Train cancellations disrupt voting plans of many heading to Assam’s Barak Valley; Congress to approach EC

However, on Monday night, the North East Frontier Railways announced that six trains travelling on the route to Silchar and Badarpur in Karimganj have been cancelled because of the derailment of the engine of a goods train in the hilly area of Jatinga Lampur and New Harangjao.

North East Frontier Railway PRO Sabyasachi De said due to rain and shortage of labour amid elections, repair work on the tracks were getting delayed. “It Is expected that trains can run normally from the evening,” he said.

The railway disruptions meant that while some scrambled to travel by road to get to their polling stations on time, others were not able to reach.

Sadiqul Ahmed (22), a student in Guwahati, was travelling to Karimganj to vote for the first time, but ended up returning because of the disruption.

“At the Guwahati station, we were told that our train will terminate in Lumding (200 km from Badarpur station in Karimganj). Still, many of us decided to go and see our options. I reached Lumding at around 3 am, and the asking rate for vehicles to travel by road had increased to Rs 1,800… Since I was stranded, I returned without casting my vote,” he said, adding that Guwahati and Lumding stations were crowded with people waiting to go to Silchar and Badarpur.

Another voter, a teacher in Hojai in Assam, said his train to Badarpur was scheduled to leave Hojai at 10.25 pm Thursday. “When I reached, there were over a thousand people everywhere and I found out that all trains from Lumding to Badarpur had been cancelled. Most of these people are labourers and travel to vote on the very last day to avoid missing wage days,” he said.

Congress’s Karimganj candidate Hafiz Rashid Ahmed Choudhury said he would take the matter up with the Election Commission. “There are thousands of people who come from Dimapur in Nagaland as well… I suspect there is some hidden hand in this, I will be taking up this matter with the election commission.”

North East Frontier Railway PRO Sabyasachi De said 300 people continue to remain stranded in Lumding railway station as of Friday noon. “Because of elections, buses are not easily available nearby for them. That is why we have sent buses from Guwahati, which will reach Lumding shortly to take them forward to their destinations,” he said.