Ram Rahim sentencing hits train and bus services, commuters hassled

As many as 500 trains were suspended on Sunday due to security concerns

With train and bus services across Haryana and Punjab either cancelled or disrupted in the wake of the Dera chief’s conviction, several city residents shuttling between these states are at a loss to figure out alternative commuting options.

Security check at a railway station in Gurgaon ahead of the sentencing of the Dera chief. (Sanjeev Verma/HT PHOTO)

Due to safety concerns, nearly 500 trains were suspended by the railways on Sunday and state bus services of Haryana and Punjab, too, were truncated and available on selected routes.

Deputy commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh, however, assured residents on Sunday that bus, train and Metro services in the city as usual on Sunday.

Passengers travelling on these routes faced constant hassle, uncertainty and anxiety until they reached their destinations.

“With bus plied by Haryana Roadways limited and those of Punjab Roadways off the road, I reached Kashmiri Gate, ISBT, in the hope of catching a ride. Ticket counters of the two transport undertakings were closed and the chances of getting a ride looked slim. After hours of waiting, a Volvo (luxury) bus of Haryana Roadways came to the terminal and agreed to ferry passengers to their destination,” Pratyush Jha, a resident of Panchkula, said.

Trains between New Delhi and Chandigarh were also affected. Only Shatabadi trains were available for passengers and they ran to full capacity.

“I was fortunate to get a reservation through tatkal booking, as there were no other alternatives. The air fares are inflated and travelling by road is unsafe due to the protests,” Supreet Kaur, a resident of Chandigarh, said.

While some were lucky to catch a ride, others couldn’t reach their destinations.

“Apart from travelling by road, there is no other way to reach Ludhiana. All trains are cancelled and there are no flights either. In this situation, it isn’t advisable to travel by road. I am simply biding my time and waiting for a semblance of normality to be restored,” Surender Chopra, a resident of Sector 54, said. Surender runs a factory near Ludhiana.

Rajasthan Roadways and Uttrakhand Roadways have also suspended a large number of buses plying towards Haryana and Punjab in the wake of the violence that followed the Dera chief’s conviction.