Train schedule still off track

Kuldip Bhatia

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Ludhiana, September 23

Rail traffic remains erratic and most of the long-route trains continue to run late by several hours even three days after the agitation of followers of Sant Ram Rahim Singh of Dera Sacha Sauda having been withdrawn. In particular, travel on the Amritsar-Ludhiana-Delhi section has turned into an ordeal with many trains, including the elite Shatabdi Express running behind schedule for more than four hours for the 5th day in succession.

The 12029 New Delhi-Amritsar Swarn Shatabdi maintained its erratic run arriving here some 4.15 hours behind schedule while 14682 Jalandhar-New Delhi Intercity Express was late by 4.20 hrs and 12459 New Delhi-Amritsar Intercity Express by 3 hrs. The corresponding evening Shatabdi (12930) from Amritsar to New Delhi was also delayed by more than 3.30 hrs.

Among other trains running late were 12355 Rajendra Nagar (Patna)-Jammu Tawi Archna Express (10.40 hrs), 12477 Jamnagar-Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra (8.05 hrs), 05115 Chhapra-Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra (5.50 hrs), 13005 Howrah-Amritsar Mail (4.35 hrs), 22942 Jammu Tawi-Indore Weekly Superfast Express (4.25 hrs), 12357 Kolkata-Amritsar Durgiana Express (4.05 hrs) and 12237 Varanasi-Jammu Tawi Express (3.10 hrs).

Similarly, 14614 Ferozepur-Chandigarh Express, 15210 Amritsar-Saharsa Jansewa, 12919 Indore-Jammu Tawi Malwa Express, 12411 Chandigarh-Amritsar Intercity Express, 11057 Mumbai (CST)-Pathankot Express, 15209 Saharsa-Amritsar Jansewa, 12715 Nanded-Amritsar Sachkhand Express, 13049 Howrah-Amritsar Express and 14650 Amritsar-Jaynagar Saryu-Yamuna Express were running late by from one to three hours.

Sumit Sharma, an executive with a multinational company, who had arrived by Shatabdi from New Delhi for a business meeting, not only missed the meeting, and had it rescheduled for late evening, but also had to make alternative arrangements for his return journey as he would not be able to catch the evening train after the meeting.

He said the elite train was running behind schedule for several days now and the railway authorities were not able to put it back to its scheduled departure and arrival. “It would have been better if the train was cancelled for a day and thereafter its original timings were restored,” an exasperated Sharma commented.

Many other passengers waiting at the railway station for their respective trains, which were delayed, were fuming and fretting over helplessness of the railway authorities to maintain timetable and provide reasonably good amenities to waiting passengers at the railway station.