Bhubaneswar: Daily commuters on the Paradip-Cuttack rail corridor have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday, highlighting persistent delays and “unjustified detention” of key MEMU passenger trains, severely disrupting routine travel.In a letter, the Paradip-Cuttack MEMU Passenger Train Commuters’ Group flagged frequent detention of Paradip-Cuttack MEMU (68402) at Kandarpur station and chronic late running of trains Bhadrak-Cuttack MEMU (68437) and Cuttack-Paradip MEMU (68401).Passengers said hundreds of office-goers, students and traders are facing daily hardship, including salary cuts, missed exams and disrupted business schedules. The delays also affect patients, elderly passengers and those from rural areas who depend on these trains to catch connecting long-distance services.“The late-running of the Bhadrak-Cuttack train often leads to delays in the last service on the route, Cuttack-Paradip MEMU, forcing passengers to travel late at night, raising safety concerns,” said Nrusingha Rout, a daily commuter.Despite repeated representations to railway authorities, commuters alleged no corrective action has been taken. “We have now sought urgent intervention to ensure punctuality, proper monitoring and restoration of reliable services on the crucial route,” said Vivek Sahu, another commuter.Sources in East Coast Railway (ECoR) said Cuttack station is congested due to lack of third and fourth lines connecting Cuttack. “When the third and fourth lines are ready, it will be easy to release trains on time. Punctuality of trains will improve and trains will not be delayed,” said an official.He said Cuttack station and yard modelling work are underway. “Because of this construction work, trains are not getting more line for passing. While Cuttack-Bhadrak section falls on the Howrah-Chennai mainline, Cuttack-Paradip section is busy for goods trains heading to and originating from Paradip port. Coal is a very important item for electricity generation and other industrial works, that’s why goods trains cannot be detained for hours,” said the official sources.
