Rajkot: Trade bodies, local politicians and consultative bodies have intensified their three-year-long demand for introduction ofa direct daily train from Rajkot to Haridwar.The demand has gathered momentum amid comparisons with Bhavnagar, a relatively smaller city that already enjoys three direct trains to Haridwar, while Rajkot continues to lack even a single daily service. Moreover, the long-pending proposal to extend six major trains currently originating from Ahmedabad to Rajkot remains unfulfilled despite earlier announcements. The Rajkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) recently submitted a fresh representation highlighting the difficulties faced by thousands of passengers. “Currently, thousands of passengers travelling to Haridwar must rely on just one weekly Okha-Dehradun Uttaranchal Express. This limited service results in passengers facing immense difficulty in securing confirmed tickets and being subjected to long waiting lists,” the RCCI stated.The ZRUCC (Zonal Railway Users Consultative Committee) has also joined in the efforts.Passengers are often forced to undertake arduous journeys, changing trains at two to three locations or travelling unnecessarily to Ahmedabad, leading to significant wastage of time and money—particularly for the elderly, women, and children.Representations submitted to Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, chief minister Bhupendra Patel, Union home minister Amit Shah, and the general manager of Western Railway have suggested extending the Yoga Express to Rajkot as an interim measure.Railway sources, however, cited high occupancy in existing trains and pointed to congestion on the Delhi–Haridwar route, which has been cited as a constraint in introducing new services.In late 2023, former minister of state for railways Darshana Jardosh had announced that six trains originating from Ahmedabad would be extended to Rajkot. These included Ahmedabad–Patna, Ahmedabad–Prayagraj, Ahmedabad–Kolkata, Ahmedabad–Kolhapur, Ahmedabad–Nagpur, and the Gujarat Sampark Kranti Express. However, there has been no progress on this front.When contacted, Rajkot divisional railway manager Giriraj Kumar Meena said, “We have already forwarded a demand to the railway board for a train from Okha to Haridwar, and this year we got a train for Shakur Basti in Delhi.”
