Not since the underground Metro did Bengal stand to receive so much from the Indian Railway. It’s stupendous by any standard, and what is a surprise is that not many from outside Bengal are wagging a finger at this shower of ‘gifts’ on Bengal.
Nitpickers may argue where from so much money will come, the railways will suffer loss, and so on! As if they are losing sleep over those concerns!
The reality is however different, and looking at the rush of people moving to and from Kolkata all through the day and deep into the evening, one can be reasonably certain that the new suburban/metro railway links announced will prove to be success.
There have been hopes to improve suburban railway system – the double-deck Dum Dum station or the frequency of locals to Bandel – but nothing really happened on ground.
Kolkata lacks decent infrastructure yet it hopes to attract investment in droves. Look at what other cities in India offer by way of easing commuting – the just opened Bandra-Worli sea link for example – and it’s a shame that Kolkata is still locked in the pride of a Bypass or 2.
Things have to improve…and fast. Bengal is economically too starved to refuse any help that comes in the way. In that respect the railway’s bounty is heartily welcome.
Who knows there may be more changes in the not-so-distant future! For better!
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