Maoist threat forces trains to be diverted in WB

The Puri-bound Purusottam Express and other trains were diverted from Purulia railway station on Friday night after four men claiming to be Maoists entered a railway station on the section demanding train services be stopped immediately, South Eastern railway sources said.

The express coming from Delhi, some other long-distance and local trains were diverted via Muri in the Purulia-Chandel section of the SER's Adra Division following the threat, the sources said in Kolkata.

Earlier, four men claiming to be Maoists turned up at the Urma railway station at around 2000 hrs

and told the assistant station master and two porters to stop train services and leave immediately, Divisional Railway Manager A K Halder said in Purulia.

Following this the three shut down the station and fled to the Purulia railway station, he said. Last night too, two men, claiming to be Maoists had appeared at the same station and asked that train services be stopped and the three to leave, after which they had fled, Halder said.

Train services after last night's directive from the men claiming to be Maoists had only resumed at 0900 hrs this morning after Halder inspected the Urma station.