Train services were disrupted following a ‘Rail Roko’ agitation launched by the Adivasi National Convention Committee (ANCC) at different places in Assam on Thursday.
Many running Mail and Express trains over parts of Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) were affected due to the agitation, according to NFR chief public relations officer (CPRO) Pranav Jyoti Sharma.
Hundreds of people belonging to the backward classes, under the banner of the ANCC, blocked railway tracks at Kokrajhar under the Alipurduar Railway Division, at Majbat in Rangiya Division and Bokajan in Lumding division and Sapekati in the Tinsukia Division, demanding Schedule Caste status to their communities, Mr Sharma said, in a press release.
“As a result, 18 trains were controlled and cancelled in this rail route that connects northeastern states and Delhi via other states including West Bengal,” official sources said.
Railway authorities had to cancel some trains. Many trains like the Howrah-Dibrugarh Kamrup Express were “controlled” at New Cooch Behar, Kamakhya-Anada Vihar Express at Goalpara town, Dibrugarh-New Delhi Rajdhani Express “controlled” at New Bongaigaon and others in different stations.
Eight trains were cancelled, it is learnt. On the other hand, NFR officials on Thursday gave “good news” of a new special train (weekly) between Agartala and Habibganj (Bhopal) during the period for 7 April to 30 June this year to clear extra rush of passengers.
The special train will leave Agartala station every Saturday from 7 April to 30 June this year at 14.00 hours.
The train will arrive in Habibganj at 17.00 hours on Monday. It will leave Habibganj for Agartala every Wednesday from 4 April to 27 June at 17.30 hours and arrive in Agartala on Friday at 21.30 hours.
The train will have one AC- 2 tier, two AC-3 tier and seven sleeper classes, two general second class and two SLR coaches, the NFR said.