Mumbai: Central Railway announced six additional special train services between Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) in Mumbai and Chhapra in Bihar. The move aims to ease congestion and provide more travel options for passengers traveling between Maharashtra and the eastern Uttar Pradesh-Bihar regions.

According to a Central Railway statement, bookings for these special trains are now open. The services will operate as Train Nos. 05093/05094, 05095/05096 and 05097/05098 between November 9 and November 13, 2025.

– Train No. 05093 will depart from Chhapra at 22:45 hrs on November 9 and reach Lokmanya Tilak Terminus at 13:40 hrs on the third day.

– Train No. 05094 will leave Lokmanya Tilak Terminus at 15:55 hrs on November 11 and arrive in Chhapra at 01:45 hrs on the third day.

– Similarly, Train No. 05095 will depart Chhapra on November 10 and Train No. 05096 will leave LTT on November 12.

– The last pair, Train Nos. 05097/05098, will operate from November 11 and 13, respectively.

The trains will follow a common route with halts at major stations, including Kalyan, Igatpuri, Nashik Road, Bhusaval, Khandwa, Itarsi, Rani Kamlapati, Bina, Virangana Lakshmibai Jhansi, Orai, Kanpur Central, Aishbagh, Badshahnagar, Gomti Nagar, Barabanki, Gonda, Basti, Gorakhpur, Deoria Sadar and Siwan before reaching Chhapra.

The trains will have different configurations to accommodate various passenger needs:

– Train Nos. 05093/05094 will include one AC 2-tier, eight AC 3-tier, seven sleeper coaches, and four general second-class coaches.

– Train Nos. 05095/05096 will have twelve AC 3-tier, four sleeper, and four second-class chair car coaches.

– Train Nos. 05097/05098 will consist of ten AC 3-tier, four sleeper, and four second-class chair car coaches.

– All trains will also include one second seating cum guard’s brake van and one generator van.

Passengers can check detailed timings, intermediate halts, and seat availability by visiting (http://www.enquiry.indianrail.gov.in) or through the NTES App. The Central Railway has urged travelers to plan their journeys early to avoid last-minute rush.

Dhanbad, Nov 10: Traders on Monday launched a massive protest after a businessman was robbed and shot at inside the government-run Market Committee complex in the Barwadda police station area in Dhanbad, Jharkhand, late Sunday evening.

The incident has caused concerns over rising crime in Jharkhand’s coal capital, prompting traders to shut all 417 shops in the market complex for the day.

The attack took place around 8.30 p.m. on Sunday when three bike-borne assailants intercepted trader Shyam Bhimsariya while he was closing his shop.

The miscreants fired at him, snatched a bag containing Rs 4 lakh, and sped off. Bhimsariya narrowly escaped the bullet, which reportedly grazed past him. The incident created panic among shopkeepers and customers, many of whom rushed to safety.

On Monday morning, hundreds of traders assembled at the main gate of the Market Committee complex, raising slogans against the administration and demanding immediate arrests. They alleged that the market, which witnesses a heavy footfall, has long been operating without proper security measures.

The Market Committee complex is one of the busiest business hubs in Dhanbad, recording a daily turnover of Rs 7-8 crore.

“We will not tolerate this kind of atmosphere where traders fear for their lives every evening,” a member of the traders’ association said, adding that if the culprits are not arrested within 48 hours, the protest may spread to other markets across the district.

BJP MP Dhullu Mahto, addressing traders, said criminals are “roaming fearlessly” in Dhanbad. “The morale of criminals has gone up due to weak policing. The police must act immediately to restore confidence among traders,” he said.

Jharia Congress MLA Ragini Singh accused the state government of complete failure on the law and order front. “When crime is discussed in the Assembly, the government remains silent. People are living in fear while criminals are dictating terms,” she remarked.

Outgoing Mayor Chandrashekhar Agarwal demanded urgent security measures in the market area, suggesting that CCTV cameras be installed. He said a permanent police post must be established to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.

Dhanbad District Chamber of Commerce president Chetan Goenka strongly condemned the attack and criticised authorities for ignoring repeated requests for better security.

“It is shocking that a market with a daily business of Rs 7-8 crore has neither CCTV surveillance nor police patrolling. Traders cannot operate under fear. The administration must take permanent measures,” Goenka said.

Mumbai, Nov 10: Amid the ongoing elections to the local and civic body elections, the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party on Monday released a list of 17 party spokespersons to strongly put up its stand.

The list of spokespersons includes Anil Patil, Rupali Chakankar, Brijmohan Srivastava, Chetan Tupe, Anand Paranjape, Avinash Adik, Sana Malik, Rajlaxmi Bhosale, Suraj Chavan, Hemlata Patil, Pratibha Shinde, Vikas Pasalkar, Rajiv Sable, Prashant Pawar, Shyam Saner, Sayali Dalvi and Shashikant Tarange.

The announcement coincided with the opposition’s move to target the NCP chief and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar over the Pune land deal involving his son Parth Pawar.

NCP also chose to appoint the State Women Commission chairperson, Rupali Chakankar, and state NCP women wing president as spokesperson despite being targeted by the opposition and the party activist Rupali Patil for her statements on the suicide of a Satara woman doctor.

However, NCP has stripped Rupali Patil of the party spokesperson’s job for making anti-party statements. The party had recently served her notice in the wake of making personal allegations against Rupali Chakankar.

Rupali Patil, in her reaction, said, “ I am out of Pune today. I could not be contacted as I am on a trip. Today, the party has appointed new spokespersons. The names of MLAs Amol Mitkari and Vaishalitai Nagwade, including me are not part of the list. We are ready to face the upcoming elections. We will do the party’s work vigorously. I will meet Ajit Pawar and talk about this list and get information about it, then I will talk to all of you in detail.”

NCP has also dropped party legislator Amol Mitkari as the spokesperson. Mitkari has been hogging headlines for sparking controversies by targeting the leaders of the MahaYuti alliance.

Further, NCP also removed Vaishali Nagawade, who comes from the Daund constituency in Pune district, as the spokesperson.

Incidentally, Suraj Chavan, who was embroiled in a controversy over the assault case, has been appointed as spokesperson. Suraj Chavan had to step down as the NCP’s state youth wing after the video went viral about him allegedly assaulting Chhava Sanghatna state president Vijaykumar Ghatge in July.

Thereafter, he was appointed as the state party general secretary. The Maharashtra government later inducted Suraj Chavan into the committee to draft the state’s revised youth policy.

NCP has released the list of party spokespersons when the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena legislator, Mahendra Dalvi from Alibag constituency in Raigad district, accused party president and DCM Ajit Pawar of lying to save his own Parth Pawar in the Pune land deal case. NCP has already hit back, saying that it will adopt a tit for tat policy to give a befitting reply.

Paranjape, in his reaction, said, “The Party gives responsibilities at different junctures. With the local and civic body elections under way the party has released a list of spokespersons with the task of putting the party’s ideology and line before the people of Maharashtra. Those who have been dropped will be given responsibilities in the party organisation.