Following the request of state power minister Arvind Kumar Sharma, the union railway ministry has approved the direct express train between Mau Junction to financial capital Mumbai.
The express train is expected to be virtually inaugurated by railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on November 22.
Currently there are eight trains connecting Mau Junction to Mumbai which includes Kashi express that operates seven days a week, followed by Godan Express on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, Chhapra-Mumbai express on Monday, Thursday and Saturday, Ballia-Dadar festival especial on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday, Gorakhpur-Dadar festival especial on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, Gorakhpur-Mumbai on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, Gorakhpur-Mumbai weekly on Friday and Gorakhpur-Bandra Humsafar express on Tuesday.
Minister Sharma said, “For a long time there had been demand for direct express connecting Mau with Mumbai. Therefore, considering our plea the railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had approved a weekly express train.”
“The train would originate from Mau and would cover Muhammadabad, Azamgarh, Khorason Road, Shahganj Junction, Jaunpur Junction, Mariahu, Janghai Junction, Phulpur and Prayagraj Junction in Uttar Pradesh,” he added.
According to North Eastern Railway, the express will operate on Saturday from Mau Junction and depart at 10:15 pm and reach on Monday morning at 3:34 am. In return, the train would depart Lokmanya Tilak Terminus at 11:15 am on Monday, and would reach Tuesday at 6:30 pm at Mau Junction.
The Union government also held a high-level meeting on Saturday where five options to rescue the workers were discussed with different agencies assigned with specific alternatives to work on.
NHIDCL MD Mahmood Ahmed has been made the in-charge of coordination with all the central agencies and has been stationed in Silkyara.
Jain said that the government is keeping constant communication and making all efforts to keep up the morale of the labourers trapped inside the tunnel.
“The area in which the workers are trapped is 8.5 metre high and 2 km long. This is the built up portion of the tunnel where concreting work has been done providing safety to the labourers,” he explained. Jain said NHIDCL is creating another 6-inch pipeline for food, and drilling of 39 metre out of 60 metre is completed. “Once this tunnel is ready, it will facilitate delivery of more food item,” he added.