Gorakhpur News: Passengers traveling in the general coach of the train no longer need to worry about food. Railway’s authorized ‘Janata Khana’ and drinking water will be available in front of the general coach on the platform of the station itself.
Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) has prepared a plan to install this stall in front of the general coach on the platform after the success of the pilot project at some major stations including Gorakhpur Junction.
New food stalls will soon start appearing at major stations of Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Lucknow and Izzatnagar of North Eastern Railway. For this, station platforms and general coach stand sites are being marked. IRCTC has fixed the cost of catering.
Passengers will get a packet of pooris and vegetables for Rs 20 in the price fixed by IRCTC. It will include seven puris, 150 grams of vegetables and pickle. Along with this, passengers will get a glass of 200 ml water for Rs 3. Passengers traveling by general coach will be able to buy material as per their convenience.
There is a food stall on the platform of the station. But, even after the vendor is mandatory, the authorized Janata Khana of the Railways is not sold. They sell material at arbitrary prices. Passengers are not able to get down from the coach due to overcrowding and seat problems in the general coach. Even if he somehow gets down on the platform, the train starts leaving by the time he reaches the catering stall. Because of this many times passengers are not able to take food items even after landing on the platform.
After the closure of the water point located on the platform, passengers are forced to buy bottled water at an expensive price. Passengers of Amrapali, Avadh, Bihar Sampark Kranti, Satyagraha and Saptakranti Express have to face difficulties for food and drink at Gorakhpur Junction Station, the headquarters of North Eastern Railway.
More passengers from Bihar, Purvanchal, Nepal travel in all these trains. However, passengers will be greatly facilitated if there is a facility of getting food and drinking water authorized by the Railways in front of the general coach on the platform itself.
IRCTC’s Chief Regional Manager Ajit Kumar Sinha told on this matter that the place is being marked considering the stoppage of trains on the platform and the condition of public coaches. As soon as the list is received, the process of opening stalls at the marked places will be started. With the commencement of this process, the passengers of general coach will get a lot of convenience.
Due to the increase in the number of passengers, the frequency of the train has been increased.
Along with this, keeping in mind the extra rush of passengers, the Railways has decided to increase the frequency of many trains. In this, the operation of 05011/05012 Gorakhpur-Dhehar Balaji-Gorakhpur summer special train is being extended for one trip from Gorakhpur on July 20 and from Dhehar to Balaji on July 21.
Chief Public Relations Officer Pankaj Kumar Singh said that a total of 20 coaches including two SLRD, two general second class, four sleeper class, ten air-conditioned third class and two air-conditioned second class coaches will be installed in this train.
05011 Gorakhpur-Dhehar Balaji Summer Special train will depart Gorakhpur at 11.30 hrs on 20 July, Khalilabad at 12.10 hrs, Basti at 12.43 hrs, Gonda at 14.10 hrs, Barabanki at 15.52 hrs, Gomtinagar at 16.45 hrs, Aishbagh at 17.50 hrs, Kanpur Central to Dhehar at 19.20 hrs, Etawah at 20.47 hrs, Shamshabad Town at 22.22 hrs, Agra Cantt at 23.25 hrs, Achhnera at 23.57 hrs, Bharatpur at 00.25 hrs, Bandikui at 02.10 hrs, Dausa at 02.34 hrs and Jaipur at 03.55 hrs Balaji will reach at 04.20.
In the return journey, 05012 Dhehar Ka Balaji – Gorakhpur Summer Special train will leave Dhehar Ka Balaji at 09.30 hrs on 21 July, 2023 and depart Jaipur at 09.50 hrs, Dausa at 10.37 hrs, Bandikui at 11.35 hrs, Bharatpur at 12.47 hrs, Achhnera at 13.12 hrs, From Agra Cantt at 14.10 hrs, Shamshabad Town at 14.30 hrs, Etawah at 16.45 hrs, Kanpur Central at 19.35 hrs, Aishbagh at 22.20 hrs, Gomtinagar at 22.52 hrs, Barabanki at 23.17 hrs second day from Gonda at 00.45 hrs, Basti at 02.30 hrs and Khalilabad It will leave Gorakhpur at 03.12 hrs and reach Gorakhpur at 04.15 hrs.
Report – Kumar Pradeep, Gorakhpur