Workshop on National Education Policy 2020
A workshop on ‘National Education Policy 2020: The Impetus to Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship’ was organized by Pragati College of Education in Siliguri yesterday.
The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) is all ready to resume Toy Train services and is waiting for consent from the state government. The Toy Train services between the Plains and the Hills have remained suspended since March because of the coronavirus pandemic.
NFR general manager Sanjive Roy, who reviewed the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) infrastructure today, said they would like to resume the services with the joy rides.
“The Toy Train services have been suspended since March because of the pandemic, but we are now ready to resume them. As soon as we are informed (by the state government), we will be able to resume the joy-rides within short notice,” Mr Roy said at the Sukna station during the inspection.
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“Our officials are in touch with the district administration. They will again peruse this issue with the state government and see if something can be done as the tourist season has arrived. When the services are resumed, it will be started with the Darjeeling- Ghoom joy ride service by following all Covid protocols,” he added.
Mr Roy, however, said it will take some more time for the resumption of the full-fledged Siliguri-Darjeeling service as landslides have affected the railway tracks.
He said the maintenance work on the tracks was underway. The Katihar Divisional Railway Manager, Ravindra Kumar Verma, who accompanied Mr Roy during the inspection, said they had requested the state government to give them a goahead.
Meanwhile, Darjeeling MP Raju Bista met Mr Roy and other railway officials in Kurseong and discussed various issues concerning the railways in the region. “I have requested the Railways to take steps to develop Gulma and Siliguri Railway stations into an originating and end stations for mainline trains.
Doing so will help people from our region to avoid heading to NJP, which is usually crowded. We also discussed halting of trains at Naxalbari, and additional train stoppages at Bagdogra and Chopra railway stations,” Mr Bista said.
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