A rail blockade at Jorai railway station in West Bengal’s Alipurduar division disrupted train services on Wednesday, with agitators demanding the creation of a separate state of ‘Greater Coochbehar’. The protest, organised by the Greater Coochbehar People’s Association (GCPA), began in the early hours at 06.45 am, halting train movement on a crucial route connecting the northeastern states with the rest of India.
Among the impacted services was the New Jalpaiguri-Guwahati Vande Bharat Express, which was canceled alongside the Bongaigaon-New Jalpaiguri Express. Additionally, at least eight trains, including the Dibrugarh-New Delhi Rajdhani Express and Brahmaputra Mail, were diverted via the New Coochbehar-Golakganj-Fakiragram route.
Thousands of protesters gathered at the station, blocking railway tracks and demanding action on their call for statehood. Security forces, including personnel from the Railway Protection Force (RPF), Government Railway Police (GRP), and local police, were deployed in large numbers to maintain order.
An official from the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) confirmed that efforts to remove the blockade are ongoing. The GCPA declared the rail blockade “indefinite,” signaling their determination to push for their demands.