Services of over 100 trains under the South Eastern Railway were affected today after members of the Kurmi community blocked tracks in Purulia and West Midnapore demanding Scheduled Tribe status for them.
The disruption started in the early morning hours when a group of people at Kustaur station in Adra-Chandil section of Adra division staged a blockade. The agitation later spread to the KharagpurTatanagar section of Kharagpur division at the same time, resulting in disruption of several trains in the respective division.
The agitation by multiple organizations cumulatively pressing demands for Scheduled Tribe status resulted in cancellation of at least 66 trains till 4pm, according to the South Eastern Railway city office. The blockades also made the railways to short-originate or short-terminate 12 trains and divert 28 others till the afternoon. The cancellations included several MEMU, express, intercity and other long-distance trains.
According to the zonal railway, Adra-Barkakana MEMU Passenger Special, Adra-Purulia MEMU Special, Ranchi MEMU Special, Kharagpur-Ranchi MEMU Express, Kharagpur-Ranchi MEMU Express, AsansolBokaro Steel City MEMU Special, Asansol-Bokaro Steel City MEMU Special, AdraBarabhum MEMU Special, Kharagpur-Jhargram MEMU Special , Tatanagar-Kharagpur MEMU Special, Kharagpur-Tatanagar MEMU Special, Santragachi-Jhargram MEMU Special, Howrah-Barbil Jan Shatabdi Express, Howrah-Titlagarh Express, DhanbadTatanagar Express, DanapurTatanagar Express, RanchiHowrah Intercity Express, Mumbai CSMT-Howrah Duranto Express, New DelhiPuri Express and so on were cancelled following the agitation by members of the Kurmi community today.
Apart from the cancellations, several trains, including Howrah-Adra-Chakradharpur Express, SantragachiPurulia Express, AsansolTatanagar MEMU Special, Asansol-Barabhum MEMU Special and many other trains had to be short-terminated at Adra station