GUWAHATI, July 15? The 24-hour rail-road-blockade called by Sanmilita Janagosthiya Sangram Samity (SJSS) from this morning in protest against creation of Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) today disrupted surface communication on Lower Assam areas and parts of Karbi Anglong district. Official sources here informed that the districts of Bongaigaon and Barpeta were the worst affected by the blockade as thousands of SJSS picketeers sat on railway tracks and the highway to block movements of traffic.
The NF Railway had a tough time today in re-routing and rescheduling both its Up and Down trains along the new railway track on the South Bank of Brahmaputra as the rail movements along the BG track on the North Bank were totally disrupted between New Bongaigaon and Patacharkuchi in Barpeta district. New Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express which left Guwahati early this morning was stranded at Tihu station for hours till late in the afternoon when NF Railway decided to bring it back to Guwahati for re-routing thorough the South Bank track. Kolkata-bound Kamrup Express was regulated at Rangiya while Delhi-bound N-E Express was running about 4 hours late after it had been routed through the South Bank track via Goalpara.
As many as six Up trains coming to Guwahati from outside were stranded for hours in different stations from Fakiragram to New Bongaigaon railway stations. These included Kanchan-junga Express, Bangalore Express, Dadar Express, Saraighat Express, Kochin Express, Brahmaputra Mail. Sources in the NF Railway headquarter here informed that all these Up trains were being now routed through the South Bank track till Guwahati.
Meanwhile, the Delhi-bound N-E Express of Tuesday is scheduled to start its journey at 11 am instead of the usual time. Road communication along the highway in Lower Assam was almost paralysed today because of the blockade. However, no untoward incident related to blockade was reported from any part of the State so far today.