Train services between Bengal and Northeast suspended

Trains between West Bengal and the Northeast have come to a complete halt with the Eastern Railway suspending all its services to the northern region of the state, officials said on Monday.

Eastern Railway (ER) spokesperson Nikhil Chakraborty said no train was running beyond Malda.

Officials said all trains originating from Howrah, Sealdah and Kolkata stations towards north Bengal have been suspended till further notice keeping in mind the safety and security of passengers.

However, they said, trains from these three stations to destinations outside the state were running as usual.

The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) had suspended all trains last week as protests spread over the amended Citizenship Act, but some services have been resumed, NFR CPRO Subhanan Chanda said.

All trains from the NFR zone to the ER zone have been cancelled on Monday in view of the situation in West Bengal, these include 19 long-distance trains.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said that just because a few trains were set on fire, the Centre has stopped railway services in most parts of the state.

Protests over the amended Citizenship Act reached the shores of West Bengal on Friday, with agitators resorting to violence and arson at railway stations and thoroughfares across the state, seeking immediate revocation of the law. They also burnt some empty rakes.