WCR eyes more direct trains in rail budget 2016-17

BHOPAL: West Central Railways (WCR) is looking forward to the railway budget that would be presented by Union railway minister Suresh Prabhu in the parliament on Thursday.
Railway sources indicate that direct trains to Bangalore, Pune and Mumbai may see light of day in the upcoming budget. Also, many of the long pending demands should get a green signal, according to industry bodies and railway associations.Recently, a proposal for trains to Mumbai, Howrah, Bangalore, Pune and Ahmedabad from Habibganj or Bhopal was sent by the West Central Railway (WCR).
Primarily the need for better connectivity to east, west and south is required from Bhopal. "A lot of students from eastern states like Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal come to Bhopal for studies. There is an urgent need for more direct trains to Patna, Ranchi and Kolkata. Besides, we also need trains to Bangalore and Hyderabad, originating from Bhopal. Currently all south-bound trains originate from New Delhi. Hence pressure is immense and there are barely any seats available," said Himanshu Khare, senior vice-president of Jabalpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI).
Talking to TOI, general secretary of Railway Passengers and Consumer Association, Bhopal, Niranjan Wadhwani, said, "We need Habibganj - LTT train to become daily. There are hardly any seats for Mumbai in other trains. Besides, a train for Pune is also required."
Also, the three consecutive railway crossings in Bhopal in E-8, Habibganj Naka and Subhash Nagar should be scrapped and replaced with a bridge. "These cost the people a lot of time and money. Traffic is also impeded. Frequency of trains is high in Bhopal and often they are closed," said Khare. He was also of the opinion that instead of escalators, travelators like Habibganj should be installed everywhere. "Elderly people carrying luggage find it very difficult to use escalators," he said.
Region's Wishlist
Wi-Fi at all major stations of West Central Railway (WCR)
Redevelopment of A1 stations like Jabalpur and Bhopal
Covered, continuous sheds on all platforms of the stations
Three railway crossings in Bhopal should be replaced with bridges
Travelators instead of escalators in major stations like Itarsi, Katni and Jabalpur
Catering should be done from base kitchens like Bhopal, Itarsi and Jhansi
More trains sought
Trains to Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai and Pune should originate from Bhopal
Habibganj - LTT weekly train should be made daily
Direct trains to Patna, Ranchi and Kolkata from Bhopal
Jabalpur-Mumbai Garib Rath (weekly) should be made daily
Another train to Raipur connecting Bhopal and Jabalpur
Stoppages of South-bound and Rajdhani trains at Habibganj