BDRunner, Oct 08:- Western Railway is currently facing various problems. Even though various promising initiatives have been taken, there has been no success. Trains and stations have to be stopped one after another due to repeated stumbles. 23 trains and 54 stations of Western Railway have already been closed. Despite the anger of the passengers, there is no initiative to reopen them.
According to railway data, 23 trains of Western Railway have been stopped in the last three years. These trains have been stopped due to various reasons including additional loss in passengers, shortage of drivers and engines. Passengers say that it is very important to keep every train running to maintain normal railway services.
On September 28, an office order signed by Assistant Chief Operating Superintendent of Railways Abdul Awal confirmed the suspension of trains. According to the notification, Sirajganj Express has been closed since August 15 due to vandalism and fire at Sirajganj Bazar station. Besides, Chandana-Bhanga Commuter and Uttara Express and Local-563/564 of Ishwardi-Dhaka route have been closed to avoid vandalism due to reduced revenue.
Trains which have been stopped due to coach, engine and staff shortage include Local-515, Local-511/512, Local-541/542, Local-591/592, Local-411/412, Local-453/454, Local-431/ 434, Local-481/482, Local-415/416/421/422, Misra-451/452, Misra-432/433, Misra-413/414, North Bengal Mail and Parvatipur Commuter. Also, Rangpur and Panchagarh commuter trains remain closed due to repair work. Due to the suspension of these trains, the passengers are suffering a lot and the pressure on the intercity trains has increased.
Meanwhile, 54 stations of Western Railway have also been declared closed due to manpower shortage. According to railway data, there are a total of 175 stations in the western region. Out of this 121 stations are operational but 54 stations are closed due to lack of manpower. Passengers have complained of various sufferings in the stations which are also in operation. As tickets are not sold at closed stations, passengers have to face many difficulties in collecting tickets. This is increasing the number of ticketless passengers and causing revenue loss to the railways.
In this regard, General Manager (GM) of Western Railway, Abdul Awal Bhuiyan said, “I don’t remember now how many trains or stations have been closed. But several closed stations have been opened. But we have manpower shortage. Although some trains have been stopped, we still I have launched a new train.”
Date: 08/10/2024 AD.