Passengers on the route between Radhikapur, a station near Indo-Bangla border under Kaliyaganj police station of North Dinajpur, and Katihar in Bihar are faced with aserious problem after NF Railway’s decision to suspend few trains on this route for a fortnight from 18 May due to some work on the tracks in Katihar. The difficulties will be intensified as North Dinajpur administration has already seized almost all the passenger vehicles plying on different routes for polls to be held on 18 May in North Dinajpur district.
After hearing this problem Mr Parimal Roy, a businessman in Kaliyaganj said: “Two trains are moving between Radhikapur and Katihar for years. We depend on these trains whenever there is some problem with other modes of transport. All public transport is already off the road due to polls and termination of the train services has left us in lurch. Moreover, the withdrawl of trains will also cause inconvenience to patients who go to Raiganj from remote areas in our district.”
One of the members of Zonal Railway Users Consultative committee of NF Railway Mr Tapan Chaudhury said: “Reportedly NF Railway authorities will take a fortnight to complete their work on the tracks in Katihar. In the meantime the train service could be continued between Barsoi-Radhikapur without withdrawing train services. We will request the NF Railway officials to take measures so that service between Barsoi and Radhikapur remain unaffected.
The senior Station Manager of Raiganj Railway station Mr Manajitmoy Dutta said: “The train services will be wihtdrawn due to inter-linking of track in Katihar. The number of trains, which will stop plying, will be published in our notice board tomorrow.