The Hindu : New Delhi News : Yuva Express flagged off

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Wednesday, Jan 13, 2010
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Yuva Express flagged off

Staff Reporter

Reservation through mobile van also inaugurated

The low-cost AC train will be a boon for the youth
New waiting hall at Nizamuddin station inaugurated

NEW DELHI: After the inauguration of the first Yuva train between New Delhi and Kolkata by Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee this past month, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit flagged off the Hazrat Nizamuddin-Bandra Terminus Yuva Express superfast train here on Tuesday.

In addition, she also inaugurated a new computerised reservation scheme through a mobile van, “Mushkil Aassan” (Difficulty Made Easy), and the newly-built waiting hall at Hazrat Nizamuddin station.

According to Northern Railway, the new low-cost air-conditioned Yuva trains with seated accommodation would be dedicated specially to the youth and passengers from low-income groups. The fare for journeys on these trains will range from Rs.80 for the first 100 km to Rs.299 up to 1,500 km and a maximum of Rs.399 up to 2,500 km.

At present these Yuva trains are proposed to run as a weekly service on a pilot project basis between Mumbai-Delhi and New Delhi-Kolkata.

A Northern Railway official said: “There would be 60 per cent reserved accommodation for the youth and passengers from low-income group in these trains and the remaining accommodation would be available to all other passengers. To avail of this train facility the youth would have to carry the necessary documents such as proof of birth and proof of unemployment. For the general passenger the normal fare of travel would be charged.”

The Mushkil Aassan mobile van has been introduced with the idea of taking the issuance of computerised tickets both reserved and un-reserved to the grassroots. These vans would be functional from 10-30 a.m. to 4-30 p.m. from Monday to Saturday at different locations every day, while Sunday would be utilised for the vehicles’ maintenance. The cost of the ticket will be the same as of tickets purchased from the usual passenger reservation system counters.

The newly-completed waiting hall inaugurated at Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station will accommodate about 150 passengers at a time and would be for women and sleeper class passengers. This has been constructed and furbished to meet the ever increasing demand of rail passengers by providing three non-AC halls, one of each kind for women and men and the third for general passengers.

Union Minister of State for Railways K. H. Muniappa, East Delhi MP Sandeep Dikshit, Delhi MLA Tarvinder Singh Marwah and Ramakrishna Mission Delhi secretary Swami Shantatmanandain were among those who attended the flag-off ceremony.

The other dignitaries present on the occasion included Railway Board Chairman S. S. Khurana, Divisional Railway Manager (New Delhi) Ashwani Lohani, and other senior railway officials.

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