Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu flags off Patna-Ara train service

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu today flagged off a new train service between Patna and Ara, stating that such a move was aimed at improving rail services, especially in populous states.

The MEMU train will cover the journey of 50 km between Patna and Ara in about one-and-a-half hour. The minister, who flagged off the service through video conferencing, said steps were being taken to improve rail frequency and introduce new services in the area where the demand for this transport was high.

Prabhu said that people living in populous states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and West Bengal use rail transport in a “big way”.

“Thus, the Railways is focusing to improve train frequency and new train services in this region. And todays flag-off is a step in this direction,” he said.

Among those present on the occasion included Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha, Railway Board Chairman A K Mital and Railway Board Member Traffic Mohd Jamshed.