Farmers’ agitation hits rail services; 9 trains cancelled, 20 diverted, 2 rescheduled
Ferozepur, September 17, 2026: Train services in the Ferozepur Division were severely affected on Thursday as farmers and farm labourers launched a Rail Roko agitation at Mallanwala and other locations in Punjab over their long-pending demands. The Kisan Mazdoor Morcha had given the Punjab Government a deadline to address the demands by noon on September 17, following which railway tracks were blocked at several places. The demands include a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP), loan waiver, compensation for flood losses, withdrawal of the land pooling policy and other issues concerning farmers and agricultural workers.
According to the railway authorities, a number of trains operating through the Ferozepur Division were cancelled, diverted, short-terminated, short-originated or rescheduled due to the agitation. Nine trains scheduled for September 17 were cancelled, including trains between Beas and Tiruvallangadu, Ferozepur Cantt and Jalandhar City, Khem Karan and Amritsar, Bhagtanwala and Khem Karan, besides the Amritsar-Hisar service.
Several long-distance trains were diverted to alternative routes to avoid the affected sections. These included the Amritsar-Bilaspur, Amritsar-New Delhi, Amritsar-Chandigarh, Amritsar-Howrah, Amritsar-Bandra Terminus, Amritsar-Darbhanga, Amritsar-Dehradun, Jammu Tawi-Tatanagar, Firozpur Cantt-Dhanbad and other services. A number of Amritsar-bound and originating trains were also diverted through the Tarn Taran-Beas route or via Jalandhar City-Ludhiana-Dhuri-Bathinda.
Some passenger services were also short-terminated. These included the Ludhiana-Chheharta train, which was short-terminated at Jandiala; the New Delhi-Amritsar service at Jalandhar City; the Ludhiana-Firozpur Cantt train at MQF; and the Bikaner-Amritsar service at Firozpur Cantt.
Railways also announced changes in the originating points of several trains. The Chheharta-Ludhiana service was to originate from Jandiala, the Amritsar-New Delhi service from Amritsar instead of Beas, the Amritsar-New Delhi service from Jalandhar City, and the Firozpur Cantt-Ludhiana service from MQF. The Amritsar-Bikaner service scheduled for September 18 was also to originate from Firozpur Cantt.
Two Firozpur Cantt-Jalandhar City services were rescheduled. Train No. 74936, scheduled to depart at 1.20 pm, was rescheduled to 3.30 pm, while Train No. 74938, scheduled for 3.20 pm, was rescheduled to 4 pm.
Railway authorities have advised passengers to check the latest train status before travelling through the affected sections. Passengers can obtain updated information through the National Train Enquiry System (NTES) or by dialling railway helpline 139.
The statewide Rail Roko agitation has affected train movement at several locations, including Ferozepur, Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Moga and Sangrur, as farmers and farm workers continue their protest over their demands.