Sealdah mainline disrupted after irate commuters ransacked Sodhpur station

Kolkata: Station master cabin and railway properties were ransacked and railway tracks blocked at Sodhpur station in North 24 Parganas, disrupting traffic on mainline of Eastern Railway connecting Sealdah, at peak hours today.

The irate commuters, after an alleged wrong announcement regarding Sealdah bound Gedhe local train, plundered the station premises and obstructed railway tracks, official sources said.

The disruption began around 10 00 hours, causing detention of many long distance and local trains both up and down lines, as hundreds of protesters squatted on the track, about 16 kms north of Sealdah terminal of ER. The situation went out of control as the number of protesters outnumbered the RPF and GRP personnels at Sodhpur station.

Trouble ensued when the train did not stop even after the public address system at Sodhpur station announced that the Sealdah bound Gedhe EMU would halt on platform number 2. The passengers, mostly officer goers, who had taken position after crossing open tracks to board the train lost their cool and began expressing their resentment through violent agitation.

ER's CPRO, Ravi Mahapatro, said, though talks were going on to add Shodhpur station to the existing stoppages of that particular EMU, nothing has been finalised by the authorities yet.

He said an inquiry has been ordered to ascertain, if there was an announcement for the halt today.

He said the agitation caused detention of many long and short distance trains and cancellation of some EMUs, so far on the section.

The blockade was continuing when the report came in.