New Delhi: Railway unions on Friday protested against the IRCTC's Tejas Express, the country's first "private" train, flagged off by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow.
The All India Railway Men's Federation (AIRF) said it is observing the day as 'virodh diwas' across the network against the first "private" train Tejas and the railway board's decision to give another 150 trains to the private sector.
Terming the launch of the Tejas express on Friday as a "black day", members of the railway unions carrying banners and shouting slogans gathered in front of the divisional railway manager's office here.
In Ghaziabad, over 200 railway employees blocked the rail track. Later, Railway Protection Force (RPF) officials pacified the angry protesters.
"In case of privatisation of railways, lakhs of employees will become jobless and their families will also face the dire consequences of it," said Ashok Prakash, a member of the northern railway workers union.
The new IRCTC Tejas Express train, which will run between Lucknow and New Delhi, cuts the time travelled between the two cities to six hours 15 minutes from the six hours 40 minutes taken by the Swarna Shatabdi, currently the fastest train on the route.
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