Date:28/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/28/stories/2008052854690700.htm

New Delhi

Gujjar stir derails train services

Staff Reporter

Ten trains cancelled and several diverted

Bus services also adversely affected on Tuesday
Only bus services to Jaipur running on schedule

NEW DELHI: The ongoing agitation by the Gujjar community in Kota Division of Northern Railway affected train services in the Capital on Tuesday with ten trains being cancelled and several others diverted.

The cancelled trains included the Hazrat Nizamuddin-Mumbai Central-Hazrat Nizamuddin August Kranti Express, Dehra Dun-Bandra-Delhi-Neemuch Link Express, Hazrat Nizamuddin-Udaipur-Hazrat Nizamuddin Intercity Express and Hazrat Nizamuddin-Indore- Hazrat Nizamuddin Intercity Express.

In addition, Firozpur-Mumbai Central-Firozpur Janata Express, Hazrat Nizamuddin-Kota Jan Shatabdi Express, Hazrat Nizamuddin-Ahmedabad Gujrat Sampark Kranti and Bandra Terminus-Hazrat Nizamuddin Maharashtra Sampark Kranti, Muzaffarpur-Bandra Terminus Avadh Express and Ahmedabad-Asansol Parasanath Express were also cancelled.

Several other trains scheduled to pass through the affected section were diverted to run on alternative routes.

While the New Delhi-Mumbai-Rajdhani Express, Amritsar-Bandra Terminus-Paschim Express and Jammu Tawi-Hapa super-fast trains were diverted to run via Mathura-Agra- Bhopal-Nagda, the Jammu Tawi-Mumbai Central Swaraj Express and Jamnagar-Jammu Tawi Superfast Express were diverted to run via Mathura-Agra Bhopal-Nagda.

The Madgaon-Hazrat Nizamuddin Goa Sampark Kranti Express was diverted via Roha-Kalyan-Manmad-Etarsi-Bhopal-Agra and Hazrat Nizamuddin-Trivandrum Rajdhani Express was diverted via Mathura-Agra-Jhansi-Bhopal-Etarsi-Manmad-Kalyan-Roha station.

Several buses run by Rajasthan Roadways were also adversely affected on Tuesday. Rajasthan Roadways’ Traffic Manager (Delhi) Mohan Lal Verma said: “While bus services on the Jaipur and Ajmer routes are running as per schedule, about 60 buses plying on the Alwar route have stopped running since May 25. In addition, about 27 buses plying on the Sikar route via Neem Ka Thana have also stopped running since May 26.”

Rajasthan Roadways Chief Manager Harish Goswami said: “The Delhi Transport Corporation, Uttar Pradesh Roadways and Haryana Roadways buses leaving for Rajasthan from the Inter-State Bus Stand Terminus in Delhi have not been running since the agitation began.”