Kalka: The New Delhi-Chandigarh-Kalka Shatabdi Express- which is returning to the track after about 6 and a half months after the lockdown- has been canceled on the first day of the operation due to farmer agitation on the track. Farmers protested on railway track on Wednesday in Laldru, Punjab on Chandigarh-New Delhi rail track after failure of dialogue between farmers and government in Delhi.
Recently, the Central government held a meeting with a protesting farmers group but the Union minister for agriculture failed to attend it. This has wiped-out all possibilities of further talks and hence farmer groups have hit the railway tracks to continue their protest against the three farmer bills passed in parliament.
Ambala Division Senior DCM Harimohan said that the train running between Kalka to Delhi on behalf of the Railway Board has been canceled today. The decision was taken by Northern Railway on Wednesday as the agitation continued on the rail tracks after negotiations between the farmers and the government failed. The official informed that the booking refund amount will be directly transferred to the passenger account. However, if passengers want, they can also take ticket refunds from the counter directly.
The Janshatabdi Express running between Una-Chandigarh-Delhi will run from Ambala and will also come back to Ambala. Due to the agitation, Jan Shatabdi Express is running between Ambala-New Delhi from 9 October. Apart from this, the route of Amritsar-Chandigarh-Bandra Express has also been changed. On Thursday, this train will run between Ambala to Bandra instead of Amritsar.
Earlier on October 7, railway officials of the Ambala division announced that the train would operate from Ambala. Ambala Division spokesman Simran Walia said that this change in the route of trains has been taken in view of the farmers’ movement. The trains will be scheduled on a regular time and routes after the conditions are favourable, till then trains going to and from Punjab will be operated from Ambala railway station.