The long-time demand to introduce a separate Sampark Kranti Express between Puducherry and New Delhi has become louder with the AIADMK functionary and former Member of Parliament M. Ramadass, who has written to Union Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu, seeking to provide such a link to the city.
The Indian Railways introduced the launch of Sampark Kranti Express in 2004-2005 with the sole objective of providing high speed train connectivity from cities around the country with the national capital. Accordingly, one train was earmarked to link Delhi with the capital cities or main cities of each State. Forty eight trains now connect Delhi with 18 States and one Union Territory (Chandigarh). These Super-fast trains by providing quick connectivity between different States and Delhi at a reasonably lower fare as compared to Rajdhani Express has indeed brought a connectivity revolution in the country.
Dr. Ramadass said, “Unfortunately, however, the Union Territory of Puducherry has been denied of this fine facility by the Indian Railways in the last 10 years under one pretext or the other although I have been requesting this service since my tenure as a Member of Parliament during 2004-2009 and later.”
Puducherry is at a distance of about 2,387km away from New Delhi and is not directly connected by airways. Since the Union Territory is being directly administered by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, the movement of people and the officers between Puducherry and Delhi and back is high.
In his letter to the Union Railways Minister, Dr. Ramadass said, “In view of this surging demand, the launch of a separate Sampark Kranti Express between Puducherry and New Delhi may be more appropriate which would further accelerate the tempo of development in Puducherry. After all, the Union Territory is an integral part of India and it becomes all the more important to connect this Union Territory with Delhi just as the Union Territory of Chandigarh has already been linked with the national capital by a Sampark Kranti Express. Besides Delhi, the train would be traversing through Chennai, Vijayawada, Nagpur, Bhopal and Jhansi and this would provide connectivity to these places also.”
