(Rpt, correcting figure in para four)

New Delhi, Feb 24 (UNI) Three trains to Ajmer, hallowed by the dargah of Khwaja Garib Nawaz Hazrat Moinuddin Chishti Saheb, are among 55 new trains proposed in the Railway Budget for 2006-07 presented in Parliament today.

Presenting the Budget, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad also announced extensions of as many as 37 existing trains.

The trains to Ajmer, named Garib Nawaj Express, will originate from Ranchi, Kishanganj and Bangalore (Yashwantpur) to facilitate visit of people of all religions and communities from all corners of the country to the famous dargah to pay their obeisance. All the three trains would be weeklies.

Modelled on the present fastest train on the Delhi-Agra section, a new train will be run between Delhi-Kanpur-Lucknow at a speed of 150 rpt 150 km per hour.

The speed of some of the mail and express trains linking Ajmer, Jaipur, Varanasi, Chhapra will be increased to 120 km per hour from 110 km per hour.

Most of the new trains announced were weeklies. There are 25 weekly trains, 12 dailies, six bi-weekly trains and five tri-weekly tains. A new brand of trains called "Garib Rath" is proposed to be introduced from Delhi connecting Patna, Mumbai and Chennai on weekly basis. The three trains will be fully air conditioned.

A similar Garib Rath train is also being introduced on the Saharsa-Amritsar section as a bi-weekly connection Barauni, Hajipur, Sonpur, Chhapra and Gorakhpur.

Mr Prasad said in deference to the public request, the Karnataka Sampark Kranti express between Nizamuddin and Yeshwantpur (Bangalore) will be rerouted to run via Itarsi, Manmad, Pune, Hubli, Arsikere and Yeshwantpur twice a week, instead of daily at present.

Similarly, the Rajendranagar-Jammu Tawi Archana Express, presently running via Varanasi, Sultanpur and Lucknow, to run via Rae Bareilly, Pratapgarh and Lucknow.

More UNI KSA/SH MSJ DS1305