Made district 24 years ago, Muktsar lacks rail network

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, August 1

It’s been nearly 24 years since Muktsar became a district, but it still doesn’t have rail connectivity to two subdivisional towns — Malout and Gidderbaha — or to state capital. Fazilka too has no connectivity to Chandigarh.

The rail connectivity from Muktsar is limited to Fazilka and Kotkapura towns. Though some long distance trains run from Muktsar but their route is not direct, thus taking longer time. Further, the train timings are not suitable for the passengers. For instance, a train leaves for Delhi from the Muktsar railway station at 2.40 am and passes via Kotkapura, Bathinda and Ambala.

However, Malout has better rail connectivity and more revenue is generated from there. The situation is even better in Gidderbaha, which too falls on the Abohar-Bathinda rail section.

Residents blame the lack of interest of successive state governments and nexus between some influential bus operators for the poor rail connectivity from Muktsar. “The rail line between Kotkapura and Moga is required to connect a number of towns in Malwa to Chandigarh, but nothing much has been done on it. Surprisingly, Rs 300 crore were spent on laying the railway track between Fazilka and Abohar in 2012, but this section opens for just six hours a day and that too for two trains. If the timings are adjusted, this track can play a vital role in linking so many trains,” said Sham Lal Goyal, general secretary, Northern Railways Passengers Samiti, Malwa.

Recently, National Consumer Awareness Group, a local organisation engaged in consumer welfare, wrote a letter the Railways Minister over the upgrade of the railway station.

Sandeep Kumar, Station Superintendent, Muktsar, said, “Whenever someone highlights an issue, it is immediately conveyed to the higher-ups. The issues are in the notice of the seniors. Some senior officers even visited the railway station recently for inspection, when some locals met them and raised their demands.”

Rakesh Dhingra, member, Divisional Rail User Consultative Committee, Ferozepur Division, said, “A high-level meeting was held recently, wherein we raised the demands of the passengers. Thereafter, two senior Railways officers visited the station and agreed to fulfil a few demands.”