NEW DELHI, 23 Jul: Rajya Sabha MP from Arunachal Pradesh, Tai Tagak, has urged the Railway Ministry to consider starting a train service from Naharlagun to Chennai.

He requested for the service during a meeting with Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw here on Thursday.

Tagak informed the minister that there is an urgent need for starting a train service from Naharlagun to Chennai to facilitate safe, affordable, and convenient travel for students, patients, professionals, and other passengers from the Northeastern region, in particular those from Arunachal.

Alternatively, he requested a well-coordinated southbound superfast train connection from New Jalpaiguri (NJP) to the Naharlagun-New Delhi AC Super Fast Express to ensure seamless connectivity to southern India in case of the unavailability of a direct service in the immediate future.

Further, he requested the minister to change the name of the Naharlagun- New Delhi AC Super Fast Express to ‘Arunachal Express’, stating that the proposed name would “connect and strengthen the sense of identity, pride, and patriotism among the people of Arunachal.”

Briefing the media, Tagak informed that the union minister assured to give due consideration to the proposals placed by him.

“Union minister gave a patient hearing to the proposals, and was kind enough to respond positively to the requests placed before him. We shared a commitment to strengthening railway connectivity and improving passenger convenience for the people of Arunachal Pradesh and the Northeastern region,” said Tagak.