Radhikapur-Delhi express delinked from Simanchal – The Statesman

Posted on Saturday, January 17th, 2009 by in Raiganj, Railway.

Residents of Raiganj are planning to organise another agitation in Raiganj railway station after railway authorities last night changed both the number and the time table of the Radhikapur-Delhi (link) express train.
According to the new instruction of railway authorities, 5715 Radhikapur-Delhi (link) express train will start from Radhikapur railway station every Sunday morning, beginning 18 January. It will arrive in Raiganj at 6.45 am. At Katihar it will be attached to Garib Nawaj Express, running from Kishangunj to Ajmer. In Delhi it will arrive at 1.20 p.m. on Monday. On the other hand, the 5716 down train will leave Delhi at 8.35 p.m. on Monday and will arrive at Raiganj at 2.36 a.m. on Wednesday.
Previously, this train, 4020 down Radhikapur-Delhi (Anand Vihar) (link) Express, would start from Radhikapur on Friday morning and the up 4019 train would reach Raiganj in the evening on Wednesday. This link train with eight compartments used to be attached to the main Radhikapur-Delhi (Anand Vihar) Simanchal Express in Katihar. With the authorities’ latest move, the link train will now be attached to a train that goes to Delhi railway station unlike Simanchal Express, which was to go to Anand Vihar station in Delhi.
On the other hand, 10 days have passed since the Radhikapur-Delhi (link) express train started from Radhikapur, but the residents of Raiganj are still unable to book tickets to travel to and from Raiganj railway station on this train.
The secretary of Raiganj Nagarik Committee, Mr Tapan Chaudhury, said: “Our previous link train would reach Delhi within 26 hours. But this new train will take more than 31 hours. It’s a mystery why the Railway authorities are changing its time table and main train frequently. We are now compelled to believe that the authorities may withdraw this link train from Raiganj on any excuse. We will very soon start a movement with the demand of providing us the previous 4019 up and 4020 down Radhikapur- Delhi link Simanchal express train.”
The station superintendent of Raiganj railway station, Mr Manjitmoy Dutta, pleaded ignorance as regards making available tickets for Raiganj on Simanchal Express. “We have not received any instruction from our higher authorities in this regard, which is why tickets for Raiganj railway station are not being provided to the passengers,” he said.
The divisional railway manager of North-east Frontier Railway, Katihar, Mr B Raikwar, washed his hands of the matter. “The change of the train depends on the decision of railway authorities. We have nothing to do with it,” he said.

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