Tatanagar: Freight trains won’t get priority over passenger services : South Eastern Railway GM

Mail News Service

Jamshedpur: In a major relief for rail passengers in Jamshedpur, South Eastern Railway (SER) General Manager Anil Kumar Jain on Wednesday assured that passenger trains will no longer be halted to allow freight trains to pass ahead.
The assurance came during a meeting between the SER General Manager and members of the Rail Yatri Sanghursh Samiti, led by MLA Saryu Roy, over the persistent delay of passenger trains in the Tatanagar section.
The committee had earlier warned of protests against railway authorities if train delays were not addressed. Following this, the Chakradharpur DRM reportedly contacted the MLA and arranged the meeting with the SER GM during his visit to Jamshedpur.
During the discussion, Saryu Roy said the committee had only one key demand — to end the chronic delays of passenger trains and stop the practice of giving priority to freight trains over passenger services.
Accepting the demand, the SER GM directed railway officials to ensure that passenger trains are not stopped for the movement of goods trains under any circumstances.
To monitor implementation of the decision, the GM instructed the Chakradharpur Divisional Railway Manager to appoint a full-time Public Relations Inspector in Jamshedpur. The officer will monitor train operations, ensure compliance with the new directive, and share daily updates on train movement and punctuality with both the media and the Rail Passenger Struggle Committee.
Committee convener Shiv Shankar Singh sought clarity on how the directive would be monitored on the ground, prompting the GM to order a daily reporting mechanism.
During the meeting, Saryu Roy highlighted the difficulties faced by traders, office-goers, students, daily wage workers and general passengers due to frequent delays in MEMU and passenger trains. He pointed out that trains often reach nearby stations such as Chandil, Kandra, Gamharia and Rakha Mines on time, but take four to five hours to cover the final 35-40 km stretch to Tatanagar.
The SER GM assured the committee that daily reviews would now be conducted to monitor whether passenger trains are reaching Tatanagar on schedule.
After the meeting, Saryu Roy thanked the railway authorities for accepting all demands raised by the committee and said the organisation would observe the implementation of the assurances before deciding its future course of action.
Senior railway officials, including the AGM, Chakradharpur DRM and senior DCM, were present at the meeting along with committee members Shiv Shankar Singh, Kanhaiya Singh, Subodh Srivastava, Ajay Kumar, Neeraj Singh, Amit Sharma and Rajeev.