The railway authorities have been asked to explain in an affidavit the cause for the delay in starting direct local trains from Churchgate to Dahanu and Virar to Dahanu.
The railway authorities have been asked to explain in an affidavit the cause for the delay in starting direct local trains from Churchgate to Dahanu and Virar to Dahanu.
“Are you waiting for someone to come and inaugurate it?” asked chief justice Mohit Shah caustically, while asking the railways to file an affidavit by January 2012.
A division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice Roshan Dalvi was hearing a public interest litigation filed by Raj Kumar Chourghen, municipal corporator of the Vasai and Virar Municipal Corporation, seeking court directions to the railways to start direct local trains from Churchgate to Dahanu and Virar to Dahanu.
A Almeida, advocate for Chourghen, argued that the railways has been delaying the project for several years. “They have put in crores of rupees, but the government is still not implementing the project,” said Almeida.
Beni Chatteriji, counsel for the railways, said that they have nine trains between Virar and Dahanu.
Almeida said that the trains are so few that at times, people have to wait for over six hours. There are thousands of railway commuters who daily travel on this line.
According to the petition, the railways had initiated the project in 2002 and had stated that the train system would be functional in 2007, but it is yet to start.
With the ever-growing population in areas further south of Virar, there is an urgent need for direct connecting trains.
As of now, people have to alight at Virar and then change trains to reach their destination. A direct train service would help commuters and ease their troubles. Almeida said, “For this, we have suggested that the railways be directed to start the service from Churchgate to Dahanu.”
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