Passengers agitate as Darjeeling Mail delayed

Statesman News Service

MALDA, March 11: Hundreds of passengers of Sealdah bound Darjeeling Mail came down heavily and expressed anger as the train in which they were travelling arrived nine hours late at the Malda town station this morning.The helpless and embarrassed eastern railway em-ployees failed to pacify the irate passengers blaming to Northeast Frontier railways for the delay of the train due to technical reasons. The Malda town station manager Mr A Roy had to be bear the brunt of the agitated passengers.The Darjeeling Mail, scheduled to arrive at Malda town station at 11.45 pm, reached here at 9.01 am and left for Sealdah at 9.23 am today, according to Malda railway officials.Passengers became angry when the train was detained for a long time at Tritla near Barsoi station in Bihar. The passengers ca-me to know from the railway employees that the train was detained here because of a crack found on the railway tracks.“Though the train left for its destination after few hours it was detained at Dalkhola in north Dinajpur due to the breakdown of its locomotive,” the passengers said.There were several passengers including Congres-s MLA, Mrs Deepa Das Munshi, who had a busy schedule in Kolkata today and were stranded due to the delay. “I am not in a position to appear for an interview for a job in private company due to this delay,” Mr Ajoy Agarwal told reporters. The Malda railway officials refused to comment on the exact cause of delay because NF railway is responsible for the maintenance of the Darjeeling Mail.