RAIL BLOCKADE WITHDRAWN AFTER ASSURANCE

JAMSHEDPUR: Nagarik Ekta Manch (NEM) withdrew their indefinite rail blockade agitation at Goilkera station under Chakradharpur division of South Eastern Railway (SER) zone in West Singhbhum district Wednesday evening on assurance of their charter of demand being sent again to the Railway Board, officials said.

The indefinite blockade, which started Wednesday morning, however, resulted in four passenger and express trains being diverted and delayed, while 19 goods trains were halted. NEM has been demanding the stoppage of major passenger and express trains at Goilkera.

“NEM has withdrawn their agitation Wednesday evening after we took their representation for being sent to the Railway board. We had earlier sent their charter of demands to the board on January 1 also. They are demanding the stoppage of South Bihar Express and Utkal Express at Goilkera. Operation of 10 goods train and four passenger and express trains were hampered due to the agitation,” Manish Kumar Pathak, Chakradarpur senior divisional commercial manager, said.

Pathak further said Saranda Passenger train was presently having stoppage at Goilkera while Tata-Ernakulam Express and Ispat Express would also have stoppage at Goilkera station shortly after they get revised time tables for both the trains.

“This apart, two more passenger trains will also stop at Goilkera in near future,” added Pathak.

DRM BK Sahu had on Tuesday requested the protestors not to resort to the rail blockade.

Meanwhile, people expressed happiness after three MEMU trains Chakradharpur-Rourkela, Chakradharpur-TataKharagpur and Chakradharpur Gomoh restarting their operation from Tuesday, 10 months and six days after their operation was suspended due to Covid-19 lockdown. Operation of Tata-Barbir passenger too was restarted a couple of days ago. However, the three trains restarting from Chakradharpur on Tuesday had only 70 passengers on board to start with.