East Central Railway expects funds for pending projects in Bihar

Patna: The East Central Railway (ECR) pins high hopes on the railway budget to give an impetus to various ongoing and pending railway projects in Bihar. The ECR has projects worth over Rs 35,000 crore, out of which a few of them are yet to kick off for want of either land or funds. The rail budget will be presented on Tuesday.

According to sources, the focus of the ECR is on streamlining the running of mail and express trains. The goods freight earning has been the mainstay of ECR while there has been an astronomical increase in the earnings from passenger trains. Thus, more funds are required for further improving the amenities on railway platforms, sources said.

The railway budget has raised new hopes in Bihar keeping in mind the fact that BJP leaders from the state have better presence in the Lok Sabha to get completed the pending projects on priority basis. According to sources, the proposed railway budget is likely to consider ECR demand to increase frequency of several pairs of long-distance trains and new superfast trains, including a non-stop Duronto between Patna and Delhi or on Patna-Bangalore route to fulfill the passengers’ needs.

The railway budget may propose a circular train between Ara and Fatuha or Patna-Sasaram via Ara and more multiple electric modified unit (MEMU) trains, particularly on the mainline section and Patna-Gaya route under Danapur division, sources said.

A fair sprinkling of south Indian people are still hopeful that railway ministry would consider their demands for a train connecting Patna directly to Tirupati, Trivandrum and Kanyakumari. It may propose increasing the frequency of the Patna-Goa Express, Patna-Ajmer Ziyarat Express and Patna-Indore Express, sources said, adding that occupancy rate has been very high in these trains yielding good revenue to the railways.

Courtesy: TNN