Vande Bharat chugs from Ferozepur, AAP MP angry over no halt at Barnala

BATHINDA: The much-awaited fast moving Vande Bharat express train started its maiden journey from Ferozepur to Delhi on Saturday. Union minister of state for railways Ravneet Singh Bittu flagged off the train at Ferozepur which chugged to Delhi through Faridkot, Bathinda, Dhuri, Patiala and Ambala.Bittu boarded the train at its starting point and when the train reached Bathinda railway station, he alighted and while accepting the compliments said that four Vande Bharat trains have been started on the day including one from Ferozepur to Delhi, which is first from the Malwa region of Punjab. He said with this train the people will be able to reach Delhi in less time. Bittu also said that the four takhats (temporal seats) are linked with railways and only Talwandi Sabo is not linked, and he is making earnest efforts to link Talwandi Sabo with railway network by taking railway tracks to the sacred place to make a circuit of all the five takhats.

Apart from that, the process of linking the Malwa region with Chandigarh has already been put in motion.However, Sangrur MP Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, who had met Bittu with a request for a halt of the train at Barnala railway station, said it is unfortunate that no halt has been given at Barnala despite assurance by the minister. “I will raise the issue in parliament, and we will wait till December 1 for a halt at Barnala. But if it is not given then AAP members along with Barnala residents will hold protests for the stoppage of the train at Barnala”, said Meet Hayer.