Allahabad-Lucknow Shatabdi Express by year end

ALLAHABAD: The longtime demand of plying of a Shatabdi train between Allahabad and Lucknow would be met by the end of this year.
General Manager North Central Railway (NCR), Rajiv Chaudhary, talking exclusively with TOI on Friday said that by July 15, NCR would complete the work of doubling the railway line between Allahabad Junction to Prayag and by November end, Northern Railways would be doubling the line for the rest of the span. Once it is done, the Shatabdi train would be operated.
“We have already commenced the work for doubling the railway line between Allahabad Junction (the station under NCR) and the same would be completed by July 15”, said the GM. From Prayag onward, it is the jurisdiction of Northern Railway and they too have begun the job on their side, he added.
The officials further informed that operating a Shatabdi train between the two important cities is a long standing demand as lot of individual travel between these two cities. “Once the doubling of railway line is completed, which would be by around November this year, there would be no hurdle in operating the train”. This high-speed train would complete the journey of around 200 kilometers within Three hours.
The demand for operating this train has been raised by several sections of commuters and political leader alike. Although there are around half a dozen trains between the two cities, but because of single line, trains take over Four hours to complete the journey and above that there is the problem of late running of trains.
Thus, passengers are left over with the alternative of bus and private vehicle only. The cities were connected via flight by Jet airways since last year but now that too has stopped.
“Lots of employees, students, political leaders and party members, lawyers, police personnel etc have to go to state capital every day and there is only one train in the morning that too reaches at around 11am, thus a high-speed train, which reaches Lucknow by around 9am would help immensely”, said Narsingh, president of employees union at Vikas Bhwan.
Earlier, authorities had assured that the demand of Shatabdi would be fulfilled by Kumbh but because of lack of double line, the project was delayed. Sources inform that now that the only lacuna for operating the much demanded train is met, there would be no hindrance in starting the Allahabad-Lucknow Shatabdi.