RailEnquiry

Bathinda: Residents of Goniana Mandi met the Union Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal today demanding stoppage of Jammu-Tawi Ahmedabad Express at Goniana Mandi. The railway minister was on a visit to his native city Tapa in district Barnala today. The member of Aastha Foundation, Goniana Mandi, Pawan Kumar Jindal today met the minister requesting him to issue directions that train number 19223 and 19224 stop at Goniana Mandi railway station.President of the foundation, Dr MM Garg said cancer patients often visited Bikaner to undergo treatment. Halting the train at Goniana railway station would help in minimising the sufferings of the patients and their relatives by giving them direct connectivity.They added that thousands of pilgrims from the area also visit Vaishno Devi every year. Besides this, there are a number of pilgrims visiting the Dera Beas as well as Brahm Kumaris at Mount Abu in Rajasthan.Goniana Mandi also has the prominent Gurudwara Tikana Bhai Jagta Ji Sahib and thousands of people from India and abroad come to the gurudwara. Direct connectivity would be helpful for the followers of all these sects, the foundation argued.It also stated that the military personnel posted in Rajasthan, particularly in areas like Bikaner, Suratgarh and Jodhpur, will also be benefited as it will be easier for them to board the train from Goniana Mandi.Garg said the stoppage will also be helpful to many traders of Goniana Mandi who are engaged in cloth business and visit Ahmedabad and Surat for work.Earlier too, area residents had pleaded with the Northern Railway authorities for halting the Jammu-Tawi Express in Goniana Mandi. The general manager of Northern Railways has been repeatedly sent representations and correspondences from various quarters demanding that the train be halted in the area.The Bathinda unit heads of Brahma Kumaris, Tikana Bhai Jagtaji Sewa Panthi and residents of Goniana Mandi have already sent written representations to the Railway Minister.Garg said Goniana railway station is situated on the Ferozepur-Bathinda main railway line and Punjab Mail has been stopping at the station for many years now.“Goniana Mandi is a sub-tehsil of the town and having a halt of Jammu-Tawi Ahmedabad Express would mean giving an impetus to the development in our area,” said Garg.

How will it help?

Cancer patients from Goniana Mandi often visit Bikaner to undergo treatment. Halting the train at Goniana railway station would help in minimising the sufferings of the patients and their relatives by giving them direct connectivity. The stoppage will help the pilgrims from the area visiting the Vaishno Devi shrine. Besides, those visiting the Dera Beas and Brahm Kumaris at Mount Abu in Rajasthan will also be benefited. The connectivity will help those visiting the Gurudwara Tikana Bhai Jagta Ji Sahib in Goniana Mandi. The military personnel posted in Rajasthan, particularly in areas like Bikaner, Suratgarh and Jodhpur, will also be benefited as it will be easier for them to board the train from Goniana Mandi.