A shuttle service would be run on a defunct railway track between Patna Sahib and Patna Ghat to facilitate movement of Sikh pilgrims during the 350th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Gobind Singh.
An assurance in this regard was given by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu to Food Processing Industry Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, a Punjab MP, when she met him at his office here.
Badal requested Prabhu to ensure that pilgrims visiting Patna Sahib during 350th anniversary celebrations of Sikh Guru Gobind Singh are not inconvenienced and urged him to rename Patna Ghat railway station in keeping with Sikh history.
The Railway Minister said he has taken up the issue with Bihar government.
Earlier Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had also written to his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar on the issue.
Harsimrat said the Railway Minister assured her that the ministry would run a shuttle service between the present in operational track between Patna Sahab and Patna Ghat, a Punjab government statement said.
She said this shuttle service, which would be run between the 10 km tract every hour, would cater to 800 passengers during each journey.
Thanking Prabhu for accepting her request, Badal said this would facilitate pilgrims in approaching Patna Sahab Gurdwara during the 350th anniversary celebrations as the present road leading to the Gurdwara was very narrow and congested.
She also requested the Railway Minister that the Patna Ghat station be beautified as per Sikh architecture heritage.
The SAD MP from Bhatinda also requested the Central government to take up the issue of creating road access from Patna Ghat station to the ghat of the Ganga river. She said this issue would also be taken up with the Bihar government.
Badal also announced that she would request the Punjab government to run special trains to Patna Sahib under the Mukh Mantri Teerath Yatra Yojna from next year, the statement said.
