Rail block at Khanabari for Titas Express stoppage
Passengers suffer for over five hours
Passengers suffer as trains lie stranded at Narsingdi Railway Station while passengers yesterday as people block railway at Khanabari station demanding stoppage of Titas Commuter train there.Photo: STAR
Train services on Dhaka-Sylhet and Dhaka-Chittagong routes remained suspended for over five hours from 7:00am yesterday as locals put up barricades on railway track at Khanabari Station in Narsingdi demanding a stoppage of Titas Express at the station. The agitators, however, withdrew the barricades after railway authorities assured them of fulfilling their demand. During the five-hour blockade, at least 11 trains, including five intercity express trains, got stranded at Khanabari, Amirganj, Jhinardi, Methikanda, Narsingdi and Bhairab rail stations, causing untold sufferings to several thousand passengers. Belayet Hossain, director general of Bangladesh Railway, told The Daily Star that the demonstrators withdrew the blockade after the railway authorities assured them of meeting their demand. He said the commuter train, Titas, will have a stoppage at Khanabari Station from Thursday. The BR DG said the blockade resulted in sufferings to the passengers as well as the BR authorities who had to reschedule the train timings. BR officials said trains of different routes remained stranded on tracks at different places for five hours from 7:00am due to the blockade, causing immense sufferings to around 5,000 passengers, mostly women, children and elderly people. According to a correspondent from Narsingdi, Several hundred demonstrators put up barricades at Khanabari Rail Station by felling trees on rail tracks to press their demand for a stoppage of Titas Express at the station. Sylhet-bound Parabat Express, Noakhali-bound Upakul Expres, Chittagong-bound Mahanagar Provati Express, Kishoreganj-bound Egarosindur were among the trains stranded by the blockade. On information, Deputy Commissioner Amrita Borai and Police Superintendent M Akkas Uddin Bhuiyan rushed to Khanabari rail station apparently in a bid to bring the situation under control.
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