Trial run for electric trains on Abohar-Fazilka route begins

Abohar, February 4

If things go well, electric trains may also run on the Abohar-Fazilka section that has staff for only one shift at rural area stations.

A trial run commenced which was monitored by senior officials headed by Ashutosh Pant, Principal Chief Electrical Engineer of Northern Railway. Abohar-Fazilka rain-link falls in the jurisdiction of Ferozepur railway division.

Earlier, Ambala Railway Division officials had inspected the Bathinda-Abohar-Sriganganagar route to run electric trains. Some bottlenecks had come to the fore which were being addressed, sources said. One was the delay in setting up a power grid substation at Killianwali, about 8 km from Abohar.

The Abohar-Fazilka section is considered to be one of the most neglected sections. Former Railway Minister Nitish Kumar had laid the foundation stone for the link in February 2004 when political parties were eyeing the Lok Sabha election. The 47 km link was finally inaugurated on July 15, 2012 but only one ordinary train is run on the link besides allowing passage to Ferozepur-Fazilka-Hanumangarh Express.

Repeated requests were made demanding an increase in the number of trains on this section by former Gurdaspur MP Sunil Jakhar and local legislators during their meetings with successive Railway Ministers but to no avail.

The ordinary train covers the 47 km distance in more than an hour where buses take about 45 minutes for the same. This caused poor occupancy in the train that leaves Abohar station by 11 am and returns by 2.30 pm. The railway authorities have not increased the staff to run three shifts in the past 11 years.

Akhil Bhartiya Grahak Panchayat and Railway Passengers Association have welcomed the move and reiterated that staff in full strength should be deployed on the Abohar-Fazilka section.