Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday through a video link inaugurated the renaming of Naugarh railway station to Siddharthnagar railway station situated at Siddharthnagar district in Uttar Pradesh.
"Naugarh railway station was named Siddharthanagar in view of public aspirations due to the birth of Mahatma Buddha in Lumbini near Naugarh and being associated with his life events from this region," Goyal said during the inauguration event.
"A large number of Buddhist pilgrims come to Lumbini. The region has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The approval has been given for the construction of a new railway line of 240 km from Khalilabad to Bahraich via Dumariyaganj-Utraula-Balrampur-Shravasti. With the completion of this project, the development of Sant Kabir Nagar, Siddharthnagar, Shravasti, Bahraich and Gonda districts will be accelerated," he added.
The name of Naugarh railway station was changed to Siddharthnagar in December last year.
In the last 6 years in Uttar Pradesh, 460-km rail tracks were laid, doubling work was done on 531-km rail tracks, the gauge conversion of 489 km completed, Goyal said.
"Similarly, the electrification of 4,683 km track was also completed. With this, the trains will be able to run at high speed and the environment will also be protected. In order to prevent accidents on unreserved crossings, all 1,404 unreserved crossings were abolished in Uttar Pradesh. An Amount of Rs 10,600 crore was allocated to Uttar Pradesh in the last six years," he said.
Goyal highlighted that Shramik trains were started amid COVID-19 induced lockdown to facilitate the movement of migrant labourers and other passengers.
"A total of 1,661 Shramik Special trains arrived in Uttar Pradesh, through which about 22,40,000 passengers came here. As many as 191 Shramik Special trains were also sent from Uttar Pradesh to a different state in which about 2,50,000 passengers went to their homes," he said.
"In Uttar Pradesh, 270 rail coaches have been converted into COVID Care coaches at various stations. Railway Minister said that 6 Kovid Levels in Railway Hospital. Under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyan, employment is being provided in 67 railway projects to the migrant workers who came in Uttar Pradesh during the lockdown," he added.
The Railway Minister said that there has been an unprecedented improvement in freight loading.
"The loading in September 2020 is almost 80 percent higher than the previous year. Antyodaya, Humsafar, Deendayalu and LHB coaches are being made at Modern Rail Coach Factory, Rae Bareli and the factory doubled production of coaches last year which is a record in itself," he added.
( With inputs from ANI )
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