CHENNAI: Abrupt cancellation of Howrah-bound trains in the wake of protests in parts of West Bengal against the Citizenship Amendment Act, has left Chennai’s Central station flooded with hundreds of labourers from West Bengal and parts of the North-East.
The workers, including women and children, who usually travel in unreserved compartments of the Chennai - Howrah Coromandel Express and Chennai - Howrah Mail have been languishing on the platforms of the Central station as the two trains were cancelled on Saturday and Sunday.
Shockingly, some workers from Assam said they were trying to leave the city as they feared they might be attacked over the new legislation.
The workers had been asked stay on the platforms near the ticket counters but had neither been given food nor blankets by railways.
The Chennai - Howrah section is one of the most high-demand railway routes. The two daily trains run with 100 per cent occupancy throughout the year.
While the Puducherry - Howrah Weekly Express, Yeswanthpur - Howrah Express and Mangalore Central - Santragachi Vivek Express are cancelled, short termination of Kanniyakumari - Howrah Express at Chennai Egmore has left passengers stranded at Katpadi, Salem and Tirupur. Surprisingly, the Chennai - Santragachi special fare special train, which left Central station on Saturday, was operated up to Nayudupetta (110 Km) and returned to Central within a few hours.
Abdul Sohil, a labourer from Assam, said he was leaving with his family out of fear of being attacked in Chennai. “A few years ago, my brother and his friends were attacked in Bihar. So I am leaving with my wife and children.”
Ashish Mukherjee of West Bengal, who was also stranded at Central station, said he had stayed at a hotel in Vepery for the past two days just to board the Howrah Express on Saturday.
“Now, I have to go back and search for accommodation and food,” he said.
The situation was different for passengers in Puducherry, Katpadi and Yeswanthpur on Saturday.
Cancellation of Puducherry - Howrah weekly express and Yeswanthpur - Howrah expresses were informed to rail passengers just 30 minutes before departure of the trains. There were about 2000 passengers on board the trains.
K Baskar of Tiruvallur rail passengers association, who is also a member of Divisional Rail Users’ Consultative Committee (DRUCC), Chennai, questioned the railways' preparedness to handle emergency situations.
“It’s irrational to cancel trains just 20 minutes before departure. The Yesvanthpur - Howrah Express reaches Katpadi around 12.10 am. If the decision of cancellation of trains is taken just a few hours before the departure, how can passengers make alternative plans or return to their homes at odd hours,” he asked.
Baskar added that Howrah-bound trains could have easily been operated up to Bhubaneswar and from there alternative arrangements could have been made.
A senior railway official, however, said the decision was taken on safety ground.
“All major stations, including New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bhubaneswar are saturated and no additional trains can be added,” the official said.
Flight services to West Bengal have not been affected and ticket prices have not witnessed any significant increase, industry sources noted.
“Except corporate passengers and medical tourists, rail passengers will not prefer flight travel in the event of cancellation of train services,” said a travel agent.
All trains originating from Guwahati, New Alipurduar and New Jalpaiguri stations and going towards the Eastern Railway zone were cancelled on Sunday.
Northeast Frontier Railway spokesperson Subhanan Chanda said the trains originating from these three stations and going towards Kolkata side stand cancelled till further orders because of the protests in West Bengal.
West Bengal plunged deeper into chaos on Sunday over the new citizenship law with incidents of arson and loot reported from several parts of the country.
(With PTI Inputs)