Mon Dec 30 06:25:24 UTC 2024: ## Punjab Bandh Causes Major Rail Disruptions Across Northern India
**Chandigarh, India –** Over 150 trains, including three Vande Bharat Express services, were cancelled by Northern Railways on Monday due to a Punjab bandh called by the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and Sanyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political). The bandh, in protest of the central government’s agricultural policies, saw farmers blocking rail tracks across the state from 7 am to 4 pm.
The protesting farmers, who have been camped at the Punjab-Haryana border since February 13th, are demanding a legal guarantee for minimum support prices (MSP) for agricultural produce. Their demands are further amplified by farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal’s ongoing hunger strike, which began November 26th.
The cancellations impacted numerous passenger and goods trains across Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh. Besides the Vande Bharat cancellations and short-originations/terminations, several Shatabdi Express trains were also affected. Additionally, seven trains were partially cancelled, 14 regulated, 13 rescheduled, 15 short-originated, and 22 short-terminated.
Ambala police advised commuters traveling between Delhi and Chandigarh to utilize alternative routes to avoid disruptions. The impact of the bandh is expected to significantly affect travel and trade in the region.
First Piper 