Union Railways Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav has booked 34 trains to ferry his party supporters to Patna for the Rashtriya Janata Dal's
"Chetawani Rally" on October 28. The Railway Board has already granted permission to run these trains.
Admitting that it was a daunting task, East Central Railways (ECR) officials said the biggest challenge was to arrange the huge number of rakes required to run the special trains and to provide adequate space in the already crowded railway stations in Patna and adjoining areas.
Sources said it would be impossible to run the special trains without cancelling some regular trains. Officials said they were already work ing on rescheduling many trains and cancelling some.
"We are working out an action plan to ensure smooth movement of the trains," said Danapur DRM B D Garg.
The Railways charge Rs 8 lakh for plying special trains with 18 bogies. This means the RJD will owe over Rs 2.7 crore to the Railways Ministry. Sources said the party was yet to make any payment.
Most of the 34 trains will originate from different stations in north Bihar, a few will ferry supporters from neighbouring Jharkhand. Some of the trains will start operating from October 27 itself.
While RJD leaders claim that the rally is meant to be a warning to the Nitish Kumar Government, the main aim is to boost the sagging morale of party workers.
TIE, 14-10-07
