Fazilka residents seek more trains

Fazilka, December 6

TP Singh, General Manager, Northern Railway, Delhi, visited Fazilka railway station today and met with a volley of grievances, posed by commuters and residents.

The activists of district Beopar Mandal, led by its president Ashok Gulbadhar, and a passenger of the Northern Railway, Samiti, demanded introduction of more trains on the Fazilka-Abohar route, as only two trains have been running on it so far. The route was constructed a few years ago at a cost of more than Rs250 crore.

The mandal also demanded to run Sarai Rohilla Bikaner Express train via Fazilka and Muktsar, instead of Malout. They also sought deployment of staff at night along the Fazilka-Abohar and Fazilka-Ferozepur section to facilitate long-route trains on the track.

The residents demanded to extend Chandigarh-Ferozepur Express train to Fazilka to connect the border town with the state capital. Also, in view of their long-pending demand, they sought a washing line to be set up here to bring in long-route trains from Fazilka.

The commuters also raised the issue of using substandard material in the construction of a road outside the railway station. They say it was constructed sans any consideration of the availability of a drainage system, which is non-existent.

The General Manager while talking to The Tribune said he would enquire into the squandering of government funds. He, however, ruled out setting up of the washing line, citing the project’s unviability. — OC