Giridih, a town in Jharkhand, has been lacking direct train connectivity to Kolkata and Patna since the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. Despite having a long history of railway presence, dating back to the British era, Giridih has only had temporary train services connecting it to these cities. Jharkhand Mukti Morcha...
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MP Dr. Sarfaraz Ahmad, who had previously raised this issue in the Lok Sabha in 1980, brought it up again in the Rajya Sabha, demanding direct train services. He also highlighted the lack of attention paid to Giridih's railway needs by both the NDA government and the local representatives over the years. Currently, residents of Giridih have to travel to nearby towns like Dhanbad, Madhupur, or Parasnath to access train services. Dr. Ahmad also criticized the lack of stops for the Vande Bharat Express in Madhupur and the poor implementation of the Giridih-Ranchi intercity train service. He further criticized the practice of microphones being switched off when opposition members raise concerns in Parliament. Dr. Ahmad submitted a memorandum to the Railway Minister, demanding better connectivity for Giridih.

Arun Joshi, a member of the ZRUCC of South Eastern Railway, has written to the General Manager of Eastern Railway requesting the extension of the Howrah-Asansol Agnibina Express (train number 12341/42) to Giridih. He argues that Giridih hasn't had a direct train to Kolkata in 152 years and such a service...
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would benefit the local population. As the Agnibina Express stays in Asansol for 8 hours before returning, there's ample time to extend it to Giridih. This has been a long-standing demand of traders, students, patients, workers, and people of Bengali origin in Giridih. Separately, Joshi has also written to the General Manager of East Central Railway requesting a stop for the Asansol-Hatia Express (train number 13513/14) at Salaia. He believes this would increase passenger load, revenue for the railways, and benefit many passengers. Salaia station is near Giridih and would provide easy access for people from the area.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced its candidates for the Chatra, Dhanbad, and Dumka Lok Sabha constituencies in Jharkhand for the 2024 general elections. Kalicharan Singh will contest from Chatra, Dhulu Mahto from Dhanbad, and Sita Soren from Dumka. These are all new faces for the BJP in these...
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constituencies, replacing previous candidates. Sita Soren recently joined the BJP after leaving the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM).

Giridih, a district in Jharkhand, faces significant challenges in railway connectivity despite being a BJP stronghold for decades. The district lacks a direct train connection to Kolkata and Patna, forcing residents to travel over 50 kilometers to neighboring stations. Despite the recent launch of several Vande Bharat trains, none stop at...
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stations near Giridih. While an intercity train between New Giridih and Ranchi began operation in 2023 and was extended to Asansol in March 2023, residents express frustration over the lack of direct connections to major cities. The Chamber of Commerce acknowledges the intercity train but continues to push for direct trains to Kolkata and Patna.