Chandigarh-Amritsar Duronto timings likely to change

he current schedule of Duronto Express could soon be changed by Ambala division of Northern Railways, which is contemplating coming up with new timings for the train that runs between Chandigarh and Amritsar. According to officials, complaints by passengers about the "unreasonable" current arrival time of 9.30am and departure time of 7pm from Chandigarh is the main reason which has forced authorities to rethink. Sources at Ambala divisional headquarters stated that a large number of complaints and suggestions regarding the existing timings had been received by the office and that authorities are planning to do something concrete about it as a report had been filed on the train, to be presented in New Delhi headquarters at the end of the current month. The train leaves from Amritsar at the crack of dawn - 5am - for Chandigarh. It returns from Chandigarh at 7pm and reaches Amritsar at almost midnight a?? 11.30pm. "Such a schedule does not favour passengers whose sole purpose to visit Amritsar is to pay their respects at the Golden Temple as they would have to spend the night there and then start their trip back very early in the morning. The matter is slated to be discussed in the next meeting scheduled for the end of the month in New Delhi," an official told TOI. Authorities at Chandigarh railway station state that though many passengers had conveyed their disapproval of the timings of the train, they could do only as much as forward the written suggestions and complaints of passengers to higher authorities in Ambala. Chandigarh railway station superintendent Praveen Kumar said, "We have been regularly forwarding written complaints and suggestions to senior authorities in Ambala and have been monitoring the occupancy of the said train, which is at about 50% on weekdays and around 70% on weekends. We believe that the occupancy would rise considerably if the timings are changed."