Due to the ongoing yard remodelling work at Dehradun railway station, trains operations there have been shut down for the next three months. For the time being, two trains-- Nanda Devi Express and Shatabdi Express have been short terminated till Harrawala railway station. As the crowd is shifting towards the station, efforts are being made to provide better and modern basic facilities at the station. The Additional Divisional Railway Manager (ADRM) of Moradabad division also inspected both the stations on Monday and left instructions with the Harrawala station master for the betterment of basic services there.
The Harrawala railway station master said that following the inspection and the instructions given by ADRM, they are now planning to put up tin shades over the sitting area made for passengers in order to develop better sitting arrangements. They are also going to work on the potable water system, which is not up to the mark presently. For the security of passengers, Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Police Force (RPF) have also been deployed at the station.
Earlier also there used to be police personnel at the station, but now their numbers have increased. An enquiry desk has also been set up at the station.
The number of taxis and autos parked near the railway station has also increased. However, the auto-rickshaw owners are having their internal argument over who is authorised to take the passengers.
A local auto driver said that since the passengers boarding and disembarking at Harrawala have increased, autos from ISBT and other areas are also being parked here. He further claimed that the areas are already divided and the drivers all know it.
It is pertinent to mention here that the trains operating to Dehradun Railway station for the time being are starting and terminating at other nearby railway stations. Most of the trains are short terminated till Haridwar, while two are coming till Harrawala railway station.