DRM Orders For Halting Trains After Protestors Lock Ticket Counter & Signal Room At Bamra Station In Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Following renewed protests from locals, the divisional railway manager (DRM) of Chakradharpur division on Thursday issued a directive for halting all scheduled stopping trains at Bamra railway station in Odisha’s Sambalpur district.

“Please ensure to stop all scheduled stopping trains at Bamra station. Please announce accordingly,” Chakradharpur DRM Arun Jatoh Rathod said in a letter to Bamra railway station manager.

Tension erupted at the station earlier this morning following a directive from the DRM to withdraw stoppages of all trains at the local station the previous night. Agitators locked the ticket counter and signal room over reneged promise to halt mail/express trains. Azad Hind Express remained stranded due to the protest.

On Wednesday, three trains were cancelled and a few others diverted on the Mumbai-Howrah line due to the ‘rail roko’ agitation spearheaded by Bamra Rail Kriyanusthan Committee, which continued for around 11 hours from 6 am to 5 am. They had withdrawn the agitation after ADRM, Chakradharpur Division along with Sambalpur ADM, Ajambar Mohanty and other district-level officials promised permanent halt for four trains in two months and also gave a written assurance for the remaining train in 10 days, the secretary of the committee told the media.

Locals have been demanding halt of some trains at the railway station for a long time. In a memorandum submitted to the authorities concerned on February 3, they demanded stoppages of 12 trains at the local station. Some of these were withdrawn during the COVID pandemic. A similar protest was staged on March 30, 2022, over the issue.

Stoppages approved from Feb 17 by South Eastern Railway (SER) 
13288/13287 Rajendranagar-Durg-Rajendranagar Express
22839/22840 Rourkela-Bhubaneswar-Rourkela Express
12833/12834 Ahmedabad-Howrah-Ahmedabad Express
18477/18478 Puri – Yog Nagari Rishikesh – Puri Express

Demand

Howrah-Titlagarh superfast express
Dhanbad -Alleppey Express
Tata-Ernakulam Express
Sambalpur-Jammu
Tawi Muri Express
Howrah-Kurla Express
Tata-Bilaspur Express
Puri-Rishikesh Express
Rourkela-Bhubaneswar intercity Express
Rajendra Nagar-Durg Express
Howrah-Ahmedabad
Superfast Express
Rourkela-Jagdalpur Express
Sambalpur-Varanasi Express