Many stranded in North India as over 1,000 trains affected

Thousands of passengers were stranded as the Jat agitation for quota threw rail services off track in the northern states, affecting over 1,000 trains with over 800 trains cancelled and 105 diverted besides damage to rail property, causing a loss of Rs 200 crore to the transporter.

Important routes to Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Chandigarh and Jammu and Kashmir have been badly hit due to the agitation, said a senior Railway Ministry official. The official said the Delhi-Rohtak-Bhatinda, Delhi-Rewari-Jaipur, Delhi-Panipat-Ambala routes are the worst-affected, adding that the protestors had also caused large-scale damage to railway properties and installations.

Dhrashti Chaudhary (22) was unable to reach Hyderabad for her MBA entrance exam on Sunday morning. On Saturday afternoon, she had no other option but to return home from the railway station as her Chandigarh-Delhi Shatabdi Express train got cancelled. 

“My entrance test was scheduled for today. Since I am live in Chandigarh, I had my reservation in the Chandigarh-Delhi Shatabdi Express. From Delhi, I had a flight to Hyderabad. But when I reached the Chandigarh station, I got to know that my train had been cancelled. So we decided to come to Delhi by car, but we were forced to return by the Army at the city border due to the Jat protests. I have now missed my test,” she said.

However, Chaudhary is not the only one to be affected by this brouhaha. The Jat agitation has left lakhs of passengers stranded at the New Delhi railway station as many trains have been cancelled or diverted to other routes.

Over 1,050 trains have been affected, of which over 800 were cancelled. Railway officials said that over 300 freight trains were also hit and the disruption has caused the transporter a over Rs 500 crore loss in past two days.

Raja Ram (53), who was returning from a wedding in Banda (Uttar Pradesh) has been stuck at the New Delhi railway station since Saturday night with his family. “We have to go to Hisar, but there are no trains plying on the route. My wife, son, daughter-in-law and grandson are travelling with me. Whatever little snacks that we had got is over and the food here is very costly. We cannot afford to buy all meals,” he said.

The protestors damaged two track machines and set ablaze 10 stations and two railway engines. They also removed tracks at several locations. 

Premier trains such as Jammu Rajdhani, Amritsar Shatabdi, Kalka and Chandigarh Shatabdi were cancelled due to the stir. Uttar Sampark Kranti, Punjab Mail, Jaipur Double-Decker, Jat Mail and Himalayan Queen are among other popular trains that were affected. However, railway officials said that adequate arrangements have been made to refund money to passengers, whose trains were cancelled. SMSes, informing the status of trains, are being sent to passengers. Besides, extra counters have been opened at the New Delhi railway station to give refund of tickets to passengers, whose trains were cancelled.