<p>Train services continue to remain suspended in Punjab due to farmers protests' as the Punjab government has been unable to remove all blockades on the railway network, Railway Board Chairman V K Yadav said on Friday.</p>.<p>As many as 22 sites protesting farmers still blocking railway tracks. Though Punjab Government assured us to clear all blockades by Friday morning, it did not happen. The railways needs 100% security clearance from the state to resume operations, Yadav told reporters here.</p>.<p>"We have conveyed Punjab Government that they provide us security clearance for all trains so that we can restore them at one go. We will not start selective train services, whether freight or passenger. We have conveyed to them that we require 100 per cent security clearance from them to begin operations," he said.</p>.<p>Sources said that during the meetings between railway and state government officials, it was indicated that the state wanted freight trains to resume operations but not passenger trains. Also, there were proposals from the state, sources said, to begin transportation of select goods for a select number of days, which the railways declined to do.</p>.<p>Sources said that the railways has conveyed to the state government that this "on and off" system suggested by them was "not feasible".</p>.<p>"We have bookings for our passenger trains and it is sad that during this festival season we are cancelling the trains everyday. I have full faith in the state government that in some time the blockades will be cleared and we won''t have to cancel the trains scheduled for tomorrow, said Yadav.</p>.<p>RPF Director General Arun Kumar said that while in some places protesters have been cleared from the tracks, they have accumulated in the circulation area.</p>.<p>The concern, he says, is that these people might again block the tracks.</p>.<p>The loss suffered by the railways due to the agitation in Punjab over the central farm reform laws has already crossed an estimated Rs 1,200 crore as protests on train tracks continued.</p>.<p>According to data from the national transporter, over 2,300 freight rakes carrying vital commodities could not be operated till date due to the blockades caused by the protesters. Around 1,350 trains have been forced to be cancelled or diverted, it said.</p>.<p>Train services in Punjab have been suspended since September 24 due farmers'' protests. While it had resumed for a few days in October, it was suspended again due to concerns over safety and security of train crew members.</p>.<p>The three farm laws -- the Farmers'' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 -- were enacted recently.</p>
<p>Train services continue to remain suspended in Punjab due to farmers protests' as the Punjab government has been unable to remove all blockades on the railway network, Railway Board Chairman V K Yadav said on Friday.</p>.<p>As many as 22 sites protesting farmers still blocking railway tracks. Though Punjab Government assured us to clear all blockades by Friday morning, it did not happen. The railways needs 100% security clearance from the state to resume operations, Yadav told reporters here.</p>.<p>"We have conveyed Punjab Government that they provide us security clearance for all trains so that we can restore them at one go. We will not start selective train services, whether freight or passenger. We have conveyed to them that we require 100 per cent security clearance from them to begin operations," he said.</p>.<p>Sources said that during the meetings between railway and state government officials, it was indicated that the state wanted freight trains to resume operations but not passenger trains. Also, there were proposals from the state, sources said, to begin transportation of select goods for a select number of days, which the railways declined to do.</p>.<p>Sources said that the railways has conveyed to the state government that this "on and off" system suggested by them was "not feasible".</p>.<p>"We have bookings for our passenger trains and it is sad that during this festival season we are cancelling the trains everyday. I have full faith in the state government that in some time the blockades will be cleared and we won''t have to cancel the trains scheduled for tomorrow, said Yadav.</p>.<p>RPF Director General Arun Kumar said that while in some places protesters have been cleared from the tracks, they have accumulated in the circulation area.</p>.<p>The concern, he says, is that these people might again block the tracks.</p>.<p>The loss suffered by the railways due to the agitation in Punjab over the central farm reform laws has already crossed an estimated Rs 1,200 crore as protests on train tracks continued.</p>.<p>According to data from the national transporter, over 2,300 freight rakes carrying vital commodities could not be operated till date due to the blockades caused by the protesters. Around 1,350 trains have been forced to be cancelled or diverted, it said.</p>.<p>Train services in Punjab have been suspended since September 24 due farmers'' protests. While it had resumed for a few days in October, it was suspended again due to concerns over safety and security of train crew members.</p>.<p>The three farm laws -- the Farmers'' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 -- were enacted recently.</p>
