Rail Division Ferozepur has closed 11 stations in Punjab and two in Himachal Pradesh due to lack of income. The trains will not stop at these stations. These include one religious station each in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. The 63-year-old railway station has also been closed. The people of the villages adjoining these stations said that they are very upset with thedecision. These stations are built on the Tarn Taran, Amritsar, Firozpur, Ludhiana and Pathankot rail sections.
Railway is a very big institution, it should not earn from such stations but should provide facilities to the people, the villagers say. There is a demand from the people that all the closed stations should be started again and the stoppage of trains should be fixed.
According to sources of railways, due to lack of income, the railway stations falling in Punjab are Wainpoi, Dukhna Waran, Bhalojala, Ghandran, Jandok, Chauntara Bhated (Himachal Pradesh), Kotla Gujara, Sangrana Sahib (Gurdwara), Bhanohad Punjab, Warpal (GRV), Malmohari, Baijnath Temple (Himachal Pradesh) and Mandhali have been completely closed. Those who had taken the contract to sell tickets have been issued a letter to close the station. Many stations are very old, they have also been closed by the railways. There are many villages along these stations, so the villagers here are angry with the closure of the station, because now the trains will not stop at the said stations.
Bhanohad station was built in 1958. It is situated between Firozpur and Ludhiana. Most of the youth here are employed in the army. Residents here Sundar Singh and Mehan Singh say that it has been 63 years since this station was built. Rail Division Ferozepur started demolition of the said station in the year 2002. All the villagers, including the sarpanch of the village, had gathered and went to the Firozpur divisional office and met the DRM and got it started again. But now a letter has been issued on 31st March, ordering it to be closed owing to which the trains are not stopping here.
Villagers told that about a hundred people travel in trains daily from here. Trains were closed for two years during Covid-19 and even now all trains are not running. Villagers are disenchanted. There is a demand from the people that all the closed stations should be started again and the stoppage of trains should be fixed. In this regard, they will also meet senior railway officials based in Delhi. The orders for closure of the said station have reportedly been issued by Ajay Kumar, Divisional Commercial Manager, Rail Division, Ferozepur. All the stations have been told to close by sending letters.