The Rail Budget 2014-15 of Modi Government is undoubtedly indicating towards the extensive modernization and sophistication of Indian Railways but the City of Lakes which attracts millions of tourists and hosts tens of international events every year gets nothing again.

Don’t know the cause of this continuous negligence of Rail Ministry towards Udaipur; this rail budget has very much disappointed Udaipurites who were at least expecting the long awaiting decision on broad gauge between Udaipur-Ahmedabad.

The budget consisted of several developing aspects like bullet train, high speed trains, paperless office, wifi zone, ready-to-eat branded food etc but it seems that the focus was only on cities like Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Bangalore.

Yesterday we’ve received an email from one of our readers Mahendra Kothari who very well expressed his views on the current rail budget

Here are the excerpts from it

The budget promises bullet train between Ahmedabad and Mumbai and the same may take three to four years. The budget also announces that left out meter gauge line between Ahmedabad and Mahesana shall be converted into broad gauge.

This would leave Ahmedabad with one meter gauge line to Udaipur via Himmatnagar.

It is disappointing and dejecting that from platform No 1 of Ahmedabad station a bullet train having speed of over 300 Kms per hour would start, while from platform No 12 the bullock-cart train having speed of 29 Kms per hours (present night express) would also run.

This is to point out that the Govt has changed but the neglected areas remains neglected and deprived.

In past, the funds allocated for this route gauge conversion were diverted to other rail routes.

What is more surprising that Ahmedabad-Udaipur road route has buses every 15 minutes but the Indian railways continue to ignore this section.

The Ahmedabad station shall have a unique distinction of having train 300 Kms per hour and at the same time 29 Kms per hours too. The same would be matchless and probably get reflected in the books of records.

Rail ministry’s philosophy has ignored the undeveloped. Incidentally, this ignored route passes through the tribal belt of Gujarat and Rajasthan and the gauge conversion for them remains a distant dream.

Further apathy is that after two consecutive derailment of power of 9944 (UDZ-ADI night express) (three years ago), the speed of train is cut and now this so-called express train cover a distant of 300 Kms in more than 10 hrs averaging 29 Kms per hour and by doing so the train has lost its status of mail/ express train.

The speed is now that of a fast passenger but the fare charged is that of express. This is broad day light robbery but the railway does not listen. Basically, this route is being ignored in absence of strong political will and total absence of public awareness.

The classical example is that this train is off the route as of now and till 30th Sep, 2014 due to possible land sliding in monsoon. Alas, there have been no rains so far but the prompt railway has put off the service.

….

As per the situation, it seems that there could be only two causes of this continuous rejection. Either Udaipur has no strong representation to take this matter to higher level or the representatives themselves doesn’t want development of the city and just give false assurances to the common public.

It is time for the common people to let the honorable representatives know that you are no more ignorant.