Railway Minister dedicates six railway facilities in Bihar

Motihari , Jun 10 (PTI): Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu today inaugurated six rail facilities in Bihar including flagging off the weekly Motihari-Anand Vihar Champaran Satyagrah Express. Prabhu flagged off the weekly Champaran Satyagrah Express at a function organised at M S College ground here through remote and dedicated three Road Over Bridges (ROBs) at Danapur (Patna), Motihari and Begusarai railway stations.

He, accompanied by Union Agriculture Minister and local MP Radha Mohan Singh, also inaugurated the broad guage conversion work of Banmankhi-Purnea rail section, besides converting Piprahan station into a crossing station. Speaking on the occasion, Prabhu said the Narendra Modi government has done more work within a short of span of two years what the UPA could not do in its regime. Citing examples, the minister said the Railways had carried out 1,477 km of guage conversion between 2004-10 and 1,528 km between 2009-14, whereas the NDA government has already carried out 2,828 km of guage conversion.

Around 2,500 unmanned level crossing gates have been converted into manned ones, he said adding, Motihari railway station would be developed in a way that it would showcase the glimpse of Satyagrah movement. On the demand of a superfast train between Motihari and Delhi and Bagaha and Patliputra, Prabhu assured it would be done on a priority basis.

Referring to Sheohar MP Rama Devi pointing out paucity of funds for land acquisition for the Motihari-Sitamarhi via Sheohar link, he said funds would not be a problem for land acquisition.

Prabhu said two MOUs have already been signed for Rs 40,000 crore projects for setting up Diesel and Electric locomotive factories at Marhaura (Saran) and Madhepura, respectively.

Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh was all praise for the Modi government’s initiatives taken for Railway’s development and growth in the country.

“Had Suresh Prabhu not been the Railway Minister, Railways’ conditions would have been in shambles like the Bihar State Road Transport Corporation,” Singh added.