Indian Railways Shatabdi Express Chennai-Coimbatore train: Big change for passengers announced

Indian Railways has regularly been making changes i its services to provide relief as well as new services and other facilities to passengers to make train travel as pleasant an experience as flying in a jet plane. The latest update  this time is from Southern Railway, which has announced stoppage of Shatabdi Express Chennai-Coimbatore train at Katpadi junction. This big move will better serve passengers from Vellore district. Southern Railway will carry out this exercise on an 'experimental basis' for 6 months and then take a final decision on the issue.

The Shatabdi Express stoppage at the Katpadi junction was formally flagged off by Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker, M Thambi Durai in the presence of Commercial Taxes Minister, K C Veeramani today.

This new Shatabdi Express service is expected to benefit people of Vellore district and section of business class travellers, it said.

With this initiative, the Chennai-Coimbatore Shatabdi Express will have five stoppages including Katpadi, Jolarpet, Salem, Erode and Tiruppur, the Southern Railway statement said.

Indian Railways plans big step in NorthEast

Indian Railways is planning to expand its network across the Northeast including Arunachal Pradesh. This was revealed by  Union Minister Rajen Gohain today. He said, "With the inauguration of the Bogibeel Bridge over Brahmaputra River likely in May-June this year, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh will immensely benefit as the bridge will reduce distance between Itanagar and Eastern Arunachal districts." He was speaking after flagging off the Naharlagun-New Delhi Arunachal Express at Naharlagun railway station.

The Union budget has proposed the electrification of Rangiya-Rangapara North-Harmutti-Naharlagun section of the broad gauge line with a total distance of 398 kilometre, he also revealed.
He asked Arunachal Pradesh government to resolve the issue of land compensation involving laying of broad gauge line from Murkongselek in Assam to Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh at the earliest.

The minister however, said he was dissatisfied with the work on the 24.36 kilometre railway line, which has been stopped due to land compensation issue raised by the locals.

He appealed to the Arunachal Pradesh government to resolve the issue at the earliest. He said this could be done by fixing reasonable compensation amount.