Rourkela: The Rourkela Bar Association (RBA) protested against the frequent delays of major trains at Rourkela junction on the busy Howrah-Mumbai main line of South Eastern Railway (SER). On Tuesday, a delegation led by RBA president Sadanand Sahu, vice-president Raj Kishore Pradhan and joint secretary Anjana Gahir submitted a memorandum to the Chakradharpur divisional railway manager (DRM) through the station manager. The memorandum highlighted the hardships faced by passengers, especially the elderly, women and children during the scorching heat.
The RBA pointed out that trains like Rajyarani Express, Rourkela-Bhubaneswar Inter-City Express, Tapaswini Express and Samaleswari Express regularly arrive or depart several hours behind schedule. In particular, the Rourkela-Bhubaneswar Inter-City Express, which is scheduled to arrive at 9 pm, often reaches Rourkela at around 11 pm or midnight. Due to these delays, passengers have to pay higher fares for auto-rickshaws. The RBA claimed that passenger trains are often stopped at Panposh, Kalunga or nearby stations to allow freight trains to pass. Passengers travelling between Rourkela and destinations such as Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur and Kolkata are the worst affected. The RBA demanded that the SER take immediate corrective measures to overcome these delays.
