Title - Glaring gap in railway maintenance

A rail track was laid between Fazilka and Abohar at a cost of Rs 214.80 crore. The work on the 42-km stretch was completed in March last year. More than a year down the line, no train has been started on the route, mainly because the newly constructed track has got damaged extensively at a few places.But surprisingly, the Railways time table shows two trains running on the "complete" track from Ferozepur to Sriganganagar (Rajasthan) via Fazilka and Bathinda to Fazilka via Abohar. The Railway Ministry, in its two preceding budgets of 2011-12 and 2012-13, had declared to introduce express trains on these two routes. The trains are running, but only on paper.The worst-damaged patch is near model railway station of Khui Khera village where the track has been laid at a raised level of 15 feet. The pebbles and other material that formed the base of the track have eroded, thus exposing the bottom of the rails.Not only that, poor upkeep has resulted in doors and windows of newly constructed offices being stolen or damaged. Taps fitted on water pedestals on railway platforms are missing. The structures too have been damaged. Manual hand pumps are dry and their handles are missing."The inability of the Railways to post the desired 150 staff members at these newly constructed offices and manned railway crossings is to be blamed for the pathetic condition of the new track," said Northern Railway Passengers' Samiti president Dr Amar Lal Baghla.Perturbed over the delay in running trains on the track, a group of residents have been staging a sit-in at Abohar railway station since the past fortnight.Fazilka residents too are angry over the delay. "We will stage a protest from June 1 onwards at the local railway station. If the authorities do no budge, we will launch a "rail roko" agitation on June 15," said Fazilka Beopar Mandal president Ashok Gulbadhar.Ferozepur Divisional Rail Manager NK Goyal, who visited Fazilka and Abohar railway stations today to take stock of the situation, said, "The train shall start running on the track by July 31 and all arrangements would be made by then."Once operational, the border area from Jammu to Jaisalmer (Rajastjan) would be directly connected through the rail network, which would benefit defence forces as well.