Introduction of new weekly Humsafar Express between Udaipur and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra (via Amritsar), using the rake of Udaipur–Patliputra–Udaipur

Weekly Humsafar Express

Shriman Rahul Kaswan Ji

Hon’ble Member of Parliament, Churu Parliamentary Constituency

Churu, Rajasthan

Subject: Introduction of new weekly Superfast Express between Udaipur City and Shri Mata

Vaishno Devi Katra (via Churu, Amritsar), by using the rake of Udaipur City – Patliputra Humsafar

Express

Respected Sir,

It has been demanded from years that the City of Lakes (Udaipur) and the holy shrine city (Katra)

be connected by a rail service, as the two cities have a lot of potential to attract tourists.

I have read about your demand in newspaper of new trains to these stations, but constraints have

led no for their execution.

Here I am presenting you a constraint - free time table for this weekly Humsafar train.

Train Number – 19671 – 19672

Train Name – Udaipur City Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Weekly Humsafar Express.

Schedule, Halts and rake information, detailed RSA pattern are mentioned in Annexure – I. This

train can be introduced by using the rake of 19669/19670 Udaipur City – Patliputra Jn. Weekly

Humsafar Express, which has a layover of about 4 days in Udaipur, by performing some

necessary modifications in the coach composition.

Train at a glance, benefits, route details etc. are mentioned in Annexure-II.

People from tribal districts like Dungarpur, Banswara, Pratapgarh, which do not have a rail service

as of now, and Udaipur, Rajsamand, Chittorgarh, Bhilwara, Ajmer, Sikar, Churu in Rajasthan, Hisar

and Jakhal in Haryana, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Beas, Amritsar, Pathankot in Punjab, Jammu Tawi,

Udhampur and Katra will be highly relieved with the introduction of this train.

Many people from Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Haryana have been living in Rajasthan, while

Rajasthanis living in Punjab, Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir since years. Thus, they directly get

advantage from introduction of this service.

I am pretty sure that you will consider these suggestions and send this proposal to NWR and

Ministry of Railways for discussion about execution in IRTTM 2020 which is going to be held in this

week. Hopeful for a feedback.

Thanking you,

Yours faithfully,

Deepesh Choudhary (Rail enthusiast/Planner/Activist)

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ANNEXURE – I

1. The Schedule and Timings are given below:

2. Commercial Stops: All mentioned in above timetable.

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UDAIPUR CITY – SHRI MATA VAISHNO DEVI KATRA WEEKLY HUMSAFAR EXPRESS 19671 19672 UDZ SVDK SVDK UDZ

ARRIVES DEPARTS STATION NAME ARRIVES DEPARTS

SUNDAY 09:15 UDAIPUR CITY 16:15 TUESDAY

09:22 09:24 RANAPRATANAGAR 15:54 15:56

10:01 10:03 MAVLI JUNCTION 15:18 15:20

11:20 11:25 CHANDERIYA 14:07 14:09

12:12 12:17 BHILWARA 13:18 13:20

13:24 13:26 BIJAINAGAR 12:04 12:06

14:25 14:35 AJMER JUNCTION 11:00 11:05

15:49 15:51 PHULERA JUNCTION 09:46 09:48

16:54 16:56 RINGAS JUNCTION 08:36 08:38

17:46 17:48 SIKAR JUNCTION 07:44 07:46

19:17 19:32 CHURU JUNCTION 06:00 06:15

20:25 20:27 SADULPUR JUNCTION 05:00 05:02

21:58 22:13 HISAR JUNCTION 03:08 03:23

23:35 23:37 JAKHAL JUNCTION 01:50 01:52

00:26 00:28 SANGRUR 00:57 00:59

02:15 02:20 LUDHIANA JUNCTION 23:38 23:43

02:54 02:56 PHAGWARA JUNCTION 23:01 23:03

03:14 03:19 JALANDHAR CITY JUNCTION 22:35 22:40

03:54 03:56 BEAS JUNCTION 21:58 22:00

04:35 05:00 AMRITSAR JUNCTION 20:55 21:20

07:00 07:15 PATHANKOT JUNCTION 18:40 18:55

09:00 09:05 JAMMU TAWI 16:50 16:55

10:15 10:17 UDHAMPUR 15:44 15:46

10:50 MONDAY SHRI MATA VAISHNO DEVI KATRA MONDAY 15:15

3. Rake and Loco Details:

a. Requirement: Already running rake of Udaipur City – Patliputra Jn. Humsafar Express

can be used by adding 4 second class sleeper coaches.

b. Primary Maintenance: Can be performed at Udaipur City, either on Saturday or Tuesday

or before the departure of Udaipur City – Patliputra Jn. Humsafar on Wednesday.

c. Secondary Maintenance: Can be performed on Monday at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi

Katra.

d. Composition:

(i) Current coach composition of 19669/19670 Udaipur – Patliputra – Udaipur

Humsafar Express

Type No of coaches

AC THREE TIER(3A) 16

SECOND CLASS SLEEPER(SL) 1

PANTRY CAR (PC) 1

GENERATOR CARS (EOG) 2

TOTAL 20

(ii) New coach composition of 19669/19670 Udaipur – Patliputra – Udaipur Humsafar

Express as well as 19671/19672 Udaipur – Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra – Udaipur

Weekly Humsafar Express.

Type No of coaches

AC THREE TIER(3A) 11

SECOND CLASS SLEEPER(SL) 4

PANTRY CAR (PC) 1

GENERATOR CARS (EOG) 2

TOTAL 17

Current coach arrangement pattern-

LOCO – EOG – B1 – B2 – B3 – B4 – B5 – B6 – B7 – B8 – PC – B9 – B10 – B11 – B12 – B13 – B14 – B15

– B16 – SE1 – EOG

Modifications: Add 3 Second Class Sleeper (SL) coaches

Remove 5 AC Three Tier (3A) coaches

New coach arrangement pattern -

LOCO – EOG – S1 – S2 – S3 – S4– PC – B1 – B2 – B3 – B4 – B5 – B6 – B7 – B8 –B9 – B10 – B11 – EOG.

Traction: UDZ – SVDK – UDZ: Diesel (WDM3A/ WDP4/4B/4D)

TOTAL LOCO REQUIREMENT: 01 Nos.

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4. Rake Sharing Arrangement (RSA) Pattern

a. CURRENT RAKE LINK

UDAIPUR CITY PATLIPUTRA JUNCTION

12:45 (WEDNESDAY) 19669 21:15 (THURSDAY)

08:10 (SATURDAY) 19670 00:10 (FRIDAY)

Repeat.

No. of rakes in the link = 01

b. Introduction of Udaipur City – Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra – Udaipur City Weekly

Humsafar Express need no additional rake.

New RSA pattern likely to be-

UDAIPUR CITY SHRI MATA VAISHNO DEVI KATRA PATLIPUTRA JUNCTION

09:15 (SUNDAY) 19671 10:50 (MONDAY)

16:15 (TUESDAY) 19672 15:15 (MONDAY)

PM can be performed at Udaipur City (After 16:05 on Tuesday and before 12:45 on Wednesday)

12:45 (WEDNESDAY) 19669 21:15 (THURSDAY)

08:10 (SATURDAY) 19670 00:10 (FRIDAY)

PM can be performed at Udaipur City (After 08:10 on Saturday and before 09:15 on Sunday)

Repeat

No. of rakes in the link = 01

Primary maintenance at Udaipur City. (On Tuesday/Wednesday/Saturday)

Secondary maintenance at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra and Patliputra Jn.

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ANNEXURE – II 1. Train at a glance:

DISTANCE: 1339 KM, TYPE- HUMSAFAR HALTS – 22, in both directions

PARAMETERS 19671 UDZ SVDK 19672 SVDK UDZ

TRAVEL TIME 25 HOURS 35 MIN. 25 HOURS 0 MIN.

AVG. SPEED 52 KM/Hr. 54 KM/Hr.

RAKE REVERSALS: (1) CHURU JN. (2) HISAR JN. (3) AMRITSAR JN. (4) PATHANKOT JN.

2. Benefits:

a. The main objective of introduction of this train is to connect Udaipur to Amritsar and

Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra directly with a single train, instead of extending two

different trains for connecting the mentioned cities, namely Ajmer – Amritsar Express

and Ajmer – Jammu Tawi Pooja SF Express (thereafter changing train at Jammu Tawi).

b. First train from Udaipur City to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra. This route has a high end-to-end demand. Also connects cities like Sikar, Churu to Amritsar and Churu, Hisar, Jakhal, Dhuri, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Beas, Amritsar, Pathankot, Jammu Tawi and Udhampur to Udaipur directly, for the first time. The demand is justified as these cities’ politicians have frequently raised it.

c. The rake of 19669, 19670 Udaipur-Patliputra-Udaipur Humsafar Express has a layover of over 4 days at Udaipur. So the rake can be used by doing some necessary changes in composition so that it benefits the passengers.

d. Can be run on weekly basis. Upon success, it can be converted into tri-weekly train by terminating Udaipur – Patliputra Humsafar, which is running with very low occupancy for about 50% of its journeys.

e. Many people from Border Punjab and Jammu And Kashmir State live and work in the Mewar – Wagad region of Rajasthan and vice-versa. This train would provide them (i) comfortable, (ii) fast, (iii) direct, connection to their home cities by avoiding unwanted train switches.

f. The current mode of travelling to Amritsar, used by almost 60% of passengers from Udaipur, is to change train at Ajmer Jn. and take Ajmer – Amritsar Express, which runs almost full on all its journeys. So the passengers, not only from Udaipur, but also from Ajmer, will have a shorter and more comfortable mode of travel.

g. The Ajmer – Amritsar Express runs through Jaipur and Rewari, which is a very long route to Amritsar. This makes the travel time unnecessarily longer. While, this train runs through Sikar, Churu and Hisar, which is comparatively a shorter route, resulting in decrement in travel time to a huge extent.

h. Ajmer – Amritsar Express does not run on Sundays. Hence, this train provides a link from Ajmer to Amritsar on Sundays also.

i. We all are aware of the fact that Sikar - Churu region gives the maximum number of soldiers to the nation every year. These soldiers are appointed at borders in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir. Thus this train gives them a better way of travelling their way home.

j. One travelling from Udaipur to Amritsar can take this train, get off at Amritsar station in early morning, visit the holy shrine of Harmandir Sahib(Golden Temple), feel the patriotism at Attari - Wagah Border, situated in Amritsar, and again travel back to... 5

...Udaipur from the return journey of this train in the evening.

Above all that, this train can be an excellent customer service and can achieve high occupancy in no time as it touches the important cities at convenient timings. A necessary condition for success of the train is to add at least 4 SL coaches, as many people from cities in Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab mentioned above, who wish to visit Amritsar and Katra, cannot afford AC class.

3. Route Availablity: a. 19671 - The UDZ – SVDK Weekly Humsafar Express shall run on Sundays from Udaipur.

There is a slot available at Udaipur at 09:15 in the morning. Also, there are crossings with MDS – UDZ Passenger and 09721 JP – UDZ SF SPL., in UDZ- AII section, and many other trains in other sections at convenient timings, which can be easily accommodated. Slacks have been given in SDLP – HSR, SAG – LDH section, to cover up the delays, if caused by any reason.

b. 19672- The SVDK – UDZ Weekly Humsafar Express shall run on Mondays from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra. No major adjustments are required in the complete journey. The train maintains an avg. speed of 50-70 km/h in all sections. Hence there are very less chances of any delay. But still, slacks have been provided in HSR – SAG, RPZ – UDZ section to cover up if any delay occurs.

It is my humble request to please consider this suggestion for implementation in the near future. Thank you.

X X X X

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