Suburban commuters were left in the lurch as around 100 local trains were cancelled due to the 12-hour bandh called by the BJP today.
Sporadic rail blockade by protestors of the saffron party left numerous commuters of local trains stranded at stations and inside coaches on a busy working day today. According to the Eastern Railway, repeated public obstruction on ‘non-railway cause’ at different stations over Sealdah and Howrah divisions affected train services in suburban sections since early morning today. In Sealdah division alone, obstructions were made at around 36 stations/lines including Barrackpore and Belgharia stations in Sealdah – Barrackpore section, Chakdaha, Kalyani Simanta, Payradanga and Madanpur stations in Naihati – Ranaghat section, Jiaganj, Berhampore Court, Krishnanagar, Muragacha, Badkulla, Cossimbazar, Birnagar, Kalinarayanpur and Murshidabad stations in Krishnanagar – Lalgola section, Panchberia station in Ranaghat – Aranghata section, Habibpur and Santipur stations in Ranaghat – Santipur section, Barasat, Bamangachi, Habra, Bangaon, Maslandapur, Thakurnagar and Duttapukur stations in Bangaon – Barasat section, Bhabla, Champapukur, Bashirhat stations in Barasat – Basirhat section, Dhamua and Hotor stations in Diamond Harbour – Baruipur section, Bidyadharpur (F) and Sonarpur stations in Canning – Sonarpur section, Jaynagar Majilpur station in Baruipur – Lakshmikantapur section. Banana leaves were also thrown at overhead wires at Sodepur, Uttar Radhanagar and near Champahati station by agitators but were cleared by tower van crew of the railway.
The difficulties of commuters in Howrah division, were nothing less as bandh supporters obstructed train movements at 13 stations/lines including Hind Motor, Mankundu, Hooghly, Konnagar, Uttarpara, Shrirampur, Bally, Chandannagar and Rishra stations in Howrah – Bandel section, Katwa station in Bandel – Katwa section, Singur in Tarakeswar – Seoraphuli section, Rampurhat in Khana – Gumani section, Mugra station in Bandel – Barddhaman section, Gurap in Dankuni – Barddhaman section and Belur station in Howrah – Bally section.
The rail blockade by the supporters of the strike resulted in cancellation of 90 EMU locals in Sealdah division and 10 EMU locals in Howrah division. Office-goers and workers faced a harrowing time waiting in local trains as the protestors threw banana leaves in Sangrampur Down Line, Gocharan Up Line as early as 5 am and 5.30 am and later in Champahati-Sonarpur and Dakshin Barasat. As informed by the Eastern Railway, normal service over Howrah and Sealdah division resumed at 11.10 am.
In the city, a reduced number of private and minibuses hit commuter movement. Few cases of obstruction to movement of the buses were reported from a few places in the city. According to members of the West Bengal Bus and Minibus Owners’ Association, two buses of the organization were damaged during the obstruction by the bus supporters.