Farmers’ protest in Punjab severely hits train movement
Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Sept 28: A number of Jammu trains were either cancelled or diverted as ‘Rail Roko’ agitation by protesting farmers in Punjab severely hit movement of trains today.
As farmers in large numbers squatted on railway tracks in Punjab beginning their three-day ‘Rail Roko’ agitation in support of their demands, Railway officials told the Excelsior that Vande Bharat Express and a few more trains will remain cancelled on Friday.
According to the official sources, more than two dozen trains originating from Jammu or arriving here today, were either cancelled or diverted due to farmers’ agitation in Punjab.
Fourteen trains were diverted and five were short-terminated while six others were cancelled with the result passengers had to bear the brunt, sources added.
While elaborating, sources said that train number 12414 (Jammu Ali Express), 19226 (Jat Bti Express), 14646 (Shalimar Express), originating from Jammu and train number 22462 (Shri Shakti Express), originating from Katra, were cancelled.
Similarly, sources added, train number 22461 (Shri Shakti Express) and 14033 (Jammu Mail), coming from Delhi to Katra, were also cancelled.
Besides, train number 18310, 13152, 12426, 11078, (originating from Jammu) and train number 14034, 14810, 12448, 16788 (originating from Katra), were wither diverted or short-terminated.
Similarly, train number 12413, 13151, 11077, 16031, 12237, 15653, 12919, 12471, 22705, 14809, 12425, 14845 and 12445 (on way to Jammu on Katra), were either diverted or short-terminated.
According to Jammu Station Director, Prateek Srivastava, Vande Bharat Express among a few trains will remain cancelled on September 29 because of the prevailing situation in Punjab.
Train number 22439 (from New Delhi to Katra) and 19224 (from Jammu to Ahmedabad) will also remain cancelled while train number 22706 (from Jammu to Triputi), 12014 (Jammu to New Delhi, 12920 (Malwa Express), 12472 (Swaraj Express) will be either diverted or short originated.
As the ongoing protests by the farmers will continue till September 30, the train traffic is likely to remain disrupted for the next two days. On Thursday, the protesting farmers agitated at 17 places in Moga, Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur, Jalandhar, Tarn Taran, Sangrur, Patiala, Ferozepur, Bathinda and Amritsar. In Amritsar, farmers squatted on the Amritsar-Delhi railway track in Devidas Pura.
Several farmer groups, including Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Bharti Kisan Union (Krantikari), BKU (Ekta Azaad), Azaad Kisan Committee Doaba, BKU (Behramke), BKU (Shaheed Bhagat Singh), and BKU (Chottu Ram), are participating in the protest.
Their demands include a financial package for the flood-affected people in north India, a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) on all crops, and a debt waiver for farmers.
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