Railway Board prefers Vande Bharat over local train: Railway Passenger association

In the last 10 years, the population of Kalyan-Kasara, Kalyan-Karjat areas has increased tremendously. Due to this, additional stress has started on the local service. Accidents are happening to railway passengers due to overcrowding. As a result, the Kalyan-Kasara-Karjat Passenger Federation has been demanding for the last eight years to increase the number of local trains according to the number of passengers. However, the central railway administration has repeatedly advanced the reason that there is no additional railway line for local expansion. However, there is no hindrance in running Vande Bharat Express. Meanwhile, the passenger association has once again sent a letter to the Railway Board demanding that priority should be given to pending works and additional local services.

Kalyan, Titwala, Ambernath, Badlapur have seen a large population increase. Also, the population is increasing in the vicinity of the stations. However, growth in local rounds is becoming difficult. Also local trains running from Kasara, Karjat direction to CSMT direction on Central Railway are always delayed. Due to this, passengers are delayed in reaching their destination. As a result, there is a heavy rush of passengers in local trains. The Kalyan-Kasara-Karjat Passenger Federation has demanded an increase in local trips to alleviate the congestion problem and reduce the risk of accidents. However, it is not possible to run extra local trains on an already busy railway line. For that, it is necessary to build more railway tracks, it is being repeatedly said by the railway administration. But Vande Bharat Express is being preferred instead of local.

Four express services have been increased from Mumbai section of Central Railway namely Shirdi, Solapur, Madgaon and Jalna Vande Bharat which started from January 1. Therefore, the Kalyan-Kasara-Karjat Passenger Federation has raised the question as to how it was possible to run the four Vande Bharat Express on the busy railway line. Also, they have sent a letter to the Railway Board and demanded an increase in local trips, said Rajesh Ghanghav, president of the federation.