Buses rescue passengers stuck in 'rail roko' protest

SAMBALPUR: Hundreds of Rengali residents block staged a ‘rail roko’ demanding stoppage of the Dhanbad-Alleppy Express at the railway station there, on Friday. 

​Rallying under the banner of Rengali Nagarik Kriyanusthan Committee, they called for the rail roko from 7.00 am to 1.00 pm while declaring a bandh in the town. 

As a result, Rourkela-Bhubaneswar intercity express was detained. Some passengers had to be sent off in buses to Bhubaneswar, while many were refunded the ticket fee by railway officials.

Prior to Covid-19 situation, the Dhanbad-Alleppy express had a stoppage at Rengali railway station. 

However, after railway services resumed post lockdown, the Railways declared the train as Covid special train and withdrew stoppage from 12 railway stations on the route, including the Rengali Railway station coming under the Sambalpur Railway Division.

Convener of the committee Antaryami Pani said a large number of people in Rengali and Lakhanpur block in Jharsuguda depend on the Dhanbad-Allepy Express train to travel to South India. 

However, withdrawal of stoppage from Rengali station has posed inconvenience to passengers since last few months.