passengers

Vaman Sangale, Dharmarajya Paksha candidate from Nashik

This candidate literally knows the pulse of railways and his priority is to improve services for the passengers. Waman Mahadeo Sangale, 66, has been a retired railway employee turned activist associated with the little-known Dharmarajya Paksha with his life devoted to the singular dream of starting Mumbai-Nashik and Mumbai-Pune local trains for everyday travellers. He has been a wee bit successful too with getting the erstwhile sitting Member of Parliament Hemant Godse to force the railways a few years ago to actually get a local train and conduct trials.

The trials had mixed results due to limitations of tunnels and the steep gradients, but the success story was good enough for Sangale to keep the flame burning and this time he has thrown his hat in the election ring. "Yes. I am contesting the Lok Sabha elections as part of Dharmarajya Paksha with ‘table' as my symbol. I have a manifesto too and have listed my priorities for the people," said Sangale , who was chief loco inspector with the railways.

"The service of the local train from Kasara to Nashik and Karjat to Pune which would link it to Mumbai was one of the suggestions that I had put up and was fighting for being implemented for the past so many years. This is one out of the 15 odd suggestions that I have suggested for improving railways. The said project would serve in following ways for the people of Nashik, Pune, Mumbai and the MMR region," he said.

"In 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a railway development camp called Rail Shivir in which 3 of the 15 suggestions made by me had been selected. Some other suggestions I had given include running a 24 coach mail/express train from Igatpuri to Kasara with instructions and technical report, and a train without an engine, which is now Vande Bharat," he said.

"My first priority is to connect Kalyan to Nashik and Pune by local trains. Operation of Mainline EMU trains in Bhusawal division and many such improvements," he said. "I will also strive to build a large EMU car shed for Nashik and give priority to start Nashik to Gujarat railway line which will result in business development of Nashik," he said.

"My other priorities for Nashik include solving the problem of severe scarcity of drinking water from Niphad to Manmad, to take ahead and develop the proposed Nashik Metro Rail, and provide higher quality education to students in college. Clean up holy places like Ramkund, Sitakund in Panchvati and clean up Godavari river," he said.