Gujarat's long-pending demand with the railways for shifting of the Western Railway headquarters from Mumbai to Ahmedabad on the ground of the state boasting the largest rail track network in the zone, backed by CM Narendra Modi, is not under consideration of either the rail ministry or the rail board.

This was stated by Mumbai-based additional general manager of the Western Railway, RS Chug, in reply to a question by this reporter during a media briefing after flagging off the Gandhidham-Kamakhya (in Assam) train from Gandhidham, about 60-km from here, on Saturday.

"Such a decision is taken by the rail ministry and the rail board as this is a policy matter. There is, at present, no such move under consideration in the railways," Chug said.

On the demand to reintroduce Gandhidham-Baroda intercity train, for passengers going to Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar, Chug said this was again a policy matter to be decided by the Railway Board. "We forward such demands to the Railway Board in the form of a proposal," he said.

Earlier, flagging off the weekly Gandhidham-Kamakhya Express train, which would depart every Saturday to reach Assam capital, Guwahati, on Wednesday, Chug said that Kutchis would soon have yet another long-distance train for Kolkata. He said that Gandhidham-Howrah train has already been proposed in this year's rail budget.

The train had cent percent booking on its inaugural run. It was stated that the train would be most beneficial to the people of UP and Bihar. However, strangely, the train has no pantry car even though it would take more than 70 hours to reach Guwahati. Chug readily agreed to the suggestion that the train and the stations at Gandhidham and Kamakhya be adorned with pictures of both areas to promote tourism. It was decided to take the help of new KPT chairman, P D Waghela, as he had a rich experience of the tourism sector.

D V Maheshwari/ DNA-Daily News & Analysis Source: 3D Syndication