Rail Budget neglects Nashik

NASHIK: Passengers from Nashik and also from north Maharashtra have failed to find any solace from the Railway Budget presented in parliament on Wednesday.
“The railways has only fooled the citizens and the passengers of this fourth fastest growing city in the state as neither did Nashik Road get the status of ‘terminus’ nor is there any plan to introduce new trains from Nashik—forget horticulture train,” said Harishchandra Chavan, BJP MP from Dindori.
Several organisations and leaders in Nashik and north Maharashtra have been demanding a number of facilities including a better and upgraded railway station, railway terminus in Nashik, horticulture train to Nashik for transporting grapes and onion produce, new train services and railway lines. However, even the much-promised Kusumagraj Express has failed to find any mention in the Budget.
“The Railway Budget has failed Nashikites in their expectations. The Budget has focussed on technical improvement of railways’ safety and security measures. The only good thing is that the proposed Nashik–Pune track has been included in the new-line projects sent to the planning commission for appraisal,” Nashik MP Sameer Bhujbal said.
He said that the new line surveys to be taken up for Nashik-Surat, Nashik–Sinnar, Shirdi–Shahapur–Ghoti promise some development here. District guardian minister Chhagan Bhujbal has also welcomed the including of the various surveys in north Maharashtra.
“The least we expected is one good announcement for the facilities here and even that is missing from the Budget speech. It is time that Nashikites be content with Rajya Rani Express started recently,” said Rahul Sonawane, a local citizen.
Bipin Gandhi, of Rail Parishad, a Nashik-based NGO, lambasted the railway minister as he had no ‘news’ for Nashikties. “Nashik is the fourth corner of golden quadrilateral (in Maharashtra)—the other three being Mumbai, Pune and Aurangabad—but railways doesn’t recognise it. Despite all the agitations and efforts to rope in support from different quarters, it seems that the leadership in Nashik has failed to project the city and the region in proper manner,” Gandhi said.
Meanwhile, of the three new trains announced, two will pass through Nashik—Kamakhya (Guwahati) – Mumbai (AC) and Vishakhapatnam–Mumbai—that will run on a weekly basis. Besides, a new train between Hyderabad and Ajmer via Manmad running on a weekly basis will also benefit Nashikites to some extent. Add to it the increase in the frequency of Jabalpur-Mumbai train from twice a week to thrice a week.
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