Private Train Mumbai to Shirdi Proposed !!!

Aum Sai Ram

18th Feb 2011

A Devotee of Shirdi Sai Baba Shri.Rajesh Nihak, a Mumbai-based businessman, has submitted a Rs-50 crore proposal to the Union Railway Ministry to operate a Private Train between Mumbai and Shirdi. He recently sent the ambitious plan to Railway Minister Smt.Mamata Banerjee and the Railway board Chairman Shri.Vivek Sahai.

Under this Proposal:
1) The Train will have eight to nine Compartments.
2) Plans to Import state-of-the-art compartments for the Train.
3) Will be able to accommodate around 900 followers of the famous Saint.
4) The charges will be roughly the same fare as that of a Mumbai to Shirdi Volvo bus.
5) Distance from Mumbai to Shirdi to be covered in three-and-a-half hours (07:00am to 11:00am) as against the existing Train's travel time of Seven hours.

The proposal for this Train, which is along the lines of the prestigious Palace on Wheels has been already discussed at length with the Railway Administration.

After a survey conducted it was found that more than 700 Volvo buses were operating between Mumbai and Shirdi and the travel time ranged between 6-8 hours but if this proposal gets accepted by Banerjee and Sahai, both of whom are Sai Baba's devotees, then the comfort level of Sai devotees will increase with a drastic cut in the travel time. Accordingly, the detailed plans will then be submitted to the Railways' Research Design and Standards Organisation, particularly for the approval of the bogies design.

Also, the Railway Board will have to take a policy decision on Private sector participation in the operation of Trains.

The proposal has got supporters in Agriculture minister Shri.Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil (represents the Shirdi Assembly Constituency) and Shirdi Sai Baba Trust chairman Shri.Jayant Sasane, who said that "Given the number of devotees, the existing railway facilities are grossly inadequate. A special train between Mumbai and Shirdi will be real gift to the devotees." They both agree that this Train is the need of the hour.

Sasane has called on Banerjee and Sahai to demand more trains for Shirdi. "Since the devotees come from all over India, we have urged the minister to provide more trains from the north of the country in the Railway Budget. We are in the process of implementing a Rs.1000-crore plan to meet the requirements of the devotees," Sasane said.

Sasane said a provision of Rs.100 crore has been made for the development of the Temple Complex as:
1) Rs.300 crore for a Super-Specialty Hospital.
2) Rs.100 crore for a Garden.
3) Rs.115 crore for the Accommodation of 15,000 devotees.
4) Rs.28 crore for Water Supply Scheme.
5) Rs.90 crore for Internal Roads.
6) Rs.8 crore for a Bus Depot.

Sasane said that with a annual income of Rs.350 crore, they were spending most of the funds for the development of Shirdi Township.

Courtesy:
Article:Rohit Behal, Mumbai
Source: Times of India.