Shatabdi timings inconvenient, say residents

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, December 16

City residents are irked over the timings of the much-awaited Bathinda-Delhi Shatabdi Express, which is scheduled to be flagged off by Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu from the Delhi railway station on December 18. As per the schedule, the train will leave Delhi at 9 am and reach Bathinda at 1:45 pm. Similarly, it will leave Bathinda at 4:20 pm and reach Delhi at 9:10 pm. It will run twice a week on Monday and Saturday. The train has stoppages at Rohtak, Jind and Jakhal.

Dr Ajay Gupta, a resident, said the timings announced by the Railway Department were surprising. The proposed timings could be 5 am to 9:45 am and 5 pm-9:45 pm to benefit the residents.

Sagar, a local trader, said they visited Delhi for business but had to return the same day as per the train’s schedule. The residents had hoped for a comfortable journey to Delhi but the timings announced by the authorities have dashed their expectations.

Neetu Gupta, a housewife, said,” We were expecting that the timings would be early in the morning. It is not safe for women to travel in Delhi at night. So, the morning trains will be preferred by the women.”

The Union Railway Minister was to flag off the Shatabdi Express from Bathinda on October 31. But the ceremony was cancelled. Sources claimed that the BJP leaders did not want to share the stage with SAD leaders as the SAD would have hijacked the event. The BJP will hold the flagging-off ceremony in New Delhi and Harsimrat Kaur Badal will receive the train at the Bathinda railway station with much fanfare.

Deputy Commissioner Dr Basant Garg said with the beginning of the service, the demand of the residents had been met.

With the resumption of the service, the Bathinda-Delhi route will be covered in 4 hours and 45 minutes.The train was announced by the then Union Railway Minister Sadananda Gauda in his maiden rail budget speech earlier this year.

In 2002, the Shatabdi Express was started from Bathinda to Delhi but due to the less number of passengers, it was discontinued. Later, with the opening of various national projects, the rail connectivity to Delhi became a major requirement.