At least 15 local trains were cancelled while several superfast and passenger trains had to be diverted in several routes of Eastern and South-Eastern Railways on Monday due to the Jharkhand Disom Party's (JDP) 12-hour strike for the tribal community's constitutional rights.
"Fifteen EMUs (Electronic Metro Units) had to be cancelled. Five passenger trains had to be diverted due to today's rail blockade in various stations under the SE Railways. Apart from this, 12 other trains have been short terminated," South Eastern Railway CPRO Sanjay Ghosh told IANS.
He said the final blockade was lifted at around 2.30 p.m. from Bengal's Bardhaman district.
A number of trains plying on various routes of Eastern Railways were also delayed in Bardhaman and Malda sections due to the blockade.
"At least three mail trains including the up and down Howrah-Katihar Express and Bramhaputra Express had to be cancelled due to the strike. A number of other trains were controlled and could be cancelled if they are delayed further," Eastern Railway CPRO Rabi Mahapatra told IANS.
The officer said a number of local trains were also affected in the Howrah-Bardhaman section due to the hour-long blockade in the morning.
Thousands of passengers were stranded for hours in several railway stations due to the strike. Many of them complained of infrastructural failures like lack of water supply and air-conditioning in the trains.
Tribal protests also took place at Madhukunda railway station and Kantadih railway station of Purulia district.
--IANS
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