Jamshedpur, Feb. 22: Tata-Jammu Tawi (train no 18101), Rourkela Muri Jammu Tawi express (18109) and Utkal express (18477) remained cancelled on Monday due to the Jat reservation protest in Haryana.
Passengers travelling to Punjab and Haryana have been affected severely, t as they are dependent on these direct trains.
On Sunday more than 500 passengers canceled their tickets and were provided with full refund. Tatanagar-Jammu Tawi leaves Tatanagar on at 2.15 p.m. all week days and passes through prominent stations Sonipat, Panipat, Karnal, Kurukshetra (Haryana) to reach Jammu-Tawi in Punjab.
Similarly, Rourkela-Jammu Twai departs at 12.24 p.m. every day and reaches Jammu Tawi after crossing the aforesaid stations.
“The Jat protest in Haryana which reached Delhi on Sunday has affected the train operations to Haryana and Punjab. On Saturday and Sunday these trains were cancelled as racks didn’t arrive and the trains remained cancelled on Monday also,” said Tatanagar railway station superintendent, O P Sharma.
On the other hand, Puri-Hazrat Nizzamudin Utkal Express didn’t arrive at Tatanagar on Monday, as the train didn’t depart from Puri.
“I have to travel to Kurukshetra to join my job on February 24, but the cancellation of Jammu Tawi train has increased my problems.
Now I will have to take a train to New Delhi, which is virtually impossible at this hour, as getting tickets is next to impossible.
Alternatively, I will take a flight from Ranchi to the national capital,” said Vikas Sharma, a resident of Kadma, who had his tickets cancelled.