CAB Protest: Trains to Tripura & Assam Suspended, Flights Affected

The Indian Railways has suspended all passenger train services in Tripura and Assam, and short-terminated long-distance trains at Guwahati following protests in the two states over the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in Parliament, a railway spokesperson told PTI on Thursday, 12 December.

The decision was taken on Wednesday night in view of the security situation in the region, Northeast Frontier Railway spokesperson Subhanan Chanda said, adding many passengers are stranded in Kamakhya and Guwahati.

“Passengers are stranded and we are trying to help them as much as possible. We are mulling whether to run special trains to ferry these passengers, but are still weighing if the risk is worth it. It might be a security threat for passengers if protesters stop the trains. As of now, all passenger trains have been suspended and trains from outside the region are being short-terminated at Guwahati.”

Northeast Frontier Railway spokesperson Subhanan Chanda

Catch all the live updates on the protests over Citizenship (Amendment) Bill here.

Several Flights Cancelled

Airlines also cancelled flights on Thursday to various cities in Assam in the wake of unrest in the state.

IndiGo, Vistara, Air India, SpiceJet and GoAir are among the carriers that have cancelled their flights.

With respect to the ongoing unrest situation in Assam, a few Guwahati and Dibrugarh-bound flights have been cancelled on Thursday, an IndiGo spokesperson said in a statement.

"We are operating relief flights at capped fares for passengers who are currently at these locations," the statement said.

Due to prevailing situation in Assam, flights to/from Dibrugarh are cancelled for today (12th Dec, 2019). Please visit Plan B https://t.co/DSSJqiVQRK to choose an alternate flight or get a refund. For assistance, contact us on Twitter/Facebook. https://t.co/ATa9FupUaB

— IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) December 12, 2019

Situation Remains Tense in Assam

Assam has been on the boil ever since the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, which seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, was tabled in Lok Sabha. The Lower House cleared the Bill on Monday and the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

People defied curfew in Guwahati on Thursday morning to protest the Bill as the situation remained tense throughout Assam, with the army conducting flag march in the city.

(This story has been edited for length and clarity.)