Train services hit by Orissa bandh

Bhubaneswar, Aug 25 (UNI) Train services were badly hit today following the 12-hour ''Orissa bandh'', called by the VHP and other Hindu outfits, protesting the killing of VHP leader Swami Laxmananada Saraswati and four others at Jalaspeta Ashrma in Kandhmal district on August 23.

East Coast Railway(ECoR) sources here said rail roko agitation commenced at 0500 hrs this morning at several stations by the VHP activists forcing the authorities to cancel several trains, while several other long distance trains were either short terminated or controlled at various stations.

Due to the agitation and squatting by the bandh demonstrators, the 8303/8304 Sambalpur-Puri-Sambalpur Intercity Express, 8301/8302 Sambalpur-Rayagada-Sambalpur Express, 2872/2871 Sambalpur-Howrah- Sambalpur Ispat Express, 8411/8412 Bubaneswar-Visakhapatnam- Bhubaneswar Intercity Express, 2893/2894 Bhubaneswar-Bolangir- Bhubaneswar Express, 2JS/3JS Sambalpur-Jharsuguda-Sambalpur Passenger trains were cancelled today from both directions.

The 2892 Bhubaneswar-Baripada Superfast Express, scheduled to leave Bhubaneswar today at 1720 hours, was also cancelled.

The Haridwar-Puri Utkal Express, Howrah-Puri Express, New Delhi-Puri Purusottam Express, Hatia-Puri Tapaswini Express, Howrah-Chennai Mail, Raipur-Bhubaneswar Express, Trivandrum -Shalimar Express, Bhubaneswar-Bangalore Prashanti Express , Bhubaneswar-Bolangir Express, Bhubaneswar-Visakhapatnam Intercity, Koraput-Bhubaneswar Hirakhand, Chennai-Howrah Coromandal Express, Jodhpur-Puri Express, Sambalpur-Rayagada Express, Dhanbad-Alappuzha Express, including some local passenger trains, were either controlled at originating stations or enroute.

The 8005 Howrah-Koraput Samaleswari Express, ECoR sources said, will be short-terminated at Jharsuguda and will return as 8006 Koraput-Howrah Samaleswari Express from Sambalpur to Howrah. The 8006/8005 Koraput-Howrah-Koraput Samaleswari Express will remain cancelled today.

The 2815 Puri-New Delhi Super Fast Express, scheduled to leave Puri at 1055 hours, was rescheduled to leave Puri at 1800 hours today. Similarly, 7479 Puri-Tirupati Express, scheduled to leave Puri at 1215 hours, was rescheduled to leave Puri at 1815 hours.

The 2443 Bhubaneswar-New Delhi Rajdhani Express, scheduled to leave Bhubaneswar at 0915 hours, was rescheduled to leave Bhubaneswar at 1830 hours. The 8463 Bhubaneswar-Bangalore Prashanti Express, 7015 Bhubaneswar-Secunderabad Visakha Express and 1020 Bhubaneswar-Mumbai Konark Express, scheduled to leave Bhubaneswar, were today rescheduled to leave Bhubaneswar after 1700 hrs.

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