Fast train link between Amritsar-Delhi sought

After Union Road Transport and Highway Minister Nitin Gadkari announced than a person would be able to commute between Amritsar and Delhi in four hours in the coming next three months, the demand for similar facility through train has grown louder.

Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal president Piara Lal Seth said, “We appreciate the move of the Central Government to provide swift transportation by road. It will ensure faster movement of goods and cargo on the stretch. The route also requires fast trains.”

The Amritsar-Delhi rail section is the busiest route despite having a many trains, flights and buses.

Three pair of direct trains ply between Amritsar and Delhi. These trains include New Delhi-Amritsar Superfast and two Shatabdis. Besides, there are many trains that start from the local railway station and halt in Delhi and its suburbs. These trains include Chhattisgarh Express, Amritsar-Mumbai Frontier, Shan-e-Punjab Express, Garib Rath, Dadar Express, Delhi-Pathankot Express via Amritsar and others. Most of these trains are packed to capacity.

Kulwant Singh, an educationist, said the work on the country’s first bullet train connecting Mumbai-Ahmedabad was in full swing. He said a bullet train could be introduced between Delhi and Amritsar via Chandigarh route. He said, “The 465-km project is long awaited by passengers, who frequently travel on this route. If introduced, such train will cut short the distance between the National Capital and Amritsar from existing six hours to two hours.”