Gopal Sharma
Facing tremendous pressure of over one crore Mata Vaishnodevi and Shri Amarnathji pilgrims besides thousands of Military and Para-Military force personnel apart from routine passengers of the State for the last over four decades, Jammu Railway Station is yearning for extension of its existing just three platforms and over all face-lift. Despite being considered as most busy and crowded platform in the northern region, this platform has been facing apathy from the Union Railway Ministry and top Railway officials.
Lack of will and farsightedness on the part of local political leadership and the cosmetic efforts of two Members of Parliament from Jammu-Poonch and Kathua-Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha constituencies and one Rajya Sabha MP; the Jammu Station could not attain the status of full- fledged Railway Division after Ferozepur in Punjab, despite the fact that the then Union Minister for Railways, Pawan Kumar Bansal in UPA-II, approved the Railway Division for Jammu hardly three years back. It is unfortunate that Ferozepur Railway Division which came into existence before partition (1947) of the country in Northern region, continues to control Railway operations in entire Punjab, Himachal, parts of Haryana and entire J&K including Srinagar and Baramulla stations which is practically very difficult and non-feasible. The Northern Railways authorities after partition, tried their best to shift this Division from the border town of Firozepur to some where in the centre of Punjab at Ludhiana or Jallandhar but could not do it following massive public pressure from the area in last over 60 years. For controlled operations and carrying on its smooth activities, the Jammu Station is said to be the most ideal, suitable and deserving destination to become full-fledged Railway Division after Ferozepur, located near Indo-Pak border.
The local leadership from the Jammu region, including both MPs and Congress ministers/ legislators, failed to covert this opportunity into the reality for the people of Jammu region. With the result, the over all face-lift and expansion programme of the Jammu Railway Station has been hanging in balance. The people of Jammu region are suffering today and deprived of Railway Division here only due to the ignorance and lack of will on the part of local political leadership. Not only this, despite grant of sanction of the two additional platforms at Jammu Railway Station about two years back, this work could not see light of the day till today.
While the political leaders whether from Congress or BJP, claim to have put all their efforts to ensure development of Jammu Railway Station in their personal capacity and get full fledged Railway Division in Jammu, but the truth remains that there is hardly much development visible on the ground. The main entry point of the Jammu Railway Station is in bad and shabby state. The entry road is broken having upper surface disappeared completely at many points and encroached upon badly. There is no proper parking system and condition of bus stand, matador and Taxi stand is also not good. There is massive water logging during rain in the absence proper drainage system and private parking operators charge exorbitant rates from the people at parking lots. There is poor management and un-necessary hurdles have been created on the name of security threat while there is no proper fencing or wall all round the Station to restrict unwanted entry of outsiders to the Station. There is no proper cleanliness at the Station except platform No.1 and there is lack of public convenience/ toilets in the platform complex, apart from platforms. In view of massive passenger pressure at this station, the waiting hall capacity is very less and it is needed to be enhanced besides adding some washrooms/ toilets at all the three existing platforms. The Railway flyover between Panama Chowk and Narwal Fruit Mandi road is poorly maintained and it is always water logged or found in shambles, causing traffic congestion. Even the four decades old Railway employees’ quarters have not been given proper attention since long.
Y R Gupta, first Station Master and son of the soil, who received first train at Jammu Railway Station on October 2, 1972 told the Excelsior that on this historic day, he was fortunate officer from Jammu to receive first train at this station. It was a goods train, which made maiden entry to Jammu station. And it was December 2, 1972, when he received the first passenger train at Jammu Station, having just three platforms at that time. It was then called Srinagar Express and now its name has been changed as Jhelum Express. Kashmir Mail (now Jammu Mail) was the second train which reached the same day, followed by Sealdah Express and fourth was Pathankote-Jammu Passenger train now DMU extended up to Udhampur. Now, the number of trains operating every day has surpassed even thirty but platforms were not extended which is most essential in view of increased trains pressure at this station.
Having retired from the Railway services in 1991 as Station Superintendent, Mr Gupta said there has been massive expansion of train services in northern region during last five decades. Many new trains were introduced on Delhi-Jammu-Udhampur-Katra, Delhi- Amritsar and other routes but Divisional operations remained at Ferozpur which is located at the corner near Indo- Pak border. Practically, it is not feasible to control Jammu or Srinagar stations from Ferozpur. The Railway authorities sanctioned Jammu as new Railway Division over two years back but due to lack of political pressure from Jammu region and follow up action, the work could not be taken up and the project remained lying in the cold storage. If the sitting BJP MPs from Jammu region are sincere to their people, they should vigorously pursue this case with the Union Railway Minister, Suresh Prabhu for converting this opportunity into reality, he added.
Former Divisional Traffic Manager, Northern Railways Jammu, R N Meena, who retired on August 31, 2015, told the Excelsior that during his last over and four and half years stay in Jammu as DTM, nine additional trains were sanctioned by the Union Railway Ministry but the much needed infrastructure at the Station could not be upgraded. He said the major problem this station is experiencing, is the stoppage of the trains at the outer of the station for half an hour or even more due lack of available space at the platform.
” About forty years back, there were five trains and just three platforms and now when nearly 35 trains are being operated from this station, the number of platforms remains the same even today. At least additional two platforms are must at this station,” Mr Meena maintained.
There is single line near the station at both ends and it is immediately needed to be converted into double line. The proposal for the same stands already approved by the Railway authorities but the work has not been initiated till now. This will give some relief to the passengers stuck out of the station for hours before reaching Jammu station. Again, there is immediate need to upgrade washing line and add at least two more washing lines for carrying on proper maintenance work before making the trains operational from Jammu station.
Referring to the issue of full-fledged Railway Division at Jammu, former Railways DTM said Jammu has full potential in all respects to be declared as full fledged Railway Division but it is unfortunate that people of this region are deprived of this facility due to lack of political will and awareness. The Jammu people are only after AIIMS but getting Railway Division is much more important for them. After getting Railway Division, huge budget will be sanctioned by the Union Railway Ministry for this place that automatically its expansion, up-gradation and over all face lift would start automatically. The Divisional Railway Manager would operate from here and moreover, over 5000 to 6000 local youth will get employment with this. Though there is demand of Rail Coach Factory also by the locals and by the Jammu Chamber but after getting Division, they can also project this demand vigorously. It is a large national project and for that huge land is required. It would also generate massive employment for the locals as well as the outsiders, Mr Meena added.
The former DTM disclosed that there are four waiting halls for different classes of passengers with over all capacity of nearly 1000 passengers at Jammu station. Still there is need to increase sitting capacity at the Station in view of increasing rush of passengers/pilgrims. Adequate drinking water points are available at the station but facilities are needed to be enhanced at platform number 2 and 3. After immediate extension of two more platforms, the station should be made operational on both sides to facilitate the passengers with one more additional `over-way’ at the station. One new Railway Hotel with the capacity of 100 rooms has been constructed with facilities of Restaurant near goods section complex. It is being sublet to the private party for operation and additional large shopping complex is being raised at the adjoining for according additional facilities to the passengers. The expansion of vehicle parking is also under way, Mr Meena said.
Member Parliament from BJP, Jugal Kishore Sharma claimed that he raised this issue last year during Budget Session in Lok Sabha and again took up it with the Union Railway Minister for the sanctioning of Railway Division at Jammu and extension of three more platforms at the Jammu station. The Railway authorities have given assurance for the upgradation and facelift of the Jammu station. Mr Sharma who represents Jammu-Poonch Lok Sabha constituency said that on September 2, 2015 he met the Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu and again projected this issue. He maintained that he would put all his efforts to get Railway Division for Jammu and three more platforms so that sufferings of the Jammu people are minimized. Mr Sharma said that Getting Rail Coach factory in Jammu region is also old demand of the people and this issue would also be taken up forcefully with the Centre.
Former Congress MP, Madan Lal Sharma said that Jammu has already been sanctioned full fledged Railway Division by the then Union Railway Minister from Congress Pawan Kumar Bansal. ” After putting lot of pressure on the Railway Ministry, we managed to get the Division sanctioned for Jammu but when our tenure was over, it was duty of the BJP representatives to go for follow up and get the project implemented. They did not show any interest and the project has been sent to the cold storage,” Mr Sharma maintained.
The Ex-MP said that extension of platform was the old demand of the people here and it was the commitment of the Railway Board and the higher authorities in Delhi to go for it. Some funds were also sanctioned for the same during UPA Government. But the work could not be initiated. The Railway authorities wanted the shifting of existing large Indian Oil tanks from Jammu Railway Station area to some other location away near Vaijaypur or Bari Brahmana but due to lack of coordination this issue also remained unresolved. Shifting of these tankers was also must as per safety point of view, he said.
Y V Sharma, former Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Jammu said the Jammu Chamber has been projecting these issues since long. Even his predecessors also used to project these issues before the visiting Prime Minister and Union Ministers from time to time. He said Jammu should be sanctioned full- fledged Railway Division and for this the public representatives should expert pressure on the Union Railway Ministry to get the project cleared. He said passengers get stuck at the outer of the station in the trains for hours due to lack of space at the busy station. Therefore, extension of platform and making double line at both ends was must to overcome these problems. Mr Sharma stressed the need for ensuring cleanliness, installing more drinking water points, sitting benches, providing fans, adding more wash rooms and making entry and exist gates of the Jammu Railway Station impressive as its name suggests Temple City. He said sufficient parking space be created for different types of vehicles, road be improved and unnecessary hurdles created for the yatris at station be removed. Additional CCTVs be installed at the Station and encroachment from the entry and exist points at the Railway Station be removed.
Sitting Jammu Chamber president, Rakesh Gupta however, said that his team is going to take up this issue with the concerned MP and the Minion MOS in PMO, Dr Jitendra Singh shortly. He said that it would be one of the priorities of the Chamber to get Railway Division for Jammu and additional two platforms at Jammu Station besides striving for better facilities in view of increasing pressure of passengers and pilgrims at Jammu Station.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
