ROURKELA: After 29 hours of total disruption, train services on the Howrah-Mumbai route of South Eastern Railway (SER) resumed on Wednesday after the tribal agitators called off the rail roko around 4 pm.
Movement of about 55 Mail, Express and Passenger trains besides 25 goods trains were affected, said Kolkata-based SER chief spokesperson Sanjay Ghosh.
As the trains started operating on the route after the agitators vacated the railway tracks, the stranded passengers heaved a sigh of relief.
About 1500 agitators, led by Birmitrapur MLA George Tirkey, were squatting since 11 am on Tuesday at Kukuda level-crossing near Bondamunda here to demand scrapping of the notification on formation of Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC).
The Sundargarh Collector, Bhupendra Singh Poonia, accompanied by Rourkela ADM K Sudershan Chakravorty and Sundargarh ADM RN Mishra held talks with Tirkey following which the strike was called off. Poonia said it was assured in writing that the administration would facilitate discussion with the Housing and Urban Development Department and the agitating leaders over the RMC issue.
Tirkey said he was satisfied with the approach of the administration.