This story is from April 3, 2018

Train services hit for several hours

Train services hit for several hours
PATNA: Train services went off the track in all the five divisions of East Central Railway (ECR) for about eight to ten hours on Monday as dalits squatted on the tracks at different places to enforce the Bharat bandh called by dalit organisations in protest against a Supreme Court ruling that has allegedly diluted the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
According to ECR’s chief public relations officers Rajesh Kumar, bandh supporters forcibly blocked the movement of train at Barh, Mor, Islampur, Ara, Nawada, Warisaliganj, Jehanabad and Parsabazar in the Danapur rail division and Rafiganj, Sasaram and Gaya in the Mughalsarai rail division.
Several stations falling under the ECR’s Sonepur, Samastipur and Dhanbad divisions also witnessed similar disturbances.
Kumar said bandh supporters also damaged the overhead electric wires at Rafiganj. At Bettiah station, bandh supporters damaged railway properties, including the signalling system.
The trains that were stranded at different places included South Bihar Express, Kolkata-Patna Express, Capital Express, Pataliputra Express, Bhagalpur-Danapur Intercity Express, Shramjeevi Express, Seemanchal Express, North East Express, Howrah- Amritsar Mail, Patna-Ranchi Janshatabdi Express, Mokama-Patna MEMU, Mokama-Danapur MEMU, Patna- Varanasi Express and Patna-Gaya MEMU. Normal train services could be restored only in the afternoon.
According to Danapur DRM Ranjan Prakash Thakur, the Mughalsarai-Jhajha mainline section of the division was the worst hit as bandh supporters swung into action on the tracks from as early as 5.30am. “All the mail and express trains originating from the division were delayed as a result of the stir,” he said.
Danapur RPF commandant Chandra Mohan Mishra said bandh supporters paralysed the movement of trains at Ara, Barh and Athmalgola stations on the mainline section of the division. The Patna-Gaya and other branch sections were also badly affected, he said.
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