railway to conduct feasibility check for Ambala-Chandigarh passenger train, says Vij

Haryana’s Energy, Transport and Labour Minister Anil Vij said a feasibility check would be carried out for operating a new passenger train between Ambala Cantonment and Chandigarh.

The minister said last month he had written a letter to the Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, requesting the operation of a passenger train between Ambala Cantonment and Chandigarh. The Union Railway Minister has said keeping public convenience in mind, instructions have been issued to conduct an operational feasibility check for the new train on the route. Once the feasibility is confirmed, further action will be taken.

Though there are several mail express, superfast and passengers trains on this route, a train was required for the convenience of daily commuters. Vij said that a large number of employees, students, traders and labourers commute daily on the Ambala–Chandigarh route. At present, they dependent on buses and private vehicles, with the commencement of a new passenger train, the commuters would not only get an affordable, safe and convenient travel facility, but the pressure on roads would also reduce.

Vij further said Ambala Cantonment was a major military and industrial hub, while Chandigarh was the administrative capital of the state and the region. Thousands of people travelled daily between these two cities for jobs, education, healthcare and trade. A direct train service would therefore boost regional economic activities and make life easier for common people.

He expressed hope that the feasibility check would be completed soon and that the people of Haryana would benefit from this new passenger train in the near future.

Meanwhile, the minister has also informed that the under-construction branch of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), being constructed at a cost of approximately Rs 17 crore, will be completed within the next 18 months.

Vij said that a letter was sent to him by Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare JP Nadda. The letter stated that instructions was given to the Central agency, CPWD concerned, to complete the construction of the branch within 18 months.

Vij said recently the first installment of Rs 1.39 crore had already been released to the CPWD.

At the NCDC being set up in Naggal, on over 4 acres, along with conducting tests for various diseases, research on diseases will also be carried out. With the NCDC branch coming up at Ambala Cantonment, people from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu, Punjab, Rajasthan, and other states will have easy access to testing for various diseases.

The first phase of work for the construction of the NCDC branch has already begun.

On the ground floor, there will be reception, waiting area room, lobby, conference hall, administrative office, security room, IT video room, head of the NCDC office and other administrative offices. On the first-floor, there will be facilities of sample collection and utility room, waiting room, lobby, climate change room, training room, epidemiology staff room, while on the second floor there will be laboratories and other equipment, macro lab bacteriology, AMR lab, lab teaching and demo room, AMR officer room, virology lab, lobby and other rooms.

On the third floor there will be non-BSL lab area, BSL-2 lab area, staff common room, and other rooms. The building will also have two lifts.