"Running Of Trains Be Left To The Railways": Indian Railways Declines Punjab Govt's Call To Resume Freight, But Not Passenger Trains

Indian Railways has declined the call by Chief Minister (CM) Amarinder Singh led Punjab Government to selectively resume only goods train services in the State, pressing that the State Government cannot ask the railways to run trains with the condition that only services carrying some commodities on certain corridors be operated, reports Times of India.

This comes a day after the Punjab Government had claimed that the protestors had cleared the railway tracks and that freight movement could be possible. The Railway Board's chief executive VK Yadav has called the claim of the State Government as 'misguiding'.

Yadav asserted that the State Government's statement was the same as what the protestors had been conveying to the station master, that the tracks are clear for the resumption of freight trains only. Mincing no words, Yadav stated, "We cannot operate trains in that manner."

Yadav reasoned, "If tracks are clear, they are clear for both freight and passenger trains. We request that the running of trains be left to the railways."

Yadav told the reporters that the protestors have told the station masters that they would return to the tracks if the railways operate any passenger trains.