Locals block railway, seek train stop at Charghat

Train services on the Rajshahi–Dhaka route were briefly disrupted yesterday morning after residents of Rajshahi's Charghat upazila staged a blockade, demanding an intercity train stop at Nandangachhi Railway Station.

The blockade began around 6:30am when locals, under the banner of "People of Charghat from All Walks of Life", gathered on the tracks near Nandangachhi station.

They halted the Sagordari Express by waving red cloths as it approached, confirmed Rajshahi Railway Station Manager Moin Uddin.

He said, "The blockade ended at 8:45am... Other than the Sagordari Express to Khulna, only the Silk City Express to Dhaka was delayed in its departure from Rajshahi. All other trains departed on schedule."

The demonstrators demanded scheduled stops for four intercity trains that currently pass through without halting  -- Silk City Express (Dhaka route), Barendra Express (Chilahati route), Sagordari Express (Khulna route), and Dhalarchar Express (Pabna route). They also called for the renovation of Nandangachhi Railway Station, which they say has been neglected for years.