Assam: Hundreds of voters stranded after six trains cancelled

Hundreds of passengers, including a large number of people who were travelling to cast their votes in the Lok Sabha election, were left stranded in Assam on Friday after six trains were cancelled.

The Northeast Frontier Railway said that the trains were cancelled because the engine of a goods train derailed between the Jatinga Lampur and New Harangajao stations in the state’s Lumding division.

Seven trains were terminated before their scheduled destinations, while three trains were rescheduled.

A railway official said that buses have been arranged for people to go to Karimganj. However, many people had already arranged for alternative transport to go back to their hometowns.

Voting is underway for five seats in Assam – Diphu, Nagaon, Silchar, Karimganj and Darrang-Udalguri. A large number of people, however, were unable to go to Karimganj to vote. Most of them were Muslim migrant workers.

One of those who were left stranded was 25-year-old Ahmed Touhid, who was slated to take a train from Hojai to Badarpur in the Karimganj district at 10.25 pm on Thursday.

“I was about to board a Silchar bound train coming from Guwahati at Hojai station but suddenly there were lot of stranded passengers,” Touhid told Scroll. “It reminded me of the chaotic rush during the Covid-19 lockdown. All the trains from Lumding to Badarpur were cancelled citing a derailment issue.”

Another such person was Saleh Ahmed, who was unable to travel from Guwahati to Karimganj to vote. “I find myself stranded in Guwahati, deeply disappointed that I’m unable to participate in the Lok Sabha election,” he said. “This situation underscores the neglect of the Lumding to Badarpur Railway route in terms of development. The urgent necessity for a double line on this route cannot be overstated.”

Ahmed said that a large number of people were stranded due to the disruption in train services and were thus prevented from exercising their right to vote.

Sabyasachi De, Chief Public Relations Officer of the Northeastern Frontier Railway, confirmed that trains had been cancelled, but didn’t reveal the number of passengers who had bookings on the trains.