Title - NATIONAL : 25,000 rail passengers stranded in Assam

With over 25,000 rail passengers trapped in the violence-hit Assam, the Railways have sent an SOS to the Home Ministry to rush security forces to ensure their safe return and resumption of train movement.

As many as 37 trains, including three Rajdhani Expresses, have been held up within the 54 km stretch between Srirampur and Salakati railway stations under the North East Frontier Railway. An estimate is that about 25,000 passengers are stranded, though those in distress could be more

Railway Minister Mukul Roy held an emergency meeting of the Railway Board and took stock of the situation. He called up Home Minister P. Chidambaram and briefed him about the problem that the Railways were facing as violence continues to rock Assam, and sought Central forces for escorting the trains to their scheduled destination.

The Railways have so far cancelled 26 trains, including the Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express. The Railways claimed that they were geared to provide water and food to the stranded passengers.