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Third Shatabdi train for Chandigarh by sushil on 01 January, 2013 - 09:00 PM
avatar sushil Third Shatabdi train for Chandigarh on 01 January, 2013 - 09:00 PM

By Pratul Sharma | ENS - NEW DELHI

01st January 2013 09:10 AM

Railway Minister Pawan Bansal has started keeping promises, beginning with his own constituency Chandigarh. On Sunday, he announced a third Shatabdi train between Chandigarh and Delhi.

The train will start running from January to ease the passenger rush on the 265-kilometer route.

“The new Shatabdi was one of my top priorities and other facilities at the Railways will also follow soon. A number of people commute between Chandigarh and Delhi on a daily basis,” Bansal said after announcing the new train at Chandigarh railway station.

The first and second Shatabdi leaves at 6.50 am and 7.30 am, the proposed will leave Chandigarh at 12.30 pm.

Two months into his prestigious assignment that saw the portfolio return to the Congress after 17 years, Bansal has also fast-tracked turning the sleepy Chandigarh railway station into the world class station.

Soon it will boast of multi-level parking lot, food court, large waiting halls, prepaid taxi booth, better toilets, expansion of ticket booking counters, and even wi-fi connectivity.

Bansal also announced that four escalators will be installed at the station to help the passengers an easy crossover to the adjacent platform. While, a railway force office will be brought down to provide way for a new entry and exit to the station.

His elevation has raised the hopes of the northern states like Punjab and Haryana and Himachal Pradesh that were always overlooked by the populist Railway Ministers who had minds fixated on their states like Bihar and West Bengal.

The minister has been inundated with requests to beef up the train infrastructure in the region. To start with, the minister has started monitoring the already sanctioned projects for Punjab. Bansal has been frequent user of Shatabdi between Chandigarh to Delhi.

Also, he  has his hands full as his ministry needs a makeover after decades of following populist agenda.

The biggest task before the minister is to initiate reforms in the sector to speed up growth. The minister has already hinted that rail tariff will revised to bring the railways out of the red.