Union minister Vaishnaw flags off MEMU train in Bengal, says Centre’s focus on expanding Railway coverage

Kolkata: Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday flagged off the inaugural Purulia-Bankura-Howrah MEMU train via Masagram and said the Centre’s focus is to expand railway coverage besides modernising the sector. The minister highlighted that investment in railways in West Bengal increased from around Rs 4,380 crore in 2009-14 to around Rs 14,000 crore currently. He flagged off the train through video conferencing from Santragachi railway station in West Bengal. Vaishnaw said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s focus is to expand railway coverage, modernise railways with technology, infrastructure and amenities and improve passenger experience.

Around 12 lakh Railway staffers are tirelessly working towards realising this dream, he said. The Purulia-Bankura-Howrah MEMU train via Masagram would boost rural, local and regional rail connectivity and passenger convenience, he said. The service is set to improve daily commute options for thousands of passengers across Purba and Paschim Bardhaman, Purulia, Bankura and surrounding districts. By connecting key junctions in West Bengal, the train will not only ensure faster travel but also facilitate economic activity, he said. During the 2014-25 period, Kolkata Metro added 41 km to its network, compared to only 28 km between 1972, when the project started, and 2014. Underlining challenges related to land acquisition and traffic permission for Kolkata Metro and other railway projects, Vaishnaw urged the state government “to rise above other things for the benefit of people”. He referred to such challenges on the Kolkata Metro route at Kidderpore, Chingrighata and Beleghata area and also to the Bishnupur-Tarakeshwar rail route. Vaishnaw lauded the ongoing development of the Santragachi railway station as an Amrit Bharat station, especially the progress of work in the last one and a half years. The Amrit Bharat Station Scheme is a long-term plan to improve railway stations across India in a step-by-step manner. “The station is being modernised as a passenger and environment-friendly facility. It has been designed to handle over 50,000 passengers daily by 2063, in addition to ensuring time-bound train movement,” he said. Lok Sabha MPs Prasun Banerjee and Saumitra Khan were also present in the programme.