Bathinda, May 1 -- Rolling forward since December 2019, the work to electrify the 124-km railway track between Bathinda and Sriganganagar stations is inching towards completion. According to Northern Railways authorities, electric locomotives on this crucial broad gauge route are expected to be operational by the end of May. Currently, trains on the Bathinda-Abohar-Sriganganagar section run on diesel engines. Consequently, each train stops in Bathinda for up to 30 minutes to switch between diesel and electric locomotives.Electrification of the track is expected to cut travel time, benefiting hundreds of daily commuters on the route as well as passengers travelling onwards to destinations such as Ambala, Delhi and Rishikesh. "The attachment and detachment time of the locomotives will be reduced, ultimately resulting in reduced travel time," Union minister of state for railways Ravneet Singh Bittu shared with HT on Thursday. "The project was undertaken under Indian Railways' Mission 100% electrification to improve energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions and enhance operational efficiency," said the minister. With upgrade, the route may also pave the way for the operation of high-speed trains. Suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the 55-km railway service between Jaijon Doaba and Phagwara resumed on Thursday. Chabbewal MLA Dr Ishank Kumar flagged off the train, which will ply five days a week, except Thursday and Sunday. During onward journey, the train (74954) will chug off at 10.20 am from Phagwara and reach the Jaijon Doaba railway station by 1.20 pm. While returning, the train (74951) will leave Jaijon at 1.45 pm and arrive in Phagwara at 5 pm. Kumar said the facility will be beneficial not only for the residents of Kandi, but also for natives of Himachal Pradesh.HTC...