MLA Meets Chakradharpur DRM, Demands Passenger Trains over Freight
Key Points:
- Saryu Roy announces sit-in protest at Tatanagar station on April 7
- MLA meets DRM Tarun Huria; seeks priority for passenger services over freight
- Railway cites technical reasons; minister said to have taken serious note
JAMSHEDPUR — Persistent delays to passenger trains on the South Eastern Railway’s Chakradharpur division have triggered a showdown, with Jamshedpur West MLA Saryu Roy set to stage a public protest outside Tatanagar station on April 7 and having already confronted the divisional railway manager in a key Sunday meeting.
Daily commuters using the Chakradharpur division have been enduring severe inconvenience. Dozens of passenger trains arrive hours late on most days. The delays have become a persistent problem for ordinary travellers.
MLA Saryu Roy took up the issue head-on. He met Divisional Railway Manager Tarun Huria on Sunday. The meeting deliberated on rail service improvements, the causes of the chronic delays, and the status of the ongoing third line construction in the division.
Roy was categorical in his demand at the meeting. Passenger trains, he said, must be treated as a priority over freight. He pressed the railway management to hold back goods trains whenever needed to ensure passenger services depart and arrive on time.
In addition, Roy formally sought a detailed written report from the railway administration. The report was demanded on all technical and operational reasons behind the delays. This came alongside ongoing concerns over South Eastern Railway trains running below capacity on several routes.
DRM Tarun Huria, on the other hand, acknowledged the disruptions. He attributed the delays to certain technical and operational constraints. He assured Roy that the administration was already working to fix these issues at the earliest.
Moreover, Huria told Roy that the railway minister had personally taken a serious view of the delay problem. Remedial measures, he said, were being set in motion without delay. However, passengers at Tatanagar station have grown increasingly frustrated. Several MEMU trains from Tatanagar have additionally been cancelled or delayed in the recent past.
The Chakradharpur division covers key routes linking Jamshedpur to other major cities. Trains cancelled from Tatanagar in the past due to agitations and track works have repeatedly angered commuters. Meanwhile, proposals to integrate Tatanagar station with Adityapur for better connectivity have also been under discussion.
Roy’s April 7 protest outside the Tatanagar station premises is expected to draw public participation and will demand immediate operational reforms from the divisional administration.
