New Delhi: Public movement across parts of the national capital is expected to be affected on Saturday, October 10, as Indian Railways cancelled 38 trains and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) closed 57 stations amid heightened security ahead of a protest called by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP).
The protest seeks the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Northern Railway said 38 trains scheduled to terminate at New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin railway stations between 4 am and 2 pm on Saturday had been cancelled, citing anticipated road congestion around the 2 stations.
“There are a total of 165 trains which terminate at New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin railway stations between 4 am and 2 pm and out of all these, only 38 have been cancelled in view of anticipated severe road traffic congestion in the areas around these stations on October 10,” Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay, chief public relations officer of Northern Railway, told PTI.
Also Read:
He said trains arriving at other Delhi stations, including Anand Vihar Terminal, Delhi Sarai Rohilla, Old Delhi and Delhi Cantonment, would operate according to their scheduled timings.
Upadhyay also said two trains would terminate before reaching their designated destinations.
Which trains are affected?
The cancelled services include Magadh Express, Rajendra Nagar Terminal–New Delhi Tejas Rajdhani Express, Sampoorna Kranti Express, Rajendra Nagar Terminal–New Delhi Amrit Bharat Express, Shatabdi Express (12033), Prayagraj Express (12417) and Humsafar Express (12275), among others.
Earlier, the Railway Board had instructed railway zones to cancel Mail and Express trains originating after 2 pm on October 9 that were scheduled to reach New Delhi or Hazrat Nizamuddin between 4 am and 2 pm on October 10.
The communication cited anticipated traffic congestion between the 2 stations as the reason for the cancellations.
Passengers travelling to Delhi should check the latest train status and cancellation notices before leaving for their stations.
Delhi Metro closes gates at 57 stations
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said entry and exit gates at 57 stations would remain closed from 9 pm on Friday, October 9, until further notice.
The restrictions will continue on Saturday. Interchange facilities will remain available at the affected stations, except at the New Delhi Metro station, according to the DMRC.
Stations covered by the restrictions include Rajiv Chowk, New Delhi, Central Secretariat, Patel Chowk, Kashmere Gate, Janpath, Mandi House, Barakhamba Road, Supreme Court, Indraprastha, ITO, Delhi Gate, Khan Market, Jama Masjid, Chandni Chowk, Hauz Khas and INA.
The list also includes Shaheen Bagh, Jamia Millia Islamia, Okhla Vihar, Kalindi Kunj, Lajpat Nagar, Ashram, Sarai Kale Khan–Nizamuddin, Welcome, Shahdara, Rithala, Rohini, Azadpur and Shivaji Stadium.
The restrictions concern station entry and exit gates and do not, by themselves, indicate a complete suspension of Metro train services across the network.
Why has Delhi tightened security?
Delhi Police has denied permission for the proposed CJP protest at Jantar Mantar, citing the short notice given for the event and alleged violations of rules and directions during an earlier demonstration.
Joint Commissioner of Police Nupur Prasad told the media that permission had been denied in view of the circumstances surrounding the proposed event.
The CJP has called the protest over alleged irregularities in the SIR of electoral rolls and is demanding Kumar’s resignation.
The allegations concerning the electoral-roll revision remain contested. The protest and the security measures have drawn attention to the arrangements for public demonstrations and the impact of restrictions on commuters.
(With inputs from agencies)
