INDORE: The famous heritage train service between Dr Ambedkar Nagar and Kalakund stations has witnessed a decline in passengers footfall, apparently due to a ban enforced by district administration on visit to picnic spots in and around Indore including Choral and Patalpani in view of heavy rainfall.
Seat occupancy in Dr Ambedkar Nagar-Kalakund tourist special train has declined by around 30 per cent, officials with Ratlam division of the western railways said.
“The train with 336 seats was running with full occupancy ever since it was restarted. However, seat occupancy in this train goes down to 250 or even less than that,” officials claimed on Monday.
District administration had on August 16 enforced a ban on visit to picnic spots situated close to water bodies and rivers in and around Indore.
Khemraj Meena, a railway spokesman, said that the train has seen a decline in seat occupancy for the last three days, after a ban was enforced on visit to picnic spots near water bodies and rivers.
“This is apparently due to a ban enforced by the administration on visit to tourist places in Mhow, Kishanganj and nearby areas due to heavy rainfall and subsequent surge in water levels at rivers and water bodies,” he said.
Following the administration’s order on ban on visit to picnic spots, railway authorities have also reduced halt timing of the heritage train at Kalakund station. The train used to halt at Kalakund station for about 50 minutes. Now it has been reduced to 30 minutes.
“This is for safety reasons and passengers are also advised to not to go close to water bodies during the halts at different points during the course of the journey,” said Meena. TNN
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