Title - Rail Budget 2013: Basic facilities missing at Ghaziabad station

GHAZIABAD: Even as the railways minister allocated Rs 100 crore for improving stations in Delhi, getting funds for providing basic amenities at the Ghaziabad railway station seems to be a far cry. In the absence of an effective public transportation system connecting Delhi and Ghaziabad, trains are a cheap and fast alternative. But age-old problems of overcrowding, inadequate security checks, insufficient number of ticket counters and a general state of disrepair of facilities continue to trouble commuters.Passengers said there is an urgent need to upgrade the existing services at Ghaziabad railway station. Long queues at the enquiry counter and dismal security conditions are a common sight. "About an hour is spent by me each day jostling in the crowds while getting to my platform. I'm willing to pay extra for better services," said Ravi Sharma, who works in an electronic hardware store in Nehru Place.

Many commuters, however, prefer to use the 15,000-odd three-wheelers citing lack of security as one of the reasons for not using the existing railway facilities. "For those who don't live in areas connected by the Metro, travelling to Delhi via train is a good option. But one doesn't feel safe as there's barely any security at the gates and checking is rarely done properly," said Aparajita Bhasin, an art student who lives in Sahibabad.

Northern Railway officials said there were plans to increase the number of trains in Delhi-NCR, but admitted that they are constricted by limitations regarding the number of trains that can travel on the available routes. "There isn't much scope in terms of greater connectivity with the suburbs," said Neeraj Sharma,
its chief PRO.