RANGIYA, Oct 9 � While NF Railway, Maligaon submitting a feasibility/viability report justifying the stoppage of the Rajdhani Express at the Rangiya railway station here, the Railway Ministry, on the other hand, has rejected the proposal, stating that it is not feasible to have the stoppage here.
Keeping in view the long-standing demand of the people for the stoppage of the Rajdhani Express here, the Railway Division under the NFR zone has referred the matter to the Railway Board in New Delhi. In this regard, the office of the GM (Operations) of NF Railway on August 3 last year had written to the coaching division of the Railway Board, New Delhi as desired by the latter for details of particulars in this connection. The office of the NFR, submitting its feasibility report for a stoppage of the Rajdhani Express here, stated particulars in seven different items including pairs of mail/eExpress/passenger trains running through Rangiya, earnings from distance-wise sale of tickets for six months from January to June last year at the Rangiya railway station.
Further, the average number of tickets sold at Rangiya was stated as 299 per day for distances of 500 km or more, besides length of platforms and coach capacity was stated favouring viability of the stoppage of the Rajdhani Express here. The NFR, mentioning its feasibility, stated passengers of Nalbari, Rangapara, Tezpur, etc., find Rangiya an ideal place to travel to other places outside the State with good connectivity of trains and road communication is available between these station and Rangiya.
The stoppage here was mentioned as operationally feasible because the Eastern Command HQ located at Tezpur, military base at Misamari, Red Horns Div HQ of Army at Rangiya and other paramilitary bases were located at Rangiya, Nalbari, Tamulpur, etc, facilitating easy connectivity for passengers from there to Rangiya station to Delhi. The NFR report stated that the number of tickets sold for the Rajdhani Express from the nearby station of Rangiya is 23 per day at Rangiya, besides 42 in Tezpur, 25 in Rangapara North, 3 in Barpeta, and 96 in Tezpur D (TEZD), totalling 189 tickets in average sold for the Rajdhani Express passengers from these places. The data mentioned was based on three months till June last year. Apparently, 15,552 tickets were sold for the Rajdhani Express passengers during this period and all the passengers had to board the train from Guwahati, more in distance from Rangiya, coming a long way involving different expenses.
In spite of the NFR authority stating clearly and almost favouring the stoppage of the Rajdhani here, the Union Minister of State for Railways rejected the proposal, stating it was not feasible.
