E-Paper
32 long-distance trains to halt at Igatpuri station
32 long-distance trains will now make commercial halts at Igatpuri station, benefiting Kasara and Nashik residents. Passengers have been demanding this for months.
Mumbai: In a move aimed at enhancing passenger convenience, at least 32 long-distance trains will halt at Igatpuri station from June 22. Until now, these trains used to only make operational halts at this station.
However, they will now be making operational halts that will benefit Kasara and Nashik residents as well. Passengers have been demanding restarting the halts for express trains for the past few months, which according to railway passenger associations, were withdrawn during the Covid-19 pandemic.
On June 20, Central Railway (CR) authorities announced the commencement of commercial halts at Igatpuri station for 16 pairs (or 32 trains) of prominent trains. Until now, operational halts were undertaken where driver duty changes, refuelling, and various technical checks are undertaken but passengers aren’t allowed to board.
“The passengers will now be able to book tickets and conveniently board and disembark from these 32 trains at Igatpuri station from June 22. These trains had operational halt until now, of around five minutes or so,” said Dr Shivraj Manaspure, chief PRO, Central Railway.
According to the CR authorities, some popular trains included are the Kamayani Express, Mahanagri Express, LTT Bhagalpur Superfast Express, Pushpak Express, LTT-Shalimar Express, LTT-Gorakhpur Express, Panchavati Express, Rajya Rani Express, Janshatabdi Express, Sewagram Express, Geetanjali Express and Devgiri Express.
“After the Covid induced pandemic, we have been demanding railway authorities to restart a few popular trains that did not have commercial halt. There are at least 60 such long-distance trains, of which 32 trains have now been given halts,” said Rajesh Fokane, president, Masik Pass Dharak Va Pravasi Welfare Association Nashik.
The passenger associations said commerical halts will also help people residing in Kasara where most long-distance trains don’t halt. Igatpuri is accessible by taxis from Kasara via the ghats.