Title - State to have its third Shatabdi from Jan ’13

The third Shatabdi Express from Chandigarh to New Delhi would be flagged off from next month. Pawan Kumar Bansal, Union Minister for Railways announced the decision to introduce a new third Shatabdi train from the city to the national capital from January 2013.

At present, there are two pairs of Shatabdi trains running between Chandigarh and Delhi and there has been an urgent need to introduce another Shatabdi train in view of the rush. Speaking to mediapersons at the Chandigarh railway station on Saturday, the Minister said that the work of doubling the Ambala - Chandigarh section is already under progress. The previous sanction was for doubling part stretch of this section from Ambala to Dhappar only. The work for doubling the rest of the section is being considered for sanction during 2013-14.

For the up-gradation of Chandigarh Railway station, Northern Railway has already prepared a master plan which has been discussed in detail. The Minister directed that the plan should include facilities such as uplifting of façade of the station building, provision of new waiting halls, provision of well ventilated toilets, improvement in circulating area so as to reduce congestion and provisions of escalators with a landing in circulating area.

Bansal directed the officers that work for the provision of the facilities should be taken up on priority basis with strict time frame for completion of works. He also informed that the Railway administration plans to provide luggage trolleys at the railway stations on the pattern of airports.   Similarly, instructions have been issued to provide wheel chairs for disabled persons at all the major stations of Indian Railways.