Trains restart after 17 days, North-Western Railway incurs Rs 12-cr losses

The trains on this section were suspended in the wake of violence in the aftermath of Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s conviction in two rape cases.

Trains were finally back on the track at the Sirsa railway station on Monday, after a gap of 17 days. The trains on this section were suspended in the wake of violence in the aftermath of Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s conviction in two rape cases.

The Sirsa railway station witnessed the arrival of trains after more than a fortnight on Monday. (HT Photo)

North-Western Railway suffered a loss of about Rs 12 crore during this period, senior divisional commercial manager CR Kumawat said on Monday. Kumawat said more than 20 goods and passenger trains were cancelled during this period.

“The good news is that all the trains are back on the track, deputy director (information) Satish Mehra said.

As many as 3.53 lakh passengers faced great inconvenience due to cancellation of trains on the Bathinda-Sirsa-Hisar route. People could be seen thronging the Sirsa station for the first time after over a fortnight.

For the regular commuters between Sirsa and Hisar, the railway travel is the cheapest way to get to one’s destination. Meanwhile, the additional forces which were on a standby during this period too have returned to their base in Sirsa for the first time.