Balasore, Sept. 6: Train services in the Kharagpur-Bhadrak section of the South Eastern Railway were disrupted for several hours today following a rail roko agitation at Soro station, about 30km from here.

Local residents and elected public representatives of Soro had decided to launch the rail roko agitation against the “apathetic attitude” of the railway authorities. The agitators squatted on the rail tracks, in response to the call given by the Citizen Forum and the Joint Action Committee.

Several trains were detained at different stations. Major trains such as, Coromondal Express and Jan Satabdi Express, on the down line were detained at Bhadrak station. Three trains, including Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express, were stranded at Cuttack. These apart, some passenger trains were also detained at various stations en route.

“Our demands remain undermined as Soro station is located towards the tail end of the South Eastern Railway,” said Ramakanta Nayak, convener of the Joint Action Committee and secretary of the Citizen Forum, Soro.