Respite for passengers: No more train cancellations planned over CJP protest, says Railways

After a day of disruption that left thousands of passengers reworking urgent travel plans, normalcy is now returning at New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin railway stations amid heightened security in the capital over the CJP protest, India Today reported, citing railway sources.

The sources said on Saturday that there are currently no plans to cancel any more trains. They added that railway officials are in constant contact with law enforcement agencies to monitor the situation. The development comes a day after the Railway Board cancelled over 250 trains linked to the two stations ahead of the Cockroach Janta Party's October 10 protest demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Which trains were cancelled

The cancellations covered passenger trains scheduled to depart from their originating stations after 2 pm on October 9, as well as those due to arrive at New Delhi or Hazrat Nizamuddin between 4 am and 2 pm on October 10. Trains scheduled to depart from the two stations for their onward destinations, along with local trains, were also cancelled, taking the total number of cancellations to over 250.

Experts and unions criticise the move

The move drew criticism from railway experts, passenger bodies and recognised federations, which described it as "unprecedented", "unfortunate" and "anti-passenger". "The decision to cancel so many trains amounts to surrendering to the protesters. It is very unfortunate," said Subodh Jain, former Member (Engineering) of the Railway Board. He said one or two trains had been cancelled due to agitations in the past, but never so many at once.

Shiv Gopal Mishra, general secretary of the All India Railwaymen's Federation, told PTI: "So far as I remember, it has never happened in the history of Indian Railways that so many trains were cancelled just because of a protest or agitation in any part of the country. I condemn this unfortunate and anti-passenger move."

He said the abrupt cancellations had caused huge inconvenience to thousands of passengers, including those travelling for urgent medical reasons, work or family gatherings. Mishra also said that only during the COVID-19 pandemic were train operations stopped because of the lockdown, and that such large-scale cancellations because of a protest had not happened otherwise.

Passenger groups flag hardship

Passenger associations from different parts of the country also raised concerns. Basant Kumar Shukla, secretary of the Nagpur-based passenger group Bhartiya Yatri Kendra, said many passengers book tickets 60 days in advance and then face sudden cancellations without any valid explanation. He said if the government wanted to stop protesters from coming to Delhi, it could have adopted other measures rather than troubling passengers. He also demanded special arrangements for affected passengers or priority in bookings on alternative dates.

M Jameel Ahamed, chairman of the Coimbatore District Railway Passengers' Welfare Association, said the number of affected passengers was so large that the impact could continue to affect reservation availability for several days. "I would call it a knee-jerk reaction, taken without considering its adverse impact on passengers' interests. Such a move is unexpected from a national transporter," Ahamed said.

(With inputs from PTI)