Kolkata:
Life in Kolkata and elsewhere in West Bengal was disrupted by a 12-hour bandh called by Left parties to protest diesel price hike, FDI in multi-brand retail and cap on subsidised LPG.
Though airport services were normal, train services in Eastern Railway and South Eastern Railway were disrupted, officials said.
Running of trains in South Eastern Railway to and from Howrah were disrupted since 8.30 am due to obstruction caused by protesters at Ramrajatala station.
Howrah-Pune Duranto Express, which started from Howrah on time, was stopped by the squatters in Kolkata, Railway sources said.
Eastern Railway spokesperson said that train services on Howrah division of ER were disrupted as bandh supporters blocked rail tracks at several stations. The obstructions were made at Katwa, Jougram, Agradeep, Ahemedpur, Bagnapara, Bhadreswar, Baidyabati and other stations.
Six long-distance trains reached Howrah on Thursday morning before the bandh started. He said that in Sealdah division of ER, train services were disrupted as bandh supporters obstructed rail traffic at Bongaon, Hasnabad and Diamond Harbour sections, he said.
However, train services were normal in Sealdah-Dankuni, Sealdah main line up to Kalyani,
Namkhana-Sealdah and Budge Budge-Sealdah sections. Services of the underground Metro rail, the city's lifeline, were normal, officials said.
Airport sources said the flight operations were normal in Kolkata airport, except cancellation of two Indigo flights - Kolkata-New Delhi and Kolkata-Agartala which were scheduled to fly in the morning.