Trains back on track as Jats end blockade
March 20th, 2011 - 12:02 pm ICT by IANSAgra, March 20 (IANS) Railway services have resumed in this region after Jats demanding job quotas ended their rail blockade, but officials said on Sunday that it would take time to restore “full normalcy”.
Stranded passengers heaved a sigh of relief as trains began plying again Saturday evening after the protesters cleared the tracks.
Many stranded passengers at the Cantonment and Idgah stations here boarded the first available trains Saturday evening, railway spokesman Bhupendra Dhillon said.
Other officials said the situation will ease out in the next few days.
Demanding their inclusion in the list of Other Backward Classes to secure quotas in government jobs, the Jats had been blockading key rail routes in western Uttar Pradesh since March 5.
The protest was called off Saturday after the Allahabad High Court ordered the Uttar Pradesh government to restore rail services.
The protests had severely hit train traffic on the busy Delhi-Lucknow route, forcing most trains to take long detours.
- Jat leaders head to Delhi to meet Chidambaram - Mar 19, 2011
- Jats to end rail blockade, but continue agitation (Lead) - Mar 19, 2011
- Court asks Uttar Pradesh to clear rail blockade by Jats - Mar 18, 2011
- Jats demand reservations, block Lucknow-Delhi route - Mar 06, 2011
- SC restrains Jats from blocking supply of essential commodities to Delhi - Mar 24, 2011
- Jat team to meet Chidambaram, Wasnik; no lifting of rail blockade - Mar 15, 2011
- Delhi-Mumbai train services hit as Gujjars protest (Lead, Changing dateline) - Dec 21, 2010
- Mayawati advises Jats to shift protests to Delhi - Mar 14, 2011
- Uttar Pradesh to follow SC directive, not allow Jats to disrupt road, rail traffic - Mar 25, 2011
- Jat agitators clear rail tracks after Allahabad HC order - Mar 19, 2011
- High court asks agitating Jats to leave rail tracks (Lead) - Mar 24, 2011
- Protesting Jats threaten to block Delhi-Ambala rail route - Mar 21, 2011
- Jats seek written assurance on quota (Lead) - Mar 26, 2011
- Jat agitation continues, rail traffic in UP, Haryana in disarray - Mar 18, 2011
- Gujjars' protest on job quota hits Delhi-Mumbai train services (Second Lead) - Dec 21, 2010
Tags: allahabad high court, blockade, cantonment, few days, government jobs, inclusion, lucknow, normalcy, protest, protesters, protests, quotas, railway services, saturday evening, sigh of relief, spokesman, train traffic, trains, uttar pradesh government, western uttar pradesh