Gujjar agitation: 20 trains cancelled in north zone, more than 250 affected countrywide

At least 20 trains of the Northern Railways were cancelled and seven others diverted on Sunday due to the ongoing Gujjar agitation in Rajasthan's Sawai Madhopur district, officials said.

According to the Northern Railways, trains like 12953 Mumbai Central-Hazrat Nizamuddin August Kranti Rajdhani Express, 19022 Lucknow Jn.-Bandra Terminus Express, 12059/12060 Kota-Hazrat Nizamuddin-Kota Jan Shatabdi Express and 12909 Bandra Terminus-Hazrat Nizamuddin Garib Rath Express were among those which were cancelled.

At least 13 trains were running late in the zone. The 22405 Bhagalpur-Anand Vihar Garib Rath Express, Mumbai-New Delhi Rajdhani Express, Howrah-New Delhi Poorva Express were delayed by around three hours while the Raxaul-Anandvihar Sadbhavna Express was running late by seven hours, it said.

The Northern Railways said 19024 Firozepur-Mumbai Central Janata Express, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra, 12472 Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-Bandra Terminus Swaraj Express, 12450 Chandigarh-Madgaon Goa Sampark Kranti Express and 12904 Amritsar-Mumbai Central Golden Temple Mail had been diverted.

Members of the Gujjar community have been staging a sit-in on railway tracks in Malarna Dungar of Sawai Madhopur district since Friday evening to press their demand for 5 percent quota for five communities, including Gujjars, in jobs and educational institutes.

From February 10-13, a total of 73 trains of the Northern Railways have been either cancelled, terminated or diverted, the officials said.

Over the last two days, more than 250 trains, including those of North Western Railway (NWR) and West Central Railway (WCR) zones, have been affected, they said.