Kakinada: Three decades of wait for Pithapuram people has finally come to an end with the Indian Railways giving a green signal for the stoppage of Konark Express at the location.
People of Pithapuram and surrounding villages had been, for the past 30 years, agitating to see that the express train makes a stop there. The stop, they insisted, would help devotees arriving to take a darshan of Lord Dattatreya as much as the residents of the region.
Konark Express started taking a halt at Pithapuram Railway Station from Thursday. People of the town held a grand celebration to mark the stoppage of the train there.
Konark Express that is scheduled to reach the Pithapuram station by 5.25 pm arrived at the station on Thursday at 6.10 pm. When the Railway personnel made the announcement for the arrival of the express train, people expressed their joy by clapping their hands with happiness.
As soon as the train halted at Pithapuram Railway Station, Sri Viswa Viznana Adhyatmaka Peetham Seer Dr Umar Alisha felicitated the loco pilot, assistant loco pilot, express guard, station master and station superintendent with garlands and Saluas. He said that the Pithapuram people had been agitating for the halt for the past three decades. He greeted A to Z Voluntary Organisation representative Sara Sekhar for getting this achievement. Mr Sekhar said that the Union Minister for Ayush Sripad Yashod Nayak recognised the importance of the halt of the train at Pithapuram. He said that many of the devotees and passengers from Maharashtra and other states visit Pithapuram town for taking a darshan of Lord Dattatreya.
The train will arrive Pithapuram by 17.25 hours from Mumbai and 00.29 hours from Bhubaneswar.
