Assam blockade hits rail traffic for 10 hours - Trains from and to Northeast held up at stations across north Bengal

TT, Oct. 24: Train movement was affected for around 10 hours since early this morning in north Bengal, Assam and Bihar because of a rail roko by the All Bodo Students' Union and its allied organisations in two lower Assam districts to demand a separate Bodoland state.

The blockade prompted the Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR) to halt at least 21 long distance express trains, including Rajdhani Express, at different stations in north Bengal and Assam, causing inconvenience to thousands of passengers.

The blockade was later reduced by two hours till 3pm and the train movement resumed soon afterwards.

While 12 trains were bound for the Northeast, the remaining nine were heading from there.

Nearly 1 lakh people gathered on the tracks at Basugaon station in Chirang district and over 30,000 at Udalguri station in Udalguri district from 5am today, disrupting services in the Northeast and the rest of the country.

While Udalguri is around 100km from Guwahati, Basugaon is about 200km from the Asasm capital.

In New Jalpaiguri, hundreds of passengers were found squatting on the platforms, as two long distance trains, the 12551 Yasvantpur-Kamakhya AC Express and 15959 Howrah-Dibrugarh Kamrup Express, were held up there.

"I am returning with my father who had a renal surgery in Chennai. I could not take a flight because of paucity of funds and took the train. This morning, when the train didn't move out of the NJP, we came to know about the rail roko. My father is ill and I have no idea when the train will reach New Bongaigaon from where we will head for home," said Sahidul Islam, a resident of Dhubri in Assam, who was travelling by Yasvantpur-Kamakhya AC Express.

Officials of the NFR said food and medical arrangements were made at all the stations where the long distance trains were halted.

The Northeast-bound trains were also stuck at New Alipurduar, New Cooch Behar, Dhupguri, Aluabari, and Barsoi, and Katihar in Bihar.

Two Rajdhani Express trains, both heading for Dibrugarh, stopped at Dalkhola and Katihar stations, NFR sources said.

The rail roko also led to halt in trains moving out of the Northeast, which added to the inconvenience of passengers in north Bengal.

"The rail roko agitation by the ABSU that started at 4.45am at various places was withdrawn before 3pm. After the withdrawal of the agitation, all vital parameters of railway tracks were checked and security clearance was given at 3.15pm. After that, the long distance trains which were held up at various stations started their onward movements," said P.J. Sharma, the chief public relations officer of the NFR.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY PREETAM B. CHOUDHURY and PRANAB KUMAR DAS IN TEZPUR