No new train for Ludhiana disappoints commuters

LUDHIANA: Railway budget announced by Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday has evoked mixed the response from city residents as no new train passing through the city has been announced even as the minister promised modernization of stations and trains, including increasing safety standards to curb rail accidents
While Ludhiana residents are happy over the decision of the finance minister to ply 1,150 trains on public-private partnership (PPP) mode and redevelopment of four stations with the help of private sector that will have wi-fi, CCTV cameras on all major long-route trains to ensure safety of the passengers, some were upset with no announcement being made by the railway minister about new trains.
Rakesh Kumar, a businessman from BRS Nagar who frequently travels to Delhi, said, “The decision of not plying more trains in the northern railway route has disappointed us little, but steps towards the betterment of the passengers, including of pitching more Tejas Express and connecting the same with tourist destinations, is a promising one.”
The FM also proposed to set up large solar power capacity alongside rail tracks, on land owned by Railways. While Ludhiana residents have hailed this announcement, many are upset over the decision to upgrade only four stations in the country as model railway stations with the help of private public partnership as, according to them, there is a need to upgrade several hundred stations, including Ludhiana. “At Ludhiana railway station there is an urgent need to get advance facilities from large strength waiting rooms to well-maintained bathrooms,” local resident Ankit Kapoor said.
“Railway crossing across Ludhiana and Ferozepur division would be soon digitalised as the railway budget has cleared air over this and soon it will be implemented so that railway accidents come down to some extent,” Kapoor added.
The decision to have wi-fi at all major stations is most hailed by the youngsters as during travelling they will remain connected online and find several mode of entertainment.
“While it is compulsory for the public places to have ramps for the specially abled, Ludhiana railway station does not have any such facility mainly at the rear from where most passengers enter the station . However, such ramps would soon come up the railway stations at the earliest as the same has been announced in the Budget. This includes Ludhiana as well,” said Sanjeev Sharma, a shopkeeper in Old City area.
Many resident have also claimed that some of the key decisions taken by the finance minister in the last Budget were yet to be finalized like redeveloping 600 major stations into modern ones and installing high-tech security measure across station premises to ensure safety of women passengers.