Region loses 8 trains in new rly timetable

Nagpur: The new timetable released by the Indian Railways after a gap of over three years has no new trains for the region, instead, the region has lost eight trains that have been withdrawn and will no more be available for passengers.

The new timetable was released after a gap of more than three years. The last timetable was released in June 2019. After that, the railway timetable was not released due to three consecutive waves of the Covid pandemic when minimum train operations were in place.

However, the salient features of the timetable released by Shivaji Sutar, Central Railway chief public relations officer (CPRO), show that there are no new trains or extensions of trains from Nagpur. Besides, the frequency of trains has also not been introduced. Sutar was unavailable for his comments.

The mail/express trains that have been withdrawn include Bhusawal-Nagpur (22111/22112), Ajni-LTT (11201/11202), Nagpur-Rewa (22135/22136), Pune-Amravati (11405/11406) and LTT-Kazipeth Tadoba Express (22127/22128). The Nandigram Express has already been surrendered to the South Central Railway during the pandemic.

The passenger trains that have been canceled include Nagpur-Bhusawal (51285/51286), and Amravati-Badnera intercity. Two mail/express trains between Nagpur-Jaipur (22175/22176) and Nagpur-Pune (22141/22142) have been renumbered and upgraded to the superfast category. The Jabalpur-Amravati Express (12159/12160) will now originate and terminate at Nagpur. Similarly, the Ajni-Kazipeth passenger (57135/57136) will now originate and terminate at Ballarshah. The Nagpur-Itarsi passenger will terminate at Amla and will originate from there only. The new timetable has already come into effect from October 1, 2022.

“Considering the cancellation of several trains, the message is loud and clear that the Indian Railways no more wants to operate loss-making trains. As politicians in the Vidarbha region are mute spectators, such decisions are easy to take. There is no activism. Raipur is smaller than Nagpur but there are so many originating trains from there,” said Basant Kumar Shukla, general secretary, Bharatiya Yatri Kendra (BYK).

“The cancellation of Nagpur-Rewa Express is understandable as an alternative train between Itwari-Rewa has started, but cancellation of trains like Ajni-LTT, Nagpur-Bhusawal, and Pune-Amravati will hit passengers hard,” said Brij Bhushan Shukla, Zonal Railway Users’ Consultative Committee (ZRUCC), Central Railway.


Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.