10 passenger trains from Delhi cancelled

NEW DELHI: The day-long all India bandh called by opposition parties, including the BJP and the Left parties, to protest against hike in fuel prices affected the train schedules badly.

While 10 passenger trains from Delhi were cancelled, another 54 were affected with partial delays ranging from 30 minutes to over three hours. Blockades at four different places in west Delhi and outer Delhi also affected the movement of local and passenger trains.

Northern Railway officials said the effect of the bandh will be felt even on Tuesday. Rail Board officials said that with blockades across the country, including in areas like Patna, Samastipur, Gaya, Mumbai, Asansol and Durgapur, several major trains, including the Rajdhanis, are expected to be delayed by several hours.

According to Northern Railway, the up Poorva Express and the Udayan Abha Toofan Express from Howrah have been cancelled. The Delhi-Rohtak-Delhi passenger train was cancelled along with the Kumbh Express and the Sealdah-Varanasi Express.

As up trains were cancelled, the corresponding down trains will remain cancelled too. Several passenger trains to Punjab, including Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur and Amritsar, will also be affected.

Among the trains that were delayed between an hour and three hours are Awadh Assam Express, Rohtak passenger train, Kalindi Express, Gorakhdham Express, Kurukshetra passenger train, Ala Hazrat Express, Uttar Sampark Kranti Express and Satluj Express.

BJP supporters blocked tracks on Monday morning at Nangloi, Mundka, Samaipur Badli and Shakurpur. ‘‘Several local trains to Kurukshetra, Bhuj and Bareilly were affected ,’’ said A S Negi, spokesperson, Northern Railway.

The blockade by BJP supporters at the Anand Vihar ISBT severely affected passenger movement to the Anand Vihar station for several hours. ‘‘The police were there but they stood as mere spectators at the Anand Vihar crossing. I was forced to abandon my auto and walk down to the station,’’ said Satish Dubey, a passenger.

Meanwhile, railway authorities said that they had tried their best to provide food and water to stranded passengers. ‘‘Several of these trains do not have a pantry car. Hence, it becomes difficult for passengers to get food if the train gets stranded at some wayside station. We have formed special teams to ensure that the passengers are not unduly harassed,’’ said a senior Northern Railway official.