Allahabad: New train for Lucknow and Delhi soon

ALLAHABAD: Union minister of state for railways Manoj Sinha, while flagging off the new Humsafar Express from Allahabad on Wednesday evening, has announced that the denizens of the Sangam city would soon be getting a new superfast train for Lucknow. Along with this, the city would also be getting ‘Antyodaya’ train for Delhi.
There has been a long demand for a superfast train for the state capital from Allahabad Junction as the present train, Ganga Gomti Express, leaves at 6 in the morning and reaches Lucknow only after 10:30am.Thus, the frequent passengers from the city had long been demanding that there should be some train which completes the 200 kilometers of distance within three hours, as is the case with Kanpur which is at an almost equal distance. A proposal for the demand had long been sent to the railway board by the authorities of North Central Railway (NCR).
The minister, while speaking at the maiden journey of a new train for national capital, ‘Humsafar Express’, said that the proposed train for Lucknow would start plying before Kumbh 2019. “There is this long standing demand which would be met before starting of Kumbh 2019 along with another train for Delhi of the ‘Antyodaya’ series”, announced the minister.
“Earlier, authorities were of the view that the said superfast train would be introduced after completion of doubling of the track, but as the government wants Kumbh 2019 to be organised at a mega level, the train would be introduced before January next year,” said chief public relation officer (CPRO), NCR, GK Bansal.
The minister, on late Wednesday evening, held a review meeting with high ranked officials of NCR, NR and NER along with officials of the district administration. The meeting was called to review the ongoing work for Kumbh 2019.
CPRO, NCR said that the minister has instructed the officials that all the ROB’s (railway over bridge) should be completed within the set time frame and the same should be taken up on high priority. This is required as the ongoing civil work is causing problem to the commuters.
The minister has also called upon all the agencies, be it state machinery or that of the central government like railways, to work as a team and ensure that the forthcoming religious event of Kumbh proves to be a mega success. “It is the matter of national reputation which is at stake thus there should be no difference between state or Centre as this is the responsibility of everyone to showcase the event globally as a grand success,” said the minister in the meeting.
Likewise, on Thursday, another a review meeting of the operating and commercial departments of various railway zones was held at NCR’s headquarters. The meeting was chaired by member of the railway board Mohammad Jamshed.