NEW DELHI: The railways restored train operations in Punjab on Monday by running about half a dozen freight trains and resuming operation of another six passenger trains. Officials said there will be normalisation of rail transport in the state by Tuesday or at best by Wednesday.
The movement of freight trains started around 2 pm after the conduct of necessary checks and passenger trains resumed operations in the evening. Services had ground to a halt for two months due to protests by farmers against the recently enacted farm laws by the Centre.
The Indian Railways on Sunday had decided to restore train services in Punjab, starting with the trial run of freight trains to observe safety and security on the tracks.
According to railway ministry sources, at least 4,000 freight trains could not be operated due to this long protest and the total revenue loss was nearly Rs 2,200 crore. “Revenue loss is one part, but the biggest worry was the economy getting hit due to no movement of essential items and finished products from the state. We hope the smooth train operation will continue for the good of all including farmers, traders and people of Punjab,” said an official.