SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, June 21: The plight of delayed travellers in the Dhanbad rail division worsened today as East Central Railway cancelled most express and passenger trains for the fourth day in a row in response to the agitation against the Agnipath Recruitment Scheme.
Rail services were supposed to resume today (Tuesday), but ECR stated late on Monday that all 34 trains will be suspended until June 21, with the exception of the Dhanbad-Patna Ganga Damodar Express, which runs at night (11.20 pm) on both sides.
Passengers with reservations on long-route trains from various stations are trapped at Dhanbad railway station owing to train cancellations. They have camped at Dhanbad railway station in the hopes that the rail division will run an alternative train for them because they had reservations on the cancelled trains.
Dhanbad rail division senior PRO PK Mishra said as per notification, 13553 Asansol-Varanasi MEMU has been cancelled till June 25 and 13554 Varanasi-Asansol has been cancelled until June 26. The Darbhanga-Sikandrabad Express, which passes through Dhanbad, has been cancelled as well.
The passengers who have a booking in long route trains of different stations stand stranded at Dhanbad railway station due to the cancellation of trains. Since they had a reservation of cancelled trains, they are camping at Dhanbad railway station in hope of the rail division may run alternative trains for them.
Dhanbad rail division senior PRO PK Mishra said as per notification, 13553 Asansol- Baransi MEMU till June 25 and13554 Varanasi- Asansol has been cancelled till June 26. Darbhanga- Sikandrabad Express which runs through Dhanbad has also been cancelled.
The Tata-Amritsar Jalianbag Express, which travels through Dhanbad’s Bokaro and Gomoh railway stations, has been cancelled from June 22 to July 20.
The trains of the Dhanbad rail division that have been cancelled today (Tuesday) are:
- 13305 Dhanbad- Dehri on Sone
- 13306 Dehri-On –Sone –Dhanbad passenger
- 13331 Dhanbad- Patna intercity
- 13332 Patna –Dhanbad Intercity
- 13545 Asansol –Gaya MEMU
- 13546 Gaya Asansol MEMU
- 18625 Purnia Court – Hatia Express
- 18626 Hatia- Purnia Court Express
- 18621 Patna- Hatia Patliputra Express
- 18623 Islampur- Hatia Express
- 13553 Asansol Varanasi Express
- 13553 Varanasi- Asansol MEMU
- 18638 Sasaram- Ranchi Express
Besides that, a rail divisional officer stated that both up and down trains between Barkakana and Varanasi will be cancelled from June 21 to June 25.
