​Rail Budget 2016: City residents’ wish list in place

Meerut: Ahead of the railway budget, residents here are hoping for positive changes for the city’s rail system.
While some expect that electrification of trains should finally be complete in the city and new trains be announced, others are looking forward to better security arrangements at the railway stations here.
Talking to TOI, Sanjay Ray, who commutes from Meerut to Delhi on a daily basis for his job, said, “Over a year has passed since the electrification work on the trains started in Meerut but all we have seen are trial runs.Not a single Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) train has been started on this route. Once electrification is finally done, the duration of journey will decrease by at least 25 minutes and it’ll be much easier for the commuters.”
While trial runs for trains on Meerut-Delhi route have been done, the trains have not started functioning yet. Last year, no trains were added to Meerut and the city remained empty-handed after the Budget 2015 was announced. The situation of the railway stations in Meerut remain equally grim with hardly any facilities at the two Meerut (city) and Meerut (Cantt) stations.
Another daily commuter Deepak Goel, a resident of Meerut who works as an accountant in Delhi, said, “I commute to Delhi every day for my job and I have not seen a single development in the railway services in the last one year. The security at the railway stations is a big question because Meerut railway station does not even have baggage scanners or any security system in place for that matter. Additionally, the city has not got a new train in a long time now and all of us look forward to a new train on the route.”
While the city residents are expecting new facilities being added to the already existing ones, they also said that they did not expect a hike in rail ticket fares.
“The rail ticket fares are something none of us want to be increased; we already have limited facilities on the trains running on Meerut route, so if train fares are increased it would be really unfair. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the best possible facilities are given to the city in this rail budget,” said Rahul Jolly, a bank employee who travels to Delhi every day for his job.