Bhopal: Protesters squat on railway tracks, demands train stoppage at Chandia in Umaria district

Bhopal(Madhya Pradesh): Railway traffic remained disrupted throughout the day as  hundreds of protesters squatted on railway tracks at Chandia railway station of Umaria district, on Tuesday, demanding restoration of train services which were cancelled during the Corona pandemic. The residents of Chandia have been staging protests for over a fortnight under the banner of Regional Sangharsh Samiti demanding stoppage of trains at the local railway station. The protesters on Tuesday blocked railway tracks disrupting the movement of trains on the route. In wake of the protest, the railway authorities had stopped the trains passing via the railway station. While some trains were stopped at Ropar railway station, others were halted at Lodha. There was only one passenger train, while the others were goods trains.

The protesters agitating on the railway tracks had only one demand that all the trains which used halt pre-covid time should be given stoppage at Chandia railway station again.

Government Railway Police (GRP)’s Police station in-charge Phulkumari said, “Agitators are still protesting at railway tracks. Police forces have been deployed to avert any untoward incident. The protesters are demanding restoration of train services which were cancelled in the Corona period like Sarnath, Utkal, Bhopal-Bilaspur. Due to the protest, no train passed through this route so far.”

The protesters said that they have been demanding stoppage of trains at Chandia railway station as was before the Corona time. After the lifting of all Corona-induced restrictions, the rail services were resumed all across the country and so all the trains which used to halt at Chandia railway station pre-corona time should have resumed but it did not happen, said demonstrators.

Even the stoppage of Narmada Express was not given at Chandia, said one of the protesters adding that earlier in view of the protests the railways had restored stoppage of Narmada Express but it continued for merely two-three days only and now no strain is given halt at the railway station.