RailFanning is a gift you give yourself. - Varun

I had earlier observed in my entry No. 59359-29 that we are today witnessing the practices of popularity seeking politicians for whom IR is nothing but a milch cow to further their political ambitions.
Earlier, Union Railway Ministers, while presenting the Railway Budget, never used to announce in Parliament, the introduction of new trains from place X to place Y. These matters were considered routine in nature and left to the discretion of respective Zonal Railways, after obtaining the statutory clearances from the Railway Board. The new trains were also not inaugurated and flagged off by ministers and politicians at functions with a lot of attendant VIPs and amid much fanfare and extravaganza. The trend was changed sometime in the early 80s...
more...

if I am correct.
Today, things have gone one step futher and I quote from the announcement regarding introduction of Puja Specials 2010 appearing in the Kolkata edition of The Telegraph dated 10th August.
" As per instruction of Mamata Banerjee, Hon'ble Minister for Railways, Eastern Railway has arranged to run Special Trains to Delhi, Gorakhpur, Ranchi, New Jalpaiguri, Allahabad, Haridwar, Darbhanga, Anand Vihar and Guwahati and to clear the extra rush of passengers during Puja holidays 2010, as per the abstract timings and stoppages:- "