PTC Web Desk: Rail services on the Samastipur–Muzaffarpur section were disrupted on Saturday after several trains were stopped to facilitate the movement of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who was visiting Karpuri Gram to attend the birth anniversary programme of Bharat Ratna Jananayak Karpoori Thakur.

According to officials, the district administration instructed that the railway crossing near Karpuri Gram station should remain open during the Chief Minister’s movement to prevent his convoy from being halted. As a result, train operations on the busy rail section were temporarily affected.

The Lalitgram–New Delhi Vaishali Express remained stationed at Samastipur railway station for nearly an hour, between 10.21 am and 11.19 am. The 14673 Shaheed Express was delayed by around 25 minutes, while the 18181 Tata–Chhapra Express was held up for more than an hour. The Barauni–Gondia Express and several other trains also faced delays due to platform unavailability.

Police personnel were deployed at the railway crossing to manage the situation, and announcements were repeatedly made by the Sadar DSP directing that the gate should not be closed. Officials said that after receiving information about the Chief Minister’s helicopter landing, the crossing gate was kept open from 10.19 am onwards.

Train services on both up and down lines resumed only after the Chief Minister’s convoy returned at around 10.56 am, following the offering of floral tributes at Karpoori Thakur’s statue. The railway gate reportedly remained open for nearly 37 minutes, leading to disruption of train movement for close to an hour and causing inconvenience to passengers.