The BJP’s Railway Passenger Cell has requested Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to divide the 20-coach Nagpur-Secunderabad Vande Bharat Express into two, with 10 coaches operating between Nagpur and Nashik. The request comes in response to low occupancy on the Nagpur-Secunderabad route since its launch by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 16.
Braj Bhushan Shukla, chief of the BJP Railway Cell, stated, “Splitting the train into two will not only benefit passengers but also boost revenue, religious tourism, and trade.”
In a memorandum submitted to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw during his visit to the city on Friday, the BJP Railway Passenger Cell reiterated the long-pending demand for establishing a railway medical college in Nagpur. City Women Morcha chief Pragati Patil, along with members Dilip Gaur, Dilipbhai Thakral, Ajay Gaur, Nitish Singh, and several officials, were present at the meeting.
Shukla also urged the minister to introduce a daily Vande Bharat train between Nagpur and Pune, highlighting that existing trains on the route have reached full capacity, allowing private luxury bus operators to exploit the situation by charging high fares.
The BJP leaders also called for the regularization of the 01139/01140 Nagpur-Madgaon-Nagpur special train, a proposal currently pending with the Railway Board. They further requested the extension of the Raipur-Nagpur-Secunderabad Express to Bengaluru, citing the lack of a direct train between Nagpur and Bengaluru. Additionally, they demanded that the 20912/20911 Nagpur-Indore Vande Bharat be operated on all weekdays, as it currently runs only six days a week.
“We also want train number 15159/15160 Chhapra-Durg Sarnath Express to be extended till Nagpur. This train is stranded at Durg for 8 hours, and extending it will benefit thousands of passengers from Nagpur. The Nagpur-Solapur Express was stopped during Covid and should be restarted,” said Shukla.
Railway Minister Vaishnaw, after accepting the memorandum, assured the delegation that he would review the demands and address them as far as possible. Central Railway GM Dharamveer Meena, DRM Manish Agarwal, and other senior officials were present at the meeting.
Shukla highlighted the lack of direct trains from Nagpur to key northern cities, despite a significant North Indian population in Vidarbha. He added that passenger traffic has increased following the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, but only one weekly train serves the route.
The BJP Railway Passenger Cell’s demands focus on enhancing connectivity and convenience for travelers to and from Nagpur. The proposals splitting the Nagpur-Secunderabad Vande Bharat, introducing new trains, and extending routes aim to boost tourism, trade, and railway revenue while meeting the needs of the region’s growing passenger base.