SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Nov 9: The Dhanbad-Ranchi-Dhanbad 13303/13304 up and down Express trains resumed stoppage at the Katrasgarh Railway station under Dhanbad Rail Division today after 5 years.
Giridih MP Chandra Prakash Choudhary and local MLA Dhulu Mahto flagged off the train for Ranchi after its stoppage here after it arrived here from Dhanbad.
On the occasion, Deputy DRM Ashish Kumar Jha and other senior officials of the Dhanbad Rail Division were also present. A senior official of divisional rail said that two minutes’ stoppage to up and down trains of Dhanbad- Ranchi intercity at Katrasgarh railway station has been given on six months’ trial.
“Today the train (13303) after starting from Dhanbad railway station reached Katrasgarh at 6.06 am and set out for Ranchi at 6.08 am. While returning from Ranchi, it (13304) would reach Katrasgarh at 10.25 pm and set out for Dhanbad at 10.27 pm.”
Notably, the stoppage of this train at Katrasgarh railway station was suspended on June 15, 2017, following the closure of the Dhanbad- Chandrapura rail tracks due to underground fire danger.
However, under public protest, the track was opened on February 25, 2019, but the stoppage of the Dhanbad-Ranchi intercity was not allowed there.
But now, in the wake of public agitation, the Railway Board has given two minutes’ stoppage at the station from today.
Baghmara MLA comes down heavily on state govt
Baghmara BJP MLA Dhulu Mahto, under whose constituency Katrasgarh railway station falls, alleged that due to the wrong report of the coal ministry, the movement of the train on Dhanbad-Chandrapura had been closed.
“I and Giridih MP (Chandra Prakash Choudhary) met the railway minister several times. Only after that, the Dhanbad- Ranchi Intercity Express stoppage has been given at Katrasgarh station,” he said. Mahto alleged that the state government never recommended stoppage to the central government in the last five years but its leader has now jumped to take the credit,” he said.
AJSU Giridih MP Chandra Prakash Choudhary on the occasion said that today Dhanbad-Ranchi intercity has begun stopping here and now other trains of the route would also halt here soon.
