Protesters block railway track, services hit in North Bengal

Train services between West Bengal and North East were paralyzed after the Greater Cooch Behar Peoples Association (GCPA) blocked the Behar railway station demanding a separate state.

Passengers suffered inconvenience as around 20 long distance trains were stranded at various stations in North Bengal and Assam, 5 passenger trains which were to ply from lower Assam to New Jalpaiguri had to be cancelled.

Police said that over a thousand of GCPA activists were squatting on the railway tracks near New Cooch Behar station and have put up the festoons of their organization. They were raising their slogans demanding a separate Greater Cooch Behar state. GCPA faction belongs to Bangshi Badan Burman faction. Senior officials of the GCPA said that they would continue their agitation till their long standing demand of bifurcating a separate Greater Cooch Behar state was not met.

Delhi bound Rajdhani Express, Dibrugarh bound Rajdhani Express, Kamrup Express and Kamakhaya Link Express were stranded at New Bongaigaon station, NJP, Mainaguri and before NJP station respectively. Many other long distances trains were stranded at Siliguri station. Later in the day some of the trains were diverted to other routes to help them reach to their destination stations. Delhi Debrugarh Brahmaputra Mail, Kamakhya Pune Special were stranded at New Jalpaiguri station.