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| Jammu bound trains suspended | | |
Early Time Report
Jammu, May 25
Punjab violence has forced the Northern Railways to cancel the over 15 Express and Passengers trains on Monday.
Through out the day the railway station witnessed chaos and noisy scenes as several hundred passengers and pilgrims were stranded at the railway platform in the absence of rail services.
Earlier in the day angry protestors torched several bogies of Jammu bound Kanya Kumar-Jammu-Tawi express at Jallandhar following death of dera leader in a bloody shoot out in Vienna.As day progressed protests spread over to several parts of Punjab and Haryana forcing authorities to clamp curfew to maintain law and order situation.
Following cancellation of these trains from Jammu several thousand satrnded passengers were finding it difficult to accomodate their family and relatives on the congested railway platforms as they had already checked out of their hotel rooms.
According to Divisional Traffic Manager Ashok Sharma," at least 19 trains strating and reaching Jammu railway station were cancelled keeping in view the safety of the passengers. He said the railway authortiies have been instructed to refund the entire money to all those passengers who want refund and had made separate arrangements to accommodate the heavy rush of passengers.
Several hundred people, mostly pilgrims to the Vaishno Devi shrine, were stranded in this winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir as bus and train services were disrupted following violent protests in neighbouring Punjab after a Sikh sect leader was killed in Austrian capital Vienna.
More than 20 trains run between Jammu and other parts of the country, mostly Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Haridwar. All of them pass through Punjab.
The railway’s Divisional Traffic Manager Ashok Sharma said: “Sixteen trains going out of Jammu and nine coming in to Jammu have been cancelled.”
He said about 8,000 to 9,000 passengers were affected and all possible steps taken to refund their fares. Extra eatable and water stalls had been put up at the station, he added.
Most of the Vaishno Devi pilgrims are sheltering at the railway station.
“There is no other place for us to go,” said Pushpa Devi of Delhi, who had come along with her brother’s family for the pilgrimage.
There was widespread fluster and confusion at the railway station, with the stranded passengers at a loss about how or when they would be able to leave for their homes.
Hari Krishan Sharma, of Delhi, who was to travel in Jammu express Monday along with eight others was feeling harassed. “Just giving us refunds will not make a difference in this sweltering heat. How are we going to reach home?” he asked.
“Even road traffic is off,” said Prithvi Dutt, a resident of Jaipur.
The period between May and October is the peak season for the pilgrims visiting the Vaishno Devi shrine, nestled in the Trikuta hills, about 60 km north of Jammu. It attracts more than 7.5 million pilgrims every year.
Several parts of Punjab saw violence Monday as followers of the Dera Sachh Khand, opposing the attack on their leaders, brought the state to a standstill. Train bogies were torched at the Jalandhar Cantonment station, a key highway blocked and vehicles and shops set afire.
Meanwhile, the protesters also blocked the Jammu-Pathankot highway at Kathua and pelted stones at passing vehicles, also affecting road transport.
Keeping in view presence of large number of passengers camping at the over crowded railway platforms the railway authorties have instructed security personnel to keep a tight vigil on the suspected movement of miscreants
The important trains that stands cancelled included Rajdhani Express, Summer special, Himgiri Express, Himsagar Expreess, Moori Express, Malwa Express, Happa Express, Sealdah Express etc
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