Agartala: Rail transport throughout Tripura ground to a halt on Wednesday following a widespread shutdown (bandh) orchestrated by the Tripura Civil Society. The protest, which centered on key demands including the detection and deportation of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP), and the swift adoption of the Tiprasa Accord, severely disrupted train operations across the state, resulting in mass cancellations and significant delays.
The disruption began early in the morning, with protesters initiating blockades on railway tracks at approximately 7:25 am at various locations along the crucial Dharmanagar–Agartala section. This swift action immediately forced the suspension of numerous services.
The operational fallout was significant, as confirmed by the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR). A total of seven trains were cancelled, and several others were either short-terminated or held up at intermediate stations due to the continuous blockade. For instance, Train No. 55676 (Dharmanagar–Agartala Passenger) was terminated at Ambassa, while the long-distance Train No. 15664 (Silchar–Agartala Express) ended its journey at Karimganj. Its corresponding return service, Train No. 15663 (Agartala–Silchar Express), had to originate from Karimganj instead of its usual starting point in Agartala. Furthermore, local DMU services connecting Agartala to Sabroom and Agartala to Karimganj were entirely cancelled for the day.
Long-distance travelers also faced major inconveniences. Train No. 07030 (Charlapalli–Agartala Special), which commenced its journey on October 20, was held indefinitely at Dharmanagar. Similarly, the Sabroom–Sealdah Kanchanjungha Express and the Agartala–Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Superfast Express, both scheduled to depart on Wednesday, were detained at Agartala and Jirania, respectively.
Chief Public Relations Officer Kapinjal Kishore Sharma acknowledged the widespread disruptions and advised all passengers to consult the latest updates before attempting any rail travel. Railway officials have stated that normal services will only be reinstated once the protest-related blockades are completely removed and conditions return to normal.
