Dehradun Yard Remodeling: Mindless planning & working of Railway officials

Railway Officers are experts at creating a crisis where none should have existed

No wonder they get a bad name and public curses him for their unprofessional working

It is the responsibility and duty of the officers concerned to see that least inconvenience is caused to passengers during all such works

Dehradun yard remodeling had been hanging fire for few years. It includes one additional island platform and extension of all platform lines to accommodate 18 coaches from the existing 13 coaches, apart from other modifications.

This year it was decided to take up this work, but in the bargain it has also been decided to suspend all train services between Haridwar to Dehradun for next 90 days, starting from 10th November.

Dehradun staff informed that even 90 days is an extremely optimistic time line because the contractor may not be able to deliver. He had constructed a new shunting neck at Dehradun few months back, which sank within days of being commissioned. Their estimate is that it could take anything up to 6 months, if not more.

As per information, On learning about this plan, farmer GM Indra Ghosh, who was not only a honest officer but also fully dedicated to Railways, had discussed with concerned Railway officials but was told that ‘there was no other alternative since nothing better was feasible, and the proposal had already been approved by Railway Board. Hence no change is possible at this stage’.

As railway officers it is their responsibility and duty to see that least inconvenience is caused to passengers during the course of all such works.

Dehradun to Haridwar is 51 kms. Adequate number of taxis and buses do not ply on this stretch to cater to the need of ferrying all passengers of all cancelled trains. Moreover, the connecting highway will not be able to take so much of vehicular traffic. Whatever number of cabs are available, they would start charging the sky. A passenger who travels by Sleeper Class cannot afford to pay 5-6 times the train fare simply to cover 51 kms by road.

Since all platforms are dead ended, simple solution would have been to keep 3 dead end platforms (platforms 1 to 3) operational while suspending the remaining portion of the yard. 50% of the trains could have been short terminated at Haridwar and the remaining 50% trains could have been brought into Dehradun by attaching an engine in the rear, at Harrawala, the previous station. Attaching would have taken 20 minutes and in the return journey detaching would have taken 10 minutes at Harrawala.

After arrival at Dehradun, these trains could have been pulled back from the platforms after 30 minutes and taken back to Haridwar for maintenance; as has been planned now.

The empty coaching rakes of these 50% trains should have been run as special train to provide connectivity to those 50% trains which had been short terminated at Haridwar. Adjustment in timings of the special trains would have resolved the issue.

After the Southern portion of the yard was modified, these 3 North end platforms could have been taken over for modifications and train running continued from the newly commissioned 18 coach platforms.

This way, passengers would have been caused the least inconvenience, while at the same time allowing the work to get completed.