Soon, tri-weekly trains from Mathura to Kathgodam

Agra: Railways has initiated steps to improve connectivity between Mathura and Kathgodam, the last station in Uttarakhand from where one can go to places like Nainital and Almora by automobile.
Tourists planning to visit the temple towns of Braj region and the hill stations nestled in the Kumaon division of Uttarakhand will be the primary beneficiaries.
Currently, one has to aboard a train from Achhnera or Agra Cantonment Station for Lucknow or Bareilly to reach Kathgodam. Some people also opt to go to Kathgodam via New Delhi.
Bareilly and Kasganj will be the other major stations that will punctuate the 320km-route.
Incidentally, Indian Railways is reviving the plan it had shelved in 2005. The problem that arose then was that the train tracks between Bareilly and Kathgodam was converted into a broad gauge, while the other portions of the route were narrow gauge.
This time, however, the entire stretch of Mathura and Kathgodam will be on a broad gauge railway track.
Currently, the North-Easter Railway, headquartered at Gorakhpur, is inspecting the 105km-long stretch between Kasganj and Bareilly before it gives its approval.
This is the last portion of the route that awaits clearance as the railway track between Mathura Cantonment Station and Kasganj has already been cleared.
Speaking to TOI, Rajendar Singh, public relation officer of Izzatnagar division of North Eastern Railway said, “Trial runs of trains will begin after we get the approval. Once the route becomes functional, three express trains will ply every week.”