‘Rail roko’ leaves passengers hassled

Jalandhar railway station Superintendent Ashok Kumar said since morning,they have been busy refunding ticket amounts to people. Jasbir Singh,a passenger who planned to take his father to a private hospital in Delhi for heart treatment,said due to the cancellation of trains,he was being forced to travel by road,causing great inconvenience.

Mumbai-bound Jatinder Preet Singh said he had come to Jalandhar to attend a relative’s wedding and is to report back to his job on April 10. “But now,reaching back in time looks very improbable,” he said.

Some Sikh religious groups (jathas),comprising scores of people,had also cancelled their pilgrimage to Hazoor Sahib,among other places,as their train could not be run today. Trains coming from Delhi were stopped before reaching Jalandhar. The Shan-e-Punjab was sent back from Khanna,the Amritsar-Ambala,Jalandhar-Hoshiarpur and Jalandhar-Nawanshahr trains were cancelled and Shatabdi Express,Kathiar Express and Shaheed Express were stranded at different junctions. The Flying Mail and Jallianwala Bagh and Jan Sadharan trains were also stopped at Amritsar.

Amritsar: Members of Damdami Taksal and Sikh Students’ Federation blocked the Amritsar-Delhi track for more than three hours. Meanwhile,Damdami Taksal chief Harnam Singh termed the ‘rail roko’ programme “successful and peaceful”.

LUDHIANA: Several trains were stopped and others delayed leaving passengers stranded for hours at different locations. Those travelling by road also became victims of the chaos that followed after protestors blocked roads. Commuters taking the Gill Road had to wait for hours before they were allowed to move. Protesters also blocked traffic near Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College. Nearly ten trains,starting or terminating at the Ludhiana Junction or passing by it,were delayed for two-five hours,while others were stuck at different locations in and around the city.