Radhikapur-Delhi train service yet to resume

Raiganj: More than three months have passed since the Railway authorities in a notification announced that the service of Radhikapur-Delhi bound train would restart from the Radhikapur Station. However, this service is yet to see the light of day. The residents of North Dinajpur district have been facing a lot of problems since discontinuation of this service.

A link Radhikapur-Delhi bound regular train service was introduced from Radhikapur in 2020. During Covid in 2021, the service was discontinued and is yet to be reintroduced.

Last year, the traders unions of Raiganj and citizens forum of Kaliyaganj organised multiple protest movements and demanded that the service be resumed. In a notification in March 2024 just before Parliamentary elections, the Railway officials announced the service would resume in the form of a weekly train instead of regular link train. However, it has not been translated to action.

Nitai Baisya, Zilla Parishad member of TMC of Kaliyaganj, said: “Migrant workers from our district travel by this train to other states. This train service has remained closed for more than three years. Migrant workers are facing great difficulties to reach their workplaces. It seems that the Railway officials out of political motive three months ago had declared in a notification to restart its service as a weekly train.” Kartick Chandra Paul, newly-elected Raiganj MP from BJP, said: “It is a fact that passengers of our district are suffering for a long period owing to this service being discontinued. Very soon this will be brought to the notice of Railway authorities with the demand that the service be resumed immediately.”

Pankaj Kumar, Superintendent of Kaliyaganj Rail Station, said: “We have not been informed yet about the time of the restart of Radhikapur-Delhi bound train service. As soon as we receive a confirmation we will make a formal announcement.”