New Delhi: Indian Railways launched 09 ‘Sewa Service’ Trains on Tuesday to connect smaller towns around major cities. These services were launched by the Minister of Railways and Commerce & Industry, Piyush Goyal along with Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr Harsh Vardhan and Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Steel, Dharmendra Pradhan, from New Delhi by inaugurating Delhi-Shamli passenger train. Other trains were flagged off through video-conferencing connected to the terminal stations where these trains are to start. Minister of State of Railways, Suresh C. Angadi, MP, Lok Sabha Meenakshi Lekhi and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.
Of 09 ‘Sewa Service’ trains in eight states, four trains will run on a daily basis and other five, 6 days a week.
Vadnagar – Mahesana DEMU (6 days a week) – Gujarat
Asarva –Himmatnagar DEMU (6 days a week)- Gujarat
Karur – Salem DEMU (6 days a week)- Tamil Nadu
Coimbatore – Pollachi Passenger (6 days a week)- Tamil Nadu
Coimbatore – Palani Passenger (Daily)- Tamil Nadu
Yesvantpur – Tumkur DEMU (6 days a week) – Karnataka
Murkongselek – Dibrugarh Passenger (Daily) – Assam
Bhubaneswar – Nayagarh Express (Daily) – Assam
Delhi – Shamli Passenger (Daily)
Piyush Goyal said these trains will provide connectivity to the far-flung areas where stoppages of premiere trains were not possible. These trains will act as link trains to serve the common man of the country. The Minister recalled the connect of Mahatma Gandhi to the Railways. Remembering Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, on the occasion of his birth anniversary today, Goyal said that the former President during his childhood in Rameswaram had a memorable experience with Indian Railways.
Goyal pointed out that it is a unique concept to start these 09 Sewa trains with layover/ spare rakes as a part of ‘sweating of assets’ initiative by the Indian Railways. This was part of strategies of Indian Railways to have better utilization of the rolling stock without any requisition for new rolling stock. He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his vision to transform Railways as the engine of growth in the economic and social development of the country.
