the goan I network
VASCO
Union Ayush Minister Shripad Yesso Naik and Union Minsiter of State for Railways Suresh Channabasappa Angadi flagged off the new bi-weekly special train between Vasco and Belagavi on Wednesday at Vasco Railway Station.
The regular service of Train No 06921 Belagavi - Vasco bi-weekly passenger special will depart from Belagavi at 06:20 hrs and arrive at Vasco at 12:40 hrs every Friday and Saturday. The special train will run for three months from 6 September to 7 December (28 trips) initially. On return, the train (No 06922) depart from Vasco at 15:55 hrs every Friday and Saturday and arrive at Belagavi at 21:25 hrs the same day. The service will be regularised based on the response from the public.
Addressing a gathering on the occasion, Angadi said, “To boost tourism, it has been decided to make stoppages at the world famous Doodhsagar falls for 10 days. Priority will
be given to safety, punctuality and cleanliness in railways. This train will also facilitate supply of fresh produce of fruits, vegetables and milk from Belagavi area to Goa. It will boost employment and business in these areas.”
The minister also suggested attaching some Vistadome (glass ceiling) coaches to this train for passengers to enjoy the scenic beauty of the Western Ghat section. He said Railways was connecting people across the length and breadth of the country in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for connecting people all over the world through yoga,
Shripad Naik in his address said that with the introduction of this train, the demand of the people of the region has been fulfilled and hoped that the services of train would not only be regularised shortly but started on daily basis. He appreciated the decision to halt the train at Dudhsagar falls for some time for the benefit of tourists.
Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Tendulkar thanked Suresh Angadi for introducing the train service between Vasco and Belagavi, which he said would be greatly beneficial for transporting daily commodities needed by Goa from Belagavi.
General Manager of South Western Railways Ajay Kumar Singh briefed about the various works undertaken by SWR in Goa region and features of the special train. Cortalim MLA Alina Saldana, Vasco MLA Carlos Almeida and others were present on the occasion.
Angadi travelled by the inaugural special from Vasco and interacted with public at various stations where the train made halts. He also inspected the section from Vasco to Kulem and reviewed the progress of doubling work in the section.
