several public representatives and activists are opposing the removal of halts and converting regular passenger trains into express
Photo for representational purpose
The much-discussed mega train revisions came into effect on December 1, and passengers from Central Railway (CR) and Western Railway (WR) have expressed wide-spread discontent with the decision, which has caused drastic changes like skipping halts and speeding up trains.
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Railways’s criteria for a halt is that a station should have a minimum of 50 passengers embarking and disembarking daily. Representation pic
The Indian Railways has been on a mission to improve the speed and efficiency of trains and create corridors for maintenance, but the move is likely to snowball into a major controversy. Several public representatives and activists are opposing the removal of halts and converting regular passenger trains into express.
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On Tuesday, passengers from Karjat said they were planning an all-party protest and filing a public interest litigation (PIL) to get their halts back, as stoppages of many old-age trains like Koyna Express and Siddheshwar Express were planned to be removed in order to speed up trains.
The IR's criteria for a halt at a station is that it should have a minimum of 50 passengers embarking and disembarking daily. “Many commuters in Mumbai-bound trains book tickets for Kalyan, but alight at Karjat as it is convenient for them to head to other stations like Badlapur and Ambernath. Ticket databases do not always give an authentic idea of the number of passengers,” said Nitin Parmar, former member of Zonal Railway Users' Consultative Committee.
Parmar said with new revisions, all traditional equations of other connecting and linking trains had gone awry and that it was important for the railways to take local commuters from Karjat into confidence. He said commuters from Raigad and Thane used this station as a convenient connector and with halts of many trains gone, it would be a matter of great inconvenience.
Last month, commuters from Palghar and Saphale had also objected to this move, followed by representation of local MLA Sreenivas Wanga after which WR had said they would take the suggestions into consideration.
A CR spokesperson said the decision was made at railway board level. “Examining the commercial viability and to speed up the trains, stoppages of few trains with timings have been revised.”
Chennai Express enters 100th year
On December 1, the Mumbai Chennai Express train completed 99 years of service and entered 100th year. Maintained by the Mazagaon coaching team, the train was introduced on December 1 in 1921 by the Great Indian Peninsula Railway before the electrification of the Indian Railways.
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