Title - Rail blockade for long-distance trains

Jorhat, June 12: The Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) held up the Jorhat-Guwahati Jan Shatabdi Express at Jorhat station for 45 minutes today demanding commencement of long-distance train services from here.

The youth organisation resorted to today’s rail roko programme after their 11-point demands went unrequited by the NF Railways.

AJYCP Jorhat district committee president Siba Kolita said rakes carrying goods should be unloaded at Cinnamara — where an FDI godown is located — instead of being carried from the unloading point at JPR junction because that results in long traffic jams.

The AJYCP also demanded that goods meant only for Jorhat district should be unloaded here. Kolita added that they would not accept unloading of goods at Jorhat railway station as it inconveniences passengers.

The more than 100-year-old Jorhat station generates revenue of more than Rs 1 crore per month. But despite being declared a model station, it is among the most neglected stations in the region, Kolita said.

“For quite a long time now we and other organisations here have been demanding that trains like the Rajdhani, Kamrup Express and Brahmaputra pass through this station but all our pleas have fallen on deaf ears,” Kolita said.

The timing of the Intercity Express to Guwahati was also on the organisation’s agenda. The AJYCP demanded that the departure time be changed from 4am to 6am. They also insisted on starting another train between Jorhat and Guwahati citing the rising number of commuters.

Another demand included connecting the five headquarters of Upper Assam districts — Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Sivasagar, Jorhat and Golaghat — with a train service and the construction of a loop line at Mariani to facilitate running of long distance trains via Jorhat railway station.

Regarding infrastructure, AJYCP demanded that the overbridge at Na Ali be constructed at the earliest and the platforms lengthened to cater to trains like the Rajdhani.

Recently, Kaliabor MP Dip Gogoi came out in support of the demand to run long-distance trains through Jorhat and connectivity of district headquarters.

He also wrote to railways minister Mukul Roy in this regard. The Rail Sewa Suraksha Samiti, Jorhat and Jorhat Bikash Samiti have also come out in support of this move.

“I am sure as soon as a bypass is constructed and important mail/express trains are introduced/extended to run via this route, this will not only add to the economic development of the area but the railways will also get more revenue through passenger and parcel luggage traffic,” Dip wrote.