UditVani, Jamshedpur/Ghatshila: There is major relief for passengers frustrated by train delays in the Chakradharpur and Kharagpur divisions. On Saturday, following an initiative by MP Bidyut Baran Mahato, South Eastern Railway’s Additional General Manager (AGM) Soumitra Majumdar held a marathon meeting with senior railway officials at the Director’s Bungalow in Maubhandar. Significant decisions regarding the expansion of passenger amenities and improving train punctuality were made during the session.
Reduction in Goods Trains to Ensure Punctuality
AGM Soumitra Majumdar announced that the railway has slashed the operation of goods trains to ensure that express and passenger trains run on schedule. Currently, only 23,000 goods trains are being operated on these routes instead of the previous 27,000. This reduction of 4,000 goods trains will clear the tracks for passenger services, providing timely travel for thousands of workers and commuters traveling daily between Chakulia, Tatanagar, and Chakradharpur.
Expansion of Tatanagar Station and New Maintenance Depot
Major infrastructural changes have been announced to handle the increasing passenger footfall at Tatanagar Station:
New Platforms: Four new platforms will be constructed at Tatanagar Station.
Maintenance Depot: Construction of a state-of-the-art depot for the maintenance of Vande Bharat and other premium trains will begin soon.
No Shifting to Adityapur: The AGM dismissed rumors about shifting train origins to Adityapur, confirming that all trains currently starting from Tatanagar will continue to do so.
Chakulia-Buramara Rail Line and Other Projects
New Rail Line: The process of laying tracks from Chakulia to Buramara (Odisha) is gaining momentum. Railway has received NOCs from most villages across Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal, and construction is set to begin shortly.
Restoration of Services: A letter has been sent to the Railway Board to resume all trains on the Kharagpur-Tatanagar route that have remained suspended since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Amrit Bharat Station: Directives were issued to expedite the modernization of Ghatshila Station under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme.
Key Officials Present
The high-level meeting was attended by MP Bidyut Baran Mahato, PCCM Naveen Chandra, Chakradharpur DRM Tarun Huria, Senior DOM Manish Pathak, Senior DEN (East) Manish Kumar, Kharagpur Division ADRM Debjit Das, and several other senior railway officials.
Alt Text for Image: Senior Railway officials and MP Bidyut Baran Mahato during a high-level meeting at Ghatshila.
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