Sandeep Dwivedy
Post News Network
Cuttack, Feb 26: The NDA government’s maiden Railway budget has evoked mixed reactions from residents of the Silver City Thursday.
The city has long demanded introduction of long-distance express trains originating from here, as several services that originate from Bhubaneswar do not connect to the city railway station despite it being about 20 km away. As a result, passengers are forced to travel to the capital to board trains.
“Cuttack has always been ignored by the railways,” said Shantanu Tripathy, a doctor. “Despite being the oldest city of the state and a commercial centre with a large population, there are hardly any trains originating from here. Even people from coastal areas and other nearby places will greatly benefit if some trains originating from the capital are extended till Cuttack,” Tripathy added.
Some railway officials concur with Tripathy. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior ECoR official admitted that despite Cuttack railway station’s earnings often surpassing that of the capital, nothing much is being done by way of improving passenger amenities here.
“It is just a formality every year,” said Amritashwa Sinha, another doctor. “We’ve gotten used to a lack of basic facilities at railway stations. No government at the Centre has sincerely worked to improve travelling conditions,” Sinha said.
Retired lecturer Sanatana Acharya said the budget never tries to be anything but populist and offers nothing for those preferring to travel in AC. “I was going to New Delhi recently by Rajdhani when I saw a cockroach on my berth. I complained to the train superintendent but he downplayed it and didn’t even offer an apology. If that is the level of service you get after spending a few thousand to travel by a premium train, you can well imagine what normal trains would be like,” Acharya said.
However, Acharya had a few kind words to say about this year’s rail budget this year.
“This budget is finally focusing on the right areas. Improving passenger amenities and ushering in modern technology is the need of the hour. Let’s hope it is not a case of all smoke and no fire,” Acharya added.
Abhishek Khuntia, a graduate who travels to the capital regularly, said he was happy that passenger fares were not hiked but a marginal hike wouldn’t have hurt much. “The Railways has been registering colossal losses as earnings from passenger fare isn’t much. A few extra rupees wouldn’t have hurt if the hike would have gone towards improving amenities and services,” Khuntia said.
