Balangir: Train services were severely hit on the routes of Sambalpur-Titilagarh section of Sambalpur railway division of East Coast Railways on Friday due to a railroko agitation staged at the Deogaon railway station by local residents.

The protestors demanded stoppage of all express trains at Deogaon. Several trains remained stranded at different stations, some trains were cancelled and some other short-terminated at different stations.

At least 2,000 people thronged the railway station on Friday morning to take part in the agitation jointly organised by Deogaon Nagarik Committee and Deogaon Traders' Union and stopped the Howrah-bound Ispat Express for nearly six hours.

Passengers faced untold difficulties as various trains were either short-terminated or cancelled. The agitation was later called-off after railway authority assured the agitators that the Tapaswini Express would halt at Deogaon within a week and decision on other express train would be taken at a meeting at the office of the divisional railway manager (DRM) in Sambalpur on Saturday.

Political leaders of various parties of the area, including leader of Opposition and Balangir MLA Narasingha Mishra, former Rajya Sabha member A.U. Singhdeo and BJD leader Arkesh Singhdeo, extended their support to the demands of Deogaon residents and they joined the protest as well.

President of the Deogaon Nagarik Committee Sashi Bhusan Sahu said though Deogaon was an important area but no express trains halted there. "The passengers either have to go to Balangir or Titilagarh to board the express trains. We had requested the railway authority to look into our demand, but they didn't listen. So, we are forced to resort to agitation," he said.

Sahu said after six hours of protest the railway authority decided that only Tapaswini Express will stop at Deogaon station from next week. "We have got a communication from the office of the DRM in Sambalpur that from the next week Tapaswini express will stop at Deogaon. The DRM has also invited us to his office in Sambalpur tomorrow to discuss on other express trains. Therefore, we have called off the agitation," he said.