ARPA seeks Barpeta Road, Kokrajhar stoppage for Kamakhya-Howrah Vande Bharat Sleeper
ARPA has also asked the Railway Ministry and the NFR to restart the services of several trains that were suspended during Covid-19
File image of Vande Bharat Sleeper Express launched between Kamakhya and Howrah (Photo: @infinityRails/X)
Guwahati, Jan 20: The Assam Rail Passengers Association (ARPA) has urged the Railway Ministry to allot more stoppages in the State of the Kamakhya-Howrah-Kamakhya Vande Bharat Sleeper Express, which was formally flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday.
“We welcome the launch of the Kamakhya-Howrah-Kamakhya Vande Bharat Sleeper Express. Such services are obviously expected, especially considering the fact that track doubling and route electrification works have progressed significantly in Assam in recent years. However, it is very unfortunate that only two (Rangiya and New Bongaigaon) out of the 13 stoppages of the train are in Assam, while the rest are all in West Bengal,” ARPA general secretary Dipankar Sharma said.
“This is a clear example of the government’s and the Railway Ministry’s apathy towards Assam and the North East,” he added.
The Association has urged the Railway Ministry to declare at least two more stoppages of the train in Assam. “We request two more stoppages in Assam, at Barpeta Road and Kokrajhar stations, where the number of passengers and earnings is far more than in several stations located in West Bengal. Commuters of Assam should be able to avail the facilities of the new train in a proper manner,” Sharma stated.
He also said the government should introduce additional long-distance trains from Assam to other parts of the country considering the rise in demand for berths.
ARPA has also asked the Railway Ministry and the Maligaon-headquartered Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) to restart the services of several trains that were suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We also reiterate the suggestion to restart the services of the New Tinsukia-Dhubri, Alipurduar Junction-Kamakhya, Mariani-Dimapur, Dibrugarh-Dekargaon, and Dibrugarh-Ledo trains, among others. In addition, the railway authorities should also restore all the pre-Covid stoppages of various trains plying in Assam,” Sharma added.