Rajkot: The General Manager of Western Railway, Ramashraya Pandey, held a meeting in Rajkot with Members of Parliament from the Saurashtra region. In this meeting, the demand for a direct train between Rajkot and the temple town of Haridwar took centre stage.

The meeting was attended by MPs Parshottam Bhai Rupala, Poonamben Madam, Rambhai Mokariya, Kesari Dev Singh Jhala, Rajesh Bhai Chudasama and Bharat Bhai Sutariya, where they discussed various important matters related to rail development. The meeting featured detailed deliberations on new trains, stoppages, train extensions, increasing frequencies, passenger amenities and infrastructure projects. Positive discussions were held on the suggestions and demands of the people’s representatives.

The meeting was also attended by senior officials of Western Railway, including Divisional Railway Manager of Rajkot Division Giriraj Kumar Meena and Divisional Railway Manager of Bhavnagar Division Dinesh Verma.

Speaking about the meeting, Lok Sabha MP Parshottam Rupala said that lakhs of passengers from Rajkot and other parts of Saurashtra travel to North India every year, particularly to the religious destination of Haridwar.

He noted that local residents and religious organisations have long demanded a permanent train connecting Rajkot and Haridwar. The proposal was discussed extensively during the meeting.

The MPs strongly emphasised the need to launch the Rajkot–Haridwar train at the earliest in the public interest. They informed railway officials that the proposed service would benefit not only Rajkot but also passengers from across Saurashtra, including tourists, pilgrims and senior citizens, by making travel more convenient and accessible.

Following the meeting, MP Parshottam Rupala spoke about the complexities involved in railway operations. He acknowledged that railway projects require extensive planning and involve multiple factors, including track capacity, timetable management, slot availability and safety considerations.

Rupala said railway projects involve factors such as track capacity, timetable management, slot availability and safety requirements, making the process complex. However, he added that public representatives would continue pursuing these demands with the Railway Board and the Union Railway Ministry.

The meeting is being seen as an important step towards addressing long-pending railway demands from the Saurashtra region. DeshGujarat