Ashish.MehtaJaipur: Khatipura railway station has emerged as an important suburban rail hub, helping decongest Jaipur Junction while offering passengers from Jagatpura, Malviya Nagar and Sitapura a convenient alternative to board trains closer to their homes.Currently, six trains originate and terminate at Khatipura, connecting Jaipur with destinations across the country.North Western Railway (NWR) officials said other stations, including Gandhi Nagar, Sanganer and Durgapura, could also be developed as suburban railway hubs, with more trains originating and terminating there to distribute passenger traffic across the city.NWR officials said more trains are likely to originate and terminate at Khatipura in the coming years as the railways seeks to ease congestion at Jaipur Junction and make better use of other stations.“The way the number of trains is increasing, we need to develop stations including Khatipura, Gandhi Nagar, Sanganer and Durgapura as suburban railway stations. Delhi has several stations, including Delhi Cantt, Delhi Sarai Rohilla and New Delhi, which help distribute passenger traffic. In the near future, many more trains are planned to originate and terminate from Khatipura,” NWR chief public relations officer Amit Sudarshan said.The six services operating from Khatipura include the Khatipura–Bhopal Junction Express (16711), which runs daily; the Khatipura–Howrah Junction Special (03008), which operates on Tuesdays; and the Khatipura–Asarva Junction (Ahmedabad) Superfast Express (12901), which runs daily.The other services are the Khatipura–Yesvantpur Junction Superfast Express (20668), operating on Saturdays; the Khatipura–Darbhanga Junction Amrit Bharat Express (19725), running five days a week except Fridays; and the Khatipura–Kamakhya Special (09711), which operates on Thursdays.The shift of train operations to Khatipura has already improved convenience for passengers in the city’s southern and eastern areas. “The Khatipura–Bhopal Express originates from Khatipura and also halts at Jaipur Junction. Earlier, passengers travelling to Bhopal had to board the train at Gandhi Nagar, but they can now board it at Khatipura itself,” a railway official said.The proposed expansion is expected to improve passenger access, distribute train operations more efficiently and reduce dependence on Jaipur Junction as the city’s primary railway hub.
