RailEnquiry

JALPAIGURI: Thousands of passengers from Assam, who were stranded at different stations in the state, heaved a sigh of relief as the rail link to the northeast state was restored on Wednesday evening after a disruption of more than 24 hours. By then, over 4,000 people, stranded at Alipurduar Junction, and 2,000 at New Alipurduar, had a harrowing experience with food stocks falling short and reaching home safe and sound looking a distant dream.Locals distributed food among the stranded passengers, as stalls at the stations failed to make adequate arrangements despite Northeast Frontier Railway's (NFR) efforts. to ensure a steady supply of food at the stalls in the stations, those were not adequate.Till Wednesday evening, 15 trains were held up at the New Cooch Behar, New Alipurduar, Alipurduar Junction, Hasimara, Dhupguri, New Jalpaiguri and Katihar stations. Political workers, local chambers of commerce, trade bodies and NGOs started distributing food among the passengers from Tuesday.Passengers stranded at smaller stations like Hasimara, however, complained that there weren't any stalls from where they could purchase food. At other stations, passengers didn't have enough money to buy food. Many of them were only carrying the money they thought would be enough to reach home safely. "We too had arranged for additional food at the stalls and directed the vendors to make arrangements for milk. Security personnel were told to check whether the vendors were charging extra money from the passengersordered to ensure that passengers are not overcharged. Technical staff ensured that the air-conditioners, fans and lights in coaches worked properly," said A Dutta, divisional railway manager, Alipurduar.

"Movement of goods trains were, however, restored from both ends following deployment of Army in the affected areas," Union railway minister Mukul Roy said, adding that the stretch between Kokrajhar and Guwahati was the worst-hit. is badly affected by violence.

Roy also urged Union home minister P Chidambaram and Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi to ensure safety and security of passengers of trains, which had either been attacked or disrupted due to violence in lower Assam. "The situation is very grave. I spoke to the Union home minister and the Assam CM today and apprised them of difficulties being faced by the railways in ensuring safe and smooth movement of trains to and from Assam. I urged both of them to ensure safety and security of the passengers, so that we can run the trains," Roy said. According to him, he has requested for additional security in the 54 km 'badly affected' area between Srirampur and Salakati railway stations, so that trains held up in the area for more than 24 hours could progress towards their destinations.

Akash Sharma, a passenger of the Capital Express stranded at Alipurduar Junction, said, "We need to thank the locals for their support. Many of us would have to go hungry if we had to purchase food from the stalls. We couldn't leave the station as we weren't sure when the trains would leave. This was an awful experience."

Others like Sajal Biswas and Madhumita Dutta Chowdhury of the Kanchanjungha Express, stranded at Alipurduar Junction, and Manik Das and N K Singh on the Avadh Assam Express at New Alipurduar, blamed the administration for the mess. According to them, the railways and the states need to evolve a contingency plan to keep rail links open even during such crisis. Train services, they said, shouldn't be disrupted unless there is something wrong with the tracks.

"Railways was trying its best to regulate movement of trains in view of the disturbances. We want to run the trains but the safety and security of the passengers, including those stranded, should be ensured first," Roy said. The safety and security of passengers is of utmost concern and trains will ply in the affected areas keeping in view this objective," Roy said.

71 trains were cancelled or regulated due to the violence in Bodoland Territorial Autonomous District, the minister said, adding that the railways was trying to position affected trains at bigger stations, so that the stranded passengers could be provided food, water and security.

After being disrupted for over 24 hours, the rail link to Assam from the rest of the country was finally restored on Wednesday evening. By then, thousands of passengers had harrowing experiences, spending hours with their families at stations in West Bengal along the state boundary with Assam.