Passengers faced significant inconvenience as 12 trains in the Ferozepur division and nine under the Ambala division were canceled. Several other trains were either cut short in their journey or had altered starting points.
Altogether, 21 trains were canceled, with many others disrupted in the Ambala and Ferozepur rail divisions. This was due to farmers blocking rail tracks at over 50 locations across Punjab during a three-hour ‘Rail Roko’ protest on Wednesday. The demonstration aimed to pressure the central government into meeting their demands, including the implementation of a legally guaranteed minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
The ‘Rail Roko’ protest was organized by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha.
Sarwan Singh Pandher, a leader of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, mentioned that the blockade ran from noon to 3 p.m. and was successful, receiving strong backing from different groups in society, especially farmers.
The ‘Rail Roko’ protest drew overwhelming support from farmers, laborers, youth, women, and small traders, said Sarwan Singh Pandher. This widespread participation indicates that the farmer agitation is evolving into a larger people’s movement. The protests remained peaceful throughout the state.
Farmers disrupted rail traffic at various locations, including Moga, Faridkot, Kadian, and Batala in Gurdaspur; Phillaur in Jalandhar; Tanda, Dasuya, and Mahilpur in Hoshiarpur; The protests took place in various towns, including Makhu and Talwandi Bhai in Ferozepur, Sahnewal in Ludhiana, Shambhu in Patiala, Mohali, Sunam and Lehra in Sangrur, Rampura Phul in Bathinda, and Devidaspura in Amritsar.
Railway officials from the Ferozepur division reported the cancellation of 12 trains, with two trains each being short-terminated and short-originated, while 34 trains faced delays.In the Ambala division, nine trains were called off, five had their schedules adjusted, and one was cut short before reaching its destination.Short-distance trains on routes like Bathinda, Kalka, Sri Ganganagar, and Doulatpur Chowk were among those canceled. Meanwhile, trains from Amritsar were regulated.
The canceled trains included numbers 14547 (Ambala Cantt–Bathinda), 04753 (Bathinda–Sri Ganganagar), 04756 (Sri Ganganagar–Ambala Cantt), 04569/70 (Ambala Cantt–Kalka–Ambala Cantt), 06997/98 (Ambala Cantt–Doulatpur Chowk–Ambala Cantt), and 14527/28 (Bathinda–Sri Ganganagar–Bathinda), according to railway authorities.
Naveen Kumar Jha, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager of the Ambala division, stated, “Trains experiencing delays were stationed at platforms with essential amenities like food and water to ensure passengers’ convenience. Several stations set up help desks to provide real-time information and support for travelers, with frequent announcements keeping passengers up to date.
Several trains, including the Humsafar Express from Jammu to Sealdah, the Dadar Express traveling from Amritsar to Mumbai, and the Shan-e-Punjab Express from New Delhi to Amritsar, were halted at different platforms at the Ludhiana railway station. The Shatabdi Express, en route from New Delhi to Amritsar, was stopped at the Khanna railway station.
Dilbag Singh, the state president of the Bhartiya Kisan Mazdoor Union, who led the protests at Sahnewal railway station in Ludhiana, remarked, “Farmers have been demonstrating at three border points between Punjab and Haryana for 309 days, yet there have been no outcomes, even after four rounds of meetings.”
Train operations in the southern Malwa districts were similarly disrupted. BKU leader Resham Singh Yatri said, “Today’s protest aimed to amplify our voices as the central government has ignored the farmers’ concerns. Our leader, Jagjit Singh Dallewal, is on a hunger strike to urge the government to fulfill the demands of the farming community. Farmers wish to march to Delhi as a peaceful protest, but the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in Haryana have taken a harsh stance, employing tactics to hinder our efforts.”
On Wednesday, members of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) organized a parallel motorbike protest across Punjab to show support for the ongoing farmers’ movement.
Union General Secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokri Kalan stated that the protests took place in 62 blocks across 18 districts.
In Sangrur, Inderjit Singh Ghaniya, a leader of BKU (Sidhupur), criticized Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, saying he’s being controlled like a puppet. “Arvind Kejriwal is manipulating Bhagwant Mann to enforce Central bills in Punjab. At this point, AAP has practically become the BJP’s backup team,” he said.
Deepak Singh, a 25-year-old from Tarn Taran, who was traveling with his wife, two children, and brother after visiting the Dera Baba Gur Bar Bhag Singh shrine in Una (Himachal Pradesh), was one of many passengers affected by the disruption in rail services.
He mentioned he had been waiting for over two hours at Hoshiarpur railway station for a train to Jalandhar.
Manoj Yadav, a 35-year-old mason from Chhattisgarh who now lives in Narain Nagar, Hoshiarpur, shared his frustration as well.
He was traveling with his wife and two children to Chhattisgarh and explained that taking the train was their only practical means of travel, leaving them no option but to wait until the protest concluded.
