Guwahati: The Assam Trinamool Congress (TMC) expressed alarm on Friday about the situation of the state’s railway system with as many as to 12 trains suspended by Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR) since the COVID-19 outbreak.
TMC Media Department Chairman Dilip Kumar Sarma fiercely condemned the inaction of the ruling BJP MPs in this regard while speaking at a press conference at the party’s headquarters.
“As many as 12 trains in Assam have been suspended in the state since March 23, 2020, thus, causing harassment to the public. The trains are: 55818 Guwahati-New Guwahati Passenger, 15771 Alipurduar Junction-Guwahati, 55903 Mariani-Dimapur Passenger, Dibrugarh-Dekargaon IC, Dibrugarh-Ledu Passenger, 12086 Dibrugarh-Guwahati Satabdi Express, 12525 Dibrugarh-Kolkata Superfast Rail, New Jalpaiguri-Rangia (New Bangagaon-Rangia section), Dibrugarh-Tezpur Intercity, Kolkata-Guwahati Garib Rath etc,” said Sarma.
Sarma also questioned the state BJP government; if they can ask the central government to run direct flights from Guwahati to six cities around the world, then why cannot take steps to run these trains which were suspended since last three years?
“This shows that the BJP government is only concerned about the welfare of the rich, but, they have no time to think about the common people,” added the TMC Media Department Chairman.
Dilip Sarma also challenged the state chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to restart the 12 suspended trains by the NFR within next one month. “Since the chief minister boasts of changing everything in the state, therefore, we (Assam TMC) challenge the chief minister to re-start these suspended trains within a month,” said Dilip Sarma.
In the conference, Sarma stressed on the fact that the NFR had once decided to stop the Brahmaputra Mail to Upper Assam and operate Kanyakumari Express regularly, but that didn’t happened yet. Currently, NFR runs Kankyakumari express three or four days a week, said Sarma.
The TMC media chairman claimed that the NFR had cancelled the 12515 Superfast trains from Upper Assam to Kolkata via Bogibeel.
Meanwhile, Sarma has urged for a stoppage of trains like 20505 Rajdhani Express in Dhemaji, 15895 Rangiya-Murkongselek in Bedeti, Train No. 22411 in Biswanath Chariali, Train no. 22411 in New Misamari and 15817), Train no. 15929 in Udalguri, Trains no. 15815 and 15613 in Khairabari, Train No. (15813) in Chirajuli, Trains no. 22411 and 15961 in Majbat, Train no. 15613 in Goreswar and Train no. 15613 in Rangia.