In a feature unique to this district, a
five-coach-long train
has been plying for years in a
tehsil of Ghazipur
, covering 18km of tracks alongside prominent markets,
residential settlements
and a road.
Train number 53643 (Dildarnagar Junction to Tarighat Passenger) begins its first leg at 8.15am and culminates the journey at 6.50pm after shuttling six times within Zamaniya tehsil. Apart from four listed stops, the train also halts at half a dozen places while covering the short distance in a bid to avoid collision with pedestrians and vehicle owners. Passengers alight and hop on at such unplanned halts, too.
In the assembly constituency which elected SP leader Om Prakash Singh as
MLA six times, the popularity of the train has never dwindled, thanks to the poor road conditions in Zamaniya. Harish Tiwari, an 18-year-old intermediate student from Sarahula Market, boarded the train on Friday. "I use the passenger train on a regular basis. It is lifeline for lakhs of people who stay in Zamaniya. Roads are so battered that we avoid commuting on motor vehicle unless it is really important," says Harsh, who would vote for the first time on March 8.
Permitted scale a speed of 40km/hr, the train does not even cover a distance of 20km in an hour. At five places where roads leading to residential settlements intersect the track, the passage is unmanned. "I have spent 23 years in service with railways. I can confidently say no other train operates in UP this way," adds deputy station master at Dildarnagar junction, AK Mishra.
The situation worsens on Sundays, the day of the weekly animal fair and market. The train takes more than an hour to scale the same distance due to the presence of vendors and hawkers on the tracks. "Once they hear the train honk, vendors immediately leave the tracks with herds of animals.
The train driver has to wait for goats to leave in case they continue to squat on the tracks," recollects Zamaniya resident Mohammad Karim Raza Khan, a retired government school principal who commuted by the train during service. "And that is how the train stands equivalent to Kolkata tram," he adds quickly.
For thousands of people, the passenger train used to be the only mode of transport to reach Ghazipur city, tehsil, court and other important establishments for up to three decades after Independence. The villagers used to cross the Ganga in a boat at that time. The train is also a burden on railway revenue because several passengers travel without ticket.
Start a Conversation
Post comment