Rail link to Pune remains a promise

The state capital's decade-old dream of getting a train to Pune is gathering dust and rust at the railway yard in Hatia. It has remained thus for over a month.

The much-awaited Ranchi-Pune Express, which was announced by former railway minister and now Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee in this year's railway budget, is yet to chug out even though the coaches have arrived.

According to sources, the new train ' waiting for nameplates ' has been lying idle at the railway yard for over 40 days while the authorities take cover under "formalities first" excuse to justify the delay.

"This train has been on our wish list for the past decade or so. Though Ranchi has gradually developed to become a very important city in view of the mushrooming industries and mines, the residents are still deprived of a direct link to Pune," complained Ashok Nagpal, secretary of Chotanagpur Passenger Association, demanding immediate flagging off of the Ranchi-Pune train.

Not only industrialists and businessmen, a large number of students travel to Pune to study at its numerous reputable education institutions, especially in the engineering and management field. But in the absence of a direct train, they have to either travel to Jamshedpur or Rourkela for going to Pune.

The railway authorities, on their part, advocate patience. Officials of the Ranchi railway division said they had nearly completed coordination work with other divisions and informed the same to the railway board, seeking dates to ply the train, which will run twice a week via Bilaspur.

"Flagging off a new train requires a lot of coordination between different railway divisions and stations. It's a time-taking process," said a railway official.

"We are not getting the dates from the railway board. This explains the delay. The residents should be more patient and wait for a few more days," added K.S. Mukherjee, senior divisional commercial manager, Ranchi railway division.

Residents of the state capital were also promised a MEMU train from Ranchi to Asansol in railway budget, 2011. But it has not hit the tracks, too. At present, the state capital has Ranchi-Howrah Intercity, which passes through Asansol thrice a week.

Railway officials said they wanted to first start Ranchi-Pune Express as the public had been demanding this train for several years. Thereafter, they would think of plying the Ranchi-Asansol MEMU train.