2 weeks Ago
Pune: The railway authorities on Friday said an additional rake had been arranged for Azad Hind Express to ensure that it ran on time on a day the other premium train on Howrah-Pune route — Duronto Express — was delayed by 20 hours. The scheduled arrival time of Duronto Express was 9.45am on Friday.
It is expected to reach Pune around 6am on Saturday. Azad Hind Express, on the other hand, has been running late for about two years now. "With an additional (third) rake ready, even if the train coming from Howrah is delayed, the Howrah-bound train can start from Pune at its scheduled time," Ram Paul Bagpagga, the PRO of the Pune railway division , told TOI.
Azad Hind Express is scheduled to depart from Pune at 6.35pm and reach Howrah at 3.55am on the third day.
On its return leg, the train starts from Howrah at 10.10pm and reaches Pune at 7.35am on the third day.
"Duronto Express belongs to the South Eastern Railway and has two rakes. Both these trains are getting frequently delayed mainly because of some work at various rail divisions en route. These are long-distance trains.
They pass through many sections and railway zones," another railway official said. Officials said the extra scratch rake of Azad Hind Express would be of the same composition. It would ensure that one rake is always there in Pune.
The additional rake will remain until further orders. It has been introduced because of the upcoming Durga Puja and Diwali festivals. The move failed to please commuters much.
"The question is whether it will reach Howrah on time or not? Earlier also, the rail authorities had started the same (extra rake), but it was discontinued. All these are stopgap arrangements and we want a permanent solution for both the trains," Bikram Pradhan, who will travel to Kolkata by Azad Hind Express soon, said. Howrah-Pune Azad Hind Express, which was supposed to leave from Kolkata at 9.
55pm on Friday, was rescheduled to 2am on Saturday, an official said. The train reached Howrah one day late on September 17. On September 18, it was delayed by over 21 hours.
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