Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Sunday requested Union railway minister Piyush Goyal to change the route of the Agartala-Deoghar Express and the Agartala-Sealdah Kanchanjunga Express in the larger interest of the people of the state and look into the revenue prospect that may accompany the initiative.
Deb said the Agartala-Deoghar Express might run along the Agartala-Rampurhat (Bengal) via Dumka-Deogarh route instead of the Bhagalpur-Khagaria-Munger-Deoghar route, which would reduce the journey by a good 42km, saving time as well. The step will also add to the revenue earnings of the ministry, he added.
“The Agartala-Deoghar Express halts for three days in Agartala. If the halt is done at Deoghar, the step would benefit Tripura passengers by reducing their return trip days. Most of the passengers travelling in the Agartala-Deoghar Express are vegetarians and, therefore, attaching a vegetarian pantry car would help them, especially the pilgrims,” Deb wrote in his letter which was made available to the media on Monday.
The chief minister said it is learnt that the ministry decided to withdraw the reservation ticket counter facility on the Satsang premises at Deoghar because of poor broadband service. “If such steps are taken, it will add to the sufferings of the passengers,” he wrote.
Deb also requested for extension of the Agartala-Sealdah Kanchanjunga Express up to Udaipur, headquarters of Gomati district, around 50km from here, “since Udaipur is one of the important tourist places and the additional distance to be covered is only 44km”.
“Your ministry may also consider attaching the Green Bogie service to transport perishable agricultural products in refrigerated and non-refrigerated wagons of the Kanchanjunga Express,” he added.
'I would be grateful if you could kindly consider issuing necessary instructions to the authority concerned,” Deb wrote to the Union minister.
Deb thanked Goyal for his “proactive support due to which Tripura has been well connected with other parts of the country”.
