- ******* (DURG-BHILAI Requirements) *****
* Dear friend, Durg caters to a large number of people working in Bhilai Steel Plant (approx 70,000-80,000 employees+contractor labours) and most of them belonging to other states of our country (esp. UP, Bihar, Andhra, WB, Kerala, TN, etc and including almost every state) who frequently visit their home town and need rly connectivity. Hence, there is definte requirement for Durg station which stands in same league as Raipur & Bilaspur is there.
* Durg have very good connectivity for direct trains to Bihar & Eastern...
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UP, but not so good for connectivity to western UP. It does not have direct connectivity to LKO.
* Large number of people board connecting trains at Raipur, NGP etc for want of direct connectivity/ availability of reservation. But it is not getting due attention from IR as it is not a Rly HQ unlike BSP (zonal HQ) & R (Div.HQ & state capital).
- ****** second Entry to DURG RS *****
Probably a single window ticketing counter operates from the North side of Durg station which cannot be called 2nd entry. Second entry means provision of platform, parking stand etc so that paxs can board the trains from that entry. Some long distance trains too should halt at the Northern Side platform (Nos. 4-5). More population (about 7 lacs) reside on Northern side of Durg station esp. in newly developing educational & residential area (Bhilai). These people board long distance train from Main entry resulting in crowding in narrow street leading to Durg RS.
-**** Coaching Complex *******
* Maroda coaching complex shall be a very good development, hope fully shall lead to more trains originating from Durg.
* I have not come across Official communication from IR about Maroda Coaching complex, but other sources are giving confirmation about development in Maroda.
- **** LTT - BBS/PUI Exp Stoppage *****
* There is a direct train from Durg-CTC/BBS/PUI originating at evening, but 12879/80 LTT-BBS Biweekly Exp & 12865/66 LTT-PUI Biweekly Exp leave from Mumbai at noon and all the regular trains for Durg depart from Mumbai at night and one at 6:00 am(Geetanjali). This is only train departing during day hours i.e. noon. This train morning time when there is no train and also in reverse direction all the regular trains depart for Mumbai from morning till noon (Gnaneswari 12:25) and this train departs for Mumbai in 19:55 (timing of Hatia-LTT sharing the slot from LTT-JSG)
* Stoppage of these 12879/80, 12865/66 trains at Durg is justified just
(1) due to its unique timings in both directions at Durg station
(2) due to high traffic from Durg-Bhilai (Earnings from R, BSP, Durg0Bhiali are in same league.
(3) due to fact that these trains stop at much smaller stations with much lesser revenue enroute. Durg deserve stoppage of all trains except Durontos, even Pune-Kamakhya Suvidha having lesser stop than these trains stop at Durg.
(4) due to fact that LTT-Hatia/VSKP trains sharing same timeslot stop at Durg
(5) due to fact due to fact that if your logic of denying a stoppage just for already having train connectivity is applied to all the trains all over the country, then a large number of stops to a large number of trains shall not be justified.
- **** stoppage LTT-Kamakhya Exp ****
* If IR does not think Durg important enough to give stoppage of Mumbai-Kamakhya train which stops at a station like Raigarh & Gondia, expecting a train originating from DURG to Kamakhya is just a wishful thinking.
* The stoppage of LTT-Kamakhya Exp at Durg should come first, then there is question of introducing Durg-GHY new train,
* I think increasing the frequency of this train with stoppage at Durg is a better option than having new Durg-Kamakhya new weekly train which may not get as good patronage as LTT-KYQ train.
- ******** LKO-R GR ******
* Survey for Durg-LKO& GHY/Dibrugarh train was conducted and a requirement of train was felt. But R-LKO GR and LTT-KYQ without a stoppage at Durg were introduced!
* R GR is an unsuccessful train as it runs with only 10ACIII coaches. GR runs full only during season days and not during off season
* a large number of people from UP and working at Bhilai steel plant board this train from R
* It should be extended by just 37 kms to serve No.2 city of chhatisgarh i.e. Bhilai-Durg(12 lacs population) so that it could get more paxs and can be augmented by a few coaches which could improve the profitability of the train.
- **** KOP-G extn to DURG ****
* Timing of KOP-G if extended to Durg is not bad. This train runs with just 19 coaches, which should be augmented to 22/24 coaches and extended to Durg (135kms) for additional traffic on extension.
* G-KOP timing is: G dep. 8:20 KOP arr 12:45 should be
Durg-KOP timing should be: DURG dep 6:10 G arr 8:10 dep 8:20 KOP arr 12:45
* KOP-G timing is: KOP dep. 15:30 NGP arr 17:20 dep 17:40 G 20:15, should be
KOP-DURG 15:30 NGP 17:20-17:40 G 19:50-20:00 Durg 22:00
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* It is worth mention that Durg Rly Stn generated Rs 70 crores (& 33+ crores from Bhilai extra) through passenger and parcel revenue in 2014-15 i.e. qualify for highest A1 category of station. The revenue for should in 2016-17 should be about Rs 85-90 crores of Durg+40 crores of Bhilai. This industrial twincity is a member of top 50 club in India in matter of population as well as passenger revenue of station.
* I feel a lot of requirements are there at Durg, but if some residents of Durg does not need more facilities, then probably IR is right to deny more facilities which a Durg station & Bhilai-Durg twincity (12 lac population) which is aptly called "Mini-India", should deserve.