Protestors removed from Amritsar rail tracks, train services resumed

Amritsar: Over 40 hours after the accident in Amritsar in which 61 Dussehra revellers were mowed down by a train, protesters were cleared off the tracks and services resumed on Sunday afternoon, a railway spokesperson said.

The railways got the clearance from local authorities at 12:30 pm, the spokesperson said. "First goods train started from Manawala to Amritsar at 1416 hours," said Northern Railways spokesperson Deepak Kumar.

This train will be followed by mail/express trains, he said.

Senior Divisional Security Commissioner (Railways), Firozpur Division, S Sudharkar told news agency PTI, "Train services have resumed on the affected rail track (Joda Phatak). A goods train was allowed to run on this track."

Earlier in the day, the Punjab Police cleared the track off the protesters who were staging a sit-in. When they were removed, the agitated protestors resorted to stone-pelting and clashed with security personnel, officials said.

A Punjab police commando and a photojournalist were injured as the protestors, who were staging a sit-in at the site, started pelting stones and indulged in brick-batting, they said.

The protestors were raising slogans against the state government and demanding the resignation of Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu

Officials said that personnel from the Punjab Police and Rapid Action Force have been deployed alongside the state police commandos.

The clash started minutes after the security forces removed the protestors, numbering in hundreds, from the track to clear it for traffic, the officials said.

Also Read: Amritsar train tragedy: Trace those missing, give adequate aid, demand protesters

Local residents have been protesting at the site and blocking the railway track since Friday evening when 61 Dussehra revellers were mowed down by a speeding train.

The district administration has said that out of 59 people who were mowed down by the speeding Jalandhar-Amritsar train Friday, 40 have been identified.