Jat stir keeps rail services disrupted

Railways today cancelled more than 80 trains and announced further cancellation of 57 services tomorrow as the Jat agitation for reservation in central jobs continued to disrupt train services in several North Indian states.

The services of 41 trains were also short-terminated as the agitators squatted on railway tracks at different places in the region demanding quota in central government jobs.

The trains cancelled for the day included Kalka-New Delhi-Kalka Shatabdi Express, New Delhi-Ajmer-New Delhi Shatabdi Express, Ahmedabad-New Delhi-Ahmedabed Rajdhani Express, Ahmedabad-Delhi Ashram Express, Jaipur-Chandigarh Garib Rath Express among others.

According to a northern railway spokesperson, cancellation of five pairs of trains has been extended till March 27 to facilitate additional coal rake movement to power plants in Haryana facing depleting coal stock.

The Jat agitation which has blocked Shakurbasti-Bathinda line of Northern Railway has led to diversion of traffic to Delhi-Ambala section, choking the line and causing decreased supply of power house rakes besides hampering foodgrain movement.

The agitation on Delhi-Bathinda section of northern railway and on Bikaner and Jaipur Division of north-western railway has swelled railways losses to over Rs100 crore, railway officials said.