After a wait of five years and eleven months, the Lal Kuan-Howrah Summer Special train ran on the Pilibhit-Mailani rail line on Thursday, bringing joy to passengers. The train arrived in Pilibhit about an hour late, but passengers were nonetheless thrilled, taking photos and selfies with the train. Passengers from Puranpur,...
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Gola, Lakhimpur, Sitapur and other places boarded the train. Everyone was happy about the convenience and ease of travel offered by the train. The Pilibhit-Mailani rail line was shut down for a mega block on May 30, 2018, due to gauge conversion from meter gauge to broad gauge. The project faced numerous obstacles, including obtaining NOC from the Forest Department, but in November 2023, train operations began from Mailani to Shahgarh. Construction of the railway track between Shahgarh and Pilibhit was carried out at a rapid pace. After completion, the track was inspected by the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) on April 31. Goods trains were operated as a trial run. The railway resumed train operations on the Pilibhit-Mailani line with the Lal Kuan-Howrah Summer Special train. The train arrived at the station at 4:56 PM, bringing smiles to the faces of the people. Passengers who traveled by train were very happy. A near-miss accident occurred on the first day, with the train arriving an hour late. Passengers reported that the train narrowly avoided an accident while traveling from Bhojipura. A sudden appearance of an animal forced the driver to apply emergency brakes, narrowly preventing a fire in the engine compartment. This incident resulted in the train being stopped for approximately 20 minutes. The guard confirmed the train's stoppage. Passengers were excited about the resumption of train services. Mohammed Zubair, a money lender from Mohalla Sahuara, expressed his happiness about traveling by train, mentioning that it was convenient and hoping for the start of regular train services. Passenger Nafis shared that he had been eagerly awaiting the resumption of train operations and appreciated the ease of travel now available. Abhishek, an ITI student, emphasized the benefit of the train service to students, highlighting the convenience and cost-effectiveness compared to other modes of transportation. He urged for the prompt introduction of regular train services.