Trains halted for 5 hours

TT;Siliguri, Aug. 23: Eight to 10 trains were stranded in north Bengal and lower Assam for five hours today because of a rail blockade by the Bodo Peoples’ Front at Kokrajhar in the neighbouring state to protest the arrest of a party MLA. 

 Rajdhani Express and Northeast Express were among the affected trains which were all bound for the Northeast. Kokrajhar West MLA Pradeep Brahma was arrested last night in connection with the recent ethnic violence in lower Assam.

 Northeast Frontier Railway officials said train movement had been regular in Assam till 8am today. “When the news of the arrest spread, BPF supporters raised blockades on the tracks and NH31, demanding the immediate release of the MLA,” said an official. Apprehending trouble following the arrest of Brahma, the administration had imposed indefinite curfew in Kokrajhar since this morning.

 But BPF supporters defied the curfew and blocked the tracks at different spots in the district. “The rail traffic was disrupted for five hours because of the protest. 

The law enforcers managed to clear the tracks around 1pm and soon, the trains resumed journey,” S. Hajong, the chief public relation officer of the NFR, said over the phone from Maligaon. Rajdhani Express and Northeast Express were halted at New Jalpaiguri Station. 

The railway officials couldn’t say where the other trains had been halted. “The Rajdhani Express bound for Guwahati was detained for over three hours, while the Northeast Express was halted for 30 minutes or so. The Rajdhani Express left for its destination at 1.50pm,” said U.K. Nag, the NJP station manager. 

 The delay caused inconveniences for hundreds of passengers. “We have an appointment with a doctor at an eye hospital in Guwahati for this evening. The train was running on time but was detained at NJP.

 We are keeping our fingers crossed and don’t know if we can make it to Guwahati by evening,” said Rajesh Sharma from Katihar, who was travelling by the Rajdhani Express. Rain delays flight A SpiceJet flight from Calcutta couldn’t land at Bagdogra airport because of low visibility induced by heavy rain on Thursday afternoon. The flight returned to Calcutta and finally landed at Bagdogra 2.5 hours behind the schedule. 

 “The flight from Calcutta was scheduled to arrive at Bagdogra at 2.55pm. The Air Traffic Control did not permit the landing as the visibility was poor because of heavy rain. So, the flight returned to Calcutta. 

Later, when the weather improved, the flight took off from Dumdum again and landed here at 5.25pm. For its return journey to Calcutta, the plane took off at 5.58pm,” said an official of the Airport Authority of India. 

 Around 100 passengers were stuck at the airport for two-and-a-half hours because of the delay in the return flight. Among them was north Bengal development minister Gautam Deb. But he took the Air India flight that left for Calcutta at 3.30pm.

 “On the other hand, CPM leaders Biman Bose and Gautam Deb were on the Bagdogra-bound SpiceJet flight. They had to travel twice between Calcutta and Bagdogra,” said a source.