The railways is racing to meet a deadline. And how! With the next Railway Budget barely two months away, a flurry of letters has gone out from the Railway Board here directing various zonal railways to introduce the trains that were announced in the 2010-11 Railway Budget by railway minister Mamata Banerjee.
The reminders about the need to fulfil the promises, which were sent earlier this month, talk about the introduction of no less than 17 trains on various routes. It means that until early December, the railways was chugging along at a rather slow pace, having been able to introduce just a little over one-third of the 54 new trains announced for fiscal 2010-11.
The Railway Board has asked the zonal railways, who are yet to fulfil the Railway Budget promise of new trains, to do so “at an early suitable date”. But when political savvy rather than practical possibilities dictate budgetary announ-cements like the launching of new trains, the zonal railways clearly are hard-pressed to fulfil the promises made, particularly when the required rolling stock, like locomotives and coaches, isn’t so easily available.
The Railway Board missive to the zonal railways also indicates that some of them are yet to either extend the run of certain trains or increase their frequency as per the budgetary assurance. In telegraphic language, Rail Bhavan has told the zonal railways to “Ensure compliance and report. Matter most urgent.” The zonal railways have also been asked to do what is politically correct by inviting the CM of the concerned state for the function marking a train’s introductory run.
Informally, railway officials do admit that while there is a constant clamour for train services, the railways simply do not have the infrastructure nor the resources.
Among the trains that were still to be introduced when the letters were sent were the Bangalore-Nagercoil Express (weekly), the Shimoga-Mysore Intercity Express (daily), the Mayiladuthurai-Thanjavur passenger (daily), the Tiruchendur-Tirunelveli passenger (daily) and the Darbhanga-Mumbai Karmabhoomi Express (weekly).