17 long-route trains cancelled

Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, February 13

Bad weather coupled with ongoing Gujjar agitation in Rajasthan has worsened the already crippled rail traffic in the region with the Railways having to cancel as many as 17 long-route trains while many more were diverted or running late.

Trains bound for or originating from Mumbai were the worst affected as most of these passed through strife-torn parts of Rajasthan.

Due to mass cancellation of nearly a dozen and half long route trains, the scene at the railway station here was chaotic, to say the least.

Desperate passengers were jostling and pushing others to get aboard alternate trains, which too were packed to capacity.

That the Railways had failed to come to terms with the weather-hit traffic, made worse by the agitation in Rajasthan, was evident from the rare incidents in which women and children were seen being pushed inside a railway coach through the (unbarred) emergency exit.

Railway officials said 12472 Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-Bandra Terminus Swaraj Express, 12475 Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-Hapa Sarvodaya Express, 12903/04 Mumbai Central-Amritsar-Mumbai Central Golden Temple Mail, 12241/42 Chandigarh-Amritsar-Chandigarh Intercity Express, 13006 Amritsar-Howrah Mail, 13151 Kolkata-Jammu Tawi Sealdah Express, 14673 Jaynagar-Amritsar Shaheed Express, 15209/10 Saharsa-Amritsar-Saharsa Jansewa Express, 15211/12 Katihar-Amritsar-Katihar Amrapali Express, 18215 Durg-Jammu Tawi Express, 19805 Kota-Udhampur Express and 22942 Jammu Tawi-Indore Superfast Express trains remained cancelled on Wednesday.

Further, 12926 Amritsar-Bandra Terminus Pashchim Express (between New Delhi and Sawai Madhopur) and 12407 Newjalpiguri-Amritsar Karambhoomi Express (between Newjalpaiguri and Barsoi) were diverted via alternate routes. The 18101 Tatanagar-Jammu Tawi Muri Express was rescheduled for late departure by four hours.

Trains running late

Around six to eight hours: 12355 Rajendra Nagar (Patna)-Jammu Tawi Archana Express and 12925 Bandra Terminus-Amritsar Pashchim Express.

Around three to five hours: 18103 Tatanagar-Amritsar Jallianwala Bagh Express and 22317 Sealdah-Jammu Tawi Humsafar Express.

Around one to three hours: 15211 Darbhanga-Amritsar Jannayak Express, 13151 Kolkata-Jammu Tawi Sealdah Express, 12413 Ajmer-Jammu Pooja Express, 13049 Howrah-Amritsar Express, 15651 Guwahati-Jammu Tawi Lohit Express, 12237 Varanasi-Jammu Tawi Begumpura Express, 13307 Dhanbad-Firozepur Ganga Sutlej Express, 11057 CST (Mumbai)-Amritsar Dadar Express, 22431 Allahabad-Udhampur Superfast Express, 12549 Durg-Jammu Tawi Express, 12357 Kolkata-Amritsar Durgiana Express, 14649 Jaynagar-Amritsar Saryu Yamuna Express and 18507 Vishakhapatnam-Amritsar Hirakud Express.