No train from Ferozepur among pair of 100 trains started after 2 month’s gap

Punjab Mail celebrated 108 years service without running on track

No train from Ferozepur among pair of 100 trains started after 2 month’s gap

Ferozepur, June 12, 2020:  Indian Railways has started running a pair of 100 trains from June 1, after a gap of over two months due to coronavirus lockdown across India. But there is no train from the biggest railway divisional headquarters Ferozepur.

Not only this, the Punjab Mail one of the oldest long-distance trains in the country, celebrated its 108 years of service on June 1, without running on tracks.

These special trains are in addition to already operataional 30 Rajdhani type trains and Shramik trains, which are being used to ferry stranded migrant labourers.  Ministry of Railways after consultation with Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and Ministry of Home Affairs had announced the train services to be further partially restored form June 2.

DRM Ferozepur Rajesh Aggarwal said, the railways on the request of the state governments have started operating the Shramik Express trains from May 1 and in Ferozepur division, it started moving from May 5 and so far, 353 such trains have moved from the Ferozepur Division, ferrying around 4.60 lakh migrant workers, who were without any work due to shut down of various units or consented for going back to their homes in this crisis.

President, Senior Citizens Forum S P Khera said, the railways has started around 200 special trains across the country but not a single train has been started from two important junctions and terminal of Ferozepur rail division – Ferozepur and Bathinda.

He further said, the railways has ignored the needs of residents of these areas by not considering these two important and other districts of Malwa belt to start any train to carry stranded passengers of these areas to their native places.

When talked to DRM,Ferozepur Rajesh Aggarwal to know about any plan to start the train from Ferozepur, he said, “The movement of trains have been reviewed and planned at the level of Ministry of Railways. So far, there is no news till now”.