A number of trains, including a Duranto Express, were stranded on Monday at various stations after some passengers blocked tracks at Raka Mines station demanding extra coaches to an Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU) rake, officials said.
A group of people, claiming to be daily passengers of the 351 Kharagpur-Tatanagar MEMU train, blocked the tracks demanding additional coaches to the eight-coach rake, South Eastern Railway officials told PTI.
South Eastern Railway authorities told the agitators that the rake could not be added immediately owing to technical reasons and steps would be taken to augment it as early as possible.
"The agitators are not convinced and are continuing the blockade. They want at least two more coaches to be attached to the rake right now. But this cannot be done as the MEMU coaches are different," they said.
The Duranto Express from Howrah to Yeshwantpur was also stranded Chakulia. Pointing out that the Duranta had a technical stop at Tatanagar around 11.30 am where lunch for passengers was picked up, they said it would not be possible to serve lunch to passengers as the train could not reach Tatanagar on time.
The other trains stranded at various stations included Howrah-Mumbai Mail, Howrah-Borbil Janshatabdi Express, Howrah-Tatanagar Ispat Express, Jharkhand-Purulia Passenger, Mumbai-Howrah Geetanjali Express, Tatanagar-Howrah Steel Expres, Dn Azad Hind Express, and Dn Steel Express.
The South Eastern Railway authorities have informed the East Singhbhum district administration about the blockade and appealed for their intervention in having it lifted, they added.