Violent protests at Sodepur station disrupt train services

Train services were disrupted on the Sealdah main section for about three hours Saturday with commuters staging protests at Sodepur station against alleged irregularity in train services.

The protest began since 10 am as the agitators put up a blockade over railway track.

Sodepur station turned into a virtual battlefield with the commuters ransacking railway properties following a wrong announcement.

The commuters were having a tough time during the day as 158 local trains were cancelled in the past four days for installation of automated signalling system between Ichapur and Barrackpore.

While the commuters were putting up a blockade over railway track at Sodepur station, there was an announcement made by the railway that the Sealdah- Ranaghat galloping local would stop at Sodepur station.

However, the announcement turned out to be wrong as the train passed the station without stopping.

This angered commuters who then started pelting stones and ransacked the office of the station master.

Some railway workers were also injured in the incident.

A Railway police official said the protestors ransacked the station master's cabin and also indulged in stone-pelting incidents.

The blockade was, however, lifted and train services resumed after about three hours, Superintendent of Railway Police, Ashesh Biswas said.

"This protest was completely unexpected. We had declared scheduled modernisation of interlocking system from September 7 till September 10. We had publicised it through various channels including advertisements," Eastern Railway spokesperson Ravi Mahapatra said.

"If passengers do not cooperate, how can modernisation and safety work be completed?" he asked.