MARGAO: Minister for Railways Suresh Prabhu along with Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar today flagged off the Margao-Hazarat Nizzamuddin Rajdhani Express from Margao railway station.
The railway minister also inaugurated a newly installed escalator at the Margao railway station as a part of the traveller amenities enhancement plan of the KRC. South Goa MP Narendra Sawaikar, RS MP Shantaram Naik, PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar, KRC CMD Tayal, Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardessai and Margao MLA Digambar Kamat were also present at the occasion.
Promising to develop Goa by making railways the vibrant engine of growth, Prabhu also announced the commencement of the Goa Tirupati direct train soon.
The Goa will be connected New Delhi by means of the Rajdhani Express. There will be two trains weekly which will leave from Margao on Sunday and Monday, and two will leave from Delhi on Friday and Saturday.
“I am very happy that Goa is getting connected to Delhi. It has become a need as the connect of Delhi and Goa has increased politically in the form of two ministers,” Prabhu said.
The escalator is build under the MPLAD fund of Shantaram Naik; its total cost is Rs 90.32 lakh. The work on the escalators began in June.
Prabhu further said that in five years doubling of railway lines would completed which would improve all the routes and also help “us increase trains to various parts of the country.”
“Electrification of various routes is also on the anvil with 10 thousand kms of electrification,” Prabhu added.
Chief Minister Parsekar requested the railway minister to expedite the work of double tracks to make the rail trips safe and cheap for common man.
“Only three weeks ago we sent a request for Rajdhani and we got the train now. However, we request the minister to facilitate at least three stops of the train at Tivim, Karmali and one other place,” he said.
