Lok Sabha Question No. 2946 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-15
Subject: Extension of Trains
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Rameshbhai Lavjibhai Dhaduk

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2946 TO BE ANSWERED ON 15.12.2021

## EXTENSION OF TRAINS

## †2946.      SHRI RAMESHBHAI LAVJIBHAI DHADUK:

## Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether devotees from Saurashtra come to Haridwar all through the year and 6 lakh people came to Haridwar last year to take a holy dip in the Ganga but the common people are facing difficulties in the booking of  Uttarachal  express  as  all  the  seats  of  the  said  weekly  train  are booked within three minutes of the opening of online ticket booking and if so, the facts thereof;
- (b)  whether  Uttarachal  Express  should  be  operated  at  least  thrice  a week in view of the above mentioned situation;
- (c)  whether  Delhi-Porbandar  train  should  be  extended  to  Haridwar  via Jetalsar-Dhoraji-Upleta and if so, the details thereof;
- (d)  whether  Haridwar-Delhi-Ahmedabad  mail  should  be  extended  to Rajkot and operated on daily basis so that the people in Saurashtra are able to use the daily service of the said train to reach Haridwar;
- (e)  if  so,  whether  the  said  train  should  be  operated  daily  or  thrice  a week as the people of Saurashtra have waited for the said train for the last 22 years; and
- (f) if so, the response of the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

- (a) to (f)  A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a) TO (f) OF UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  2946  BY  SHRI  RAMESHBHAI  LAVJIBHAI DHADUK TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 15.12.2021 REGARDING EXTENSION OF TRAINS

(a) During the financial year 2020-21, 24,680 reserved passengers travelled  by  rail  from  prominent  stations  of  Saurashtra  region  like Ahmedabad,  Dwarka,  Hapa,  Jamnagar,  Khambhaliya,  Okha,  Rajkot, Sabarmati, Surendranagar and Viramgam to Haridwar. On Indian Railways,  the  pattern  of  booking  of  reserved  tickets  is  not  uniform throughout the year and it varies during peak and lean periods. During peak  rush  periods,  the  reserved  accommodation  especially  in  upper class and on popular routes gets exhausted within short duration after opening  of  reservation  whereas  in  lower  classes  and  on  less  popular routes, the confirmed accommodation remains available for comparatively longer duration. A sample study of the booking pattern of train  numbers  19565  &  19566  -  Okha-  Dehradun  Uttaranchal  Express during  three  months  period  from  September,  2021  to  November,  2021, has revealed that in case of 19566 Dehradun- Okha Express, on one day only,  in  the  above  mentioned period,  the  waiting  list  in  2AC  started  at 0801  hours.  On  all  other  days  and  classes  there  has  not  been  any instance where waiting list started on the day of opening of reservation. In  case  of  19565  Okha-  Dehradun  Express,  there  has  not  been  even  a single instance in the three months period where waiting list started on the day of opening of reservation.

(b) to (f) Owing to operational constraints including path constraints on sections enroute and constraints at Dehradun, at present the increase in frequency of 19565/66 Okha-Dehradun Uttaranchal Express is not feasible.  Extension  of  20937/38  Porbandar-Delhi  Sarai  Rohilla  Express upto Haridwar and that of 19031/32 Haridwar-Ahmedabad Yoga Express upto  Rajkot  is  not  feasible  at  present,  due  to  operational  constraints including insufficient lie-over at Delhi and Ahmedabad. However, passengers desirous of travelling to Haridwar, may avail change over at Ahmedabad and use the daily service of 19031/32 Haridwar-Ahmedabad Yoga  Express.  Besides,  increase  in  frequency  and  extension  of  train services is an on-going process on Indian Railways subject to operational feasibility, traffic justification etc.

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