As Darjeeling Mail, the most popular train between Siliguri and Kolkata, will now start from Haldibari in Cooch Behar district from 15 August, the Deputy Mayor of the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC), Ranjan Sarkar, has demanded that the Railways revoke the decision.
Mr Sarkar has written to Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, requesting him to take steps so that the train starts and ends its journey at the NJP station in Siliguri, which has been the originating and destination station for decades.
The Indian Railways has decided to extend the NJPbound train’s service up to Haldibari recently. The Railways used to run two coaches of the train from Haldibari. The development has also sent ripples among BJP leaders in Darjeeling district.
Many of them said that instead of this, they have demanded a train between Haldibari and Kolkata to be introduced. “The train has been a pride of not only Darjeeling district, but for the entire north Bengal. The sentiment of the people is attached with Darjeeling Mail, which has been in service of the people since long from the NJP station.
We strongly object to the decision of the Railways to take an arbitrary decision on shifting the originating and destination station from the NJP station to Haldibari station.
We are expecting that the Railways will revoke the decision immediately and the train will start and end its journey at the NJP station, following the long tradition,” Mr Sarkar said. He further said they will be compelled to launch a mass movement if the Railways did not take back its decision.