Even as the railway cancelled three important trains connecting Delhi to different places in Bihar it on Friday introduced Patna-Ranchi Jan Shatabdi Express and Patna-Jhajha Electrical Multiple Unit (EMU).
Departing from the tradition the railway invited the state chief minister, Nitish Kumar, who himself is a former railway minister, to flag off these two trains on Friday afternoon.
Ever since 1996 till 2009 summer there were three railway ministers from Bihar––barring of course for a few months in which Mamata Banerjee served in the Rail Bhawan. So in all these years one railway minister from Bihar or the other used to perform this ritual. Not only that during the reign of Nitish Kumar the minister of state for railway, Digvijay Singh, was also from Bihar.
However, what sounds intriguing is the railway’s decision to inaugurate a new train on January 8, when the train service in the entire north India has been completely paralysed due to heavy fog. It is only a day before the introduction of the new Jan Shatabadi Express that the railways cancelled the service of three express trains Gaya-New Delhi Mahabodhi Express, Katihar-Amritsar Amarpali Express and Sitamarhi-New Delhi Lichchvi Express till January 31.
While talking to bihartimes.com a railway official justified the introduction of the new train in this season when everything has been thrown haywire. He said that there is less fog in Jharkhand therefore Jan Shatabdi may not face much problem, except in 92 kilometres between Gaya and Patna.
He said that the railway had to cancel the three trains till January 31 because they were less important trains. Their cancellation would help ease the flow of the trains as it is getting choked due to fog now.
Mahabodhi Express––not to speak of others––may be an unimportant train for the railway, but the truth is that thousands of pilgrims, have thronged to Bodh Gaya, which is being visited by Dalai Lama. Among others who visited the place is internationally acclaimed actor Richard Gere.
