Public agitation at Ashok Nagar over circular railway train regulations

Kolkata: Commuters protested against the regulations of Circular Railway train services by obstructing train lines at Ashok Nagar station of the Sealdah Division's Dum Dum Cantonment-Machhalandapur section, disrupting train services in the Sealdah-Bangaon section for more than an hour on Friday morning.

Police resorted to lathicharge (cane-charge) to disperse the agitating crowd.

Circular Railway train services have been regulated for many days during the festival season at the request of the state administration, leading to short termination, short origination, diversion, and cancellation of trains.

Starting from Mahalaya on October 2 until November 4, services were regulated for 11 days. Most recently, services were regulated on November 7 and 8 for Chhath Puja, and again from November 11 to 13 for Jagaddhatri idol immersion.

Friday's disruption followed a similar pattern. Eastern Railway (ER) officials had regulated Circular Railway train services based on a request from the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Port Division, Kolkata, in anticipation of a large gathering for the Deva Deepavali Utsav at Babu Ghat (Baje Kadamtala Ghat).

This led to regular commuters protesting the short-termination and diversion of circular trains designated for the Deva Deepavali Utsav at Babu Ghat.

Agitators claimed that the Bongaon-Majerhat local is frequently terminated at Barasat or Tala instead of reaching its destination, Majerhat.

According to ER officials, the protest, which involved passengers staging a sit-in on the rail lines, led to a blockade of both Up and Down lines at Ashok Nagar station, halting the movement of one Down and one Up Circular train from 8.14 am.

As a train was halted before entering the station, rail gates adjacent to the station could not be opened,

resulting in traffic congestion on Jessore Road.

The disruption lasted for more than an hour.