Jat stir hits commuters in Amritsar hard

Rail services continued to hit commuters hard on the third consecutive day due to Jat agitation in Haryana.

Rail services continued to hit commuters hard on the third consecutive day due to Jat agitation in Haryana.

More than 16 trains, including Shatabadi Express, Sachkhand Express, Super fast mail, Dakshin, Amarpali, Dadar, Flying mail, Shan-e-Punjab, Delhi-Pathankot, Tata Muri Express, Heerakund Express and Inter-city Express, which run to and fro from here through Haryana were cancelled for the third consecutive day. As majority of the trains and passengers go to that direction, passengers are suffering a lot.

Some passengers, who wanted to go to Delhi opted to stay at Golden Temple, hotels and residences of their relatives till the normalcy return. They did not even choose to ride on a bus as deep tension gripped the neighbouring state and its roads, including Amritsar-Delhi national highway have also been blocked by the agitators. So, they do not want to take risk.

“I was to attend a wedding function of my close relative at New Delhi on Sunday, but due to the ongoing stir I failed to reach there on time. Also, the airlines have shoot up their air fares so much that I cannot even think to buy. Uncertainty still prevails as to when the rail services would become normal,” said Naresh Kumar, who sits at station worrying over the situation.

A railway official said the agitating community has also led to a large-scale damage of railway assets, installations, vendors and business. The railway station wore a deserted look with very few trains coming and going.