Goemkarponn desk
CANACONA: Finally, though provisionally, Railway Board has agreed to two long-distance train Halts at Canacona KRC Station from 2nd April.
In a communique issued by the Railway Ministry, Railway Board Joint Director Stoppages (Halts) of Two Trains viz; Netravati and Gandhidham Express should be provided on an experimental basis for six months at Canacona KRC Station.
Netravati Express (16345/16346) runs daily between Mumbai (Maharashtra) and Thiruvananthapuram(Kerala), and Gandhidham-Nagarcoil Express ( 16335/16336 runs weekly.
The board has approved the stoppages from 2nd April for Netravati trains plying in either direction (Up and Down), while the weekly Gandhidham-Nagarcoil Express will begin its Halts on 5th April for Up train coming from Thiruvananthapuram and on 8th April for Down train coming from Gandhidham.
Railway Board has asked the concerned respective Circle General Managers ( Optg) to keep a close watch on the Sale of Tickets at Canacona Station and report the same within 5 Months for review of the Stoppages.
It may be recalled that including another weekly train, the Magsyagandha express, plying on the KRC route through Canacona, used to Halt at KRC Station Canacona till the Covid-19 lockdown suspended train services throughout the Country.
When the train’s services were resumed, Stoppages (Halts) for these three trains were cancelled, inviting a horde of complaints from Canacona. Canconcars, including senior citizens, NGO’s and political parties (other than BJP) agitated, forcing Canacona MLA and GLA Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar to take up the matter with Delhi. Tawadkar, on 8th February, met the Union Railway Minister, who assured the resumption of two train Halts at Canacona immediately and the Halt for the third train shortly after.
As the Halts were not resumed even after completion a month after Railway Minister’s assurance, citizens, particularly senior citizens and others, were bitterly complaining but were happy that some news came on the auspicious occasion of Gudi Padwa.
The public in general thanked and congratulated all the activists who led all the agitations for the past few months, especially the Swabhimani Jagruth Canconkars, Forum of Senior Citizens of Canacona, Canacona Patrakar Sangh, NGO Goenkar, Jana Sena Warriors and ‘Vision & Mission Progressive Canacona
and particularly Janardhan S. Bhandari, the Coordinator of the Canacona Railway Stop Bachao Action Committee.
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