Farmers' stir hits train movement in Punjab

Rail services were badly hit in Punjab due to the farmers' <g data-gr-id="16">two-day long</g> 'Rail Roko' agitation which started on Wednesday to protest against SAD-BJP government's "anti-farmer" policies.

Agitating farmers who would continue with their protest till Thursday said 5,000 farmers were "arrested" by police from different areas.

Due to the farmers' rail blockade, 13 trains were cancelled while 6 were diverted with Ludhiana-Amritsar, Ludhiana-Jammu, Fazilka-Ferozepur, Ferozepur-Bathinda, Kotakpura-Fazilka sections being "severely" hit, railway officials said. Among 13 trains which were cancelled included Amritsar-Chandigarh intercity (12412), Amritsar-Howrah (13050), Amritsar Dehradun (14632), Hirakund Express (18508), Amritsar-Darbhanga (15212) and a few DMUs between Ferozepur -Fazilka, and Fazilka-Bathinda, official said.

The protest forced railway authorities to divert six trains via Tarn Taran which included Amritsar-<g data-gr-id="19">Sahrasa</g> (14604), Chhattisgarh Express (18238), Golden Temple (12904), Amritsar-Howrah mail (13006), Delhi-Pathankot (14037) and Jammu Tawi-Tata Nagar Muri (18012), they said. Two trains Swarn Shatabdi (12029) and Garib Rath (14606) were short terminated near Beas, railway officials said. They would return from Jalandhar and Beas, respectively.

Not paying heed to the request of railway authorities for not halting trains, farmers in large numbers went ahead with their protest and squatted on railway tracks at various places to stop train movement, causing inconvenience to passengers.