guwahatithe nf railways decision to restrict movement of passenger trains a few days before and after independence day in view of possible strikes by extremist groups has been resented by people for whom trains are the most reliable means of communication after the nf railway imposed restrictions on running of 36 passenger trains with effect from 6 pm on august 13 till 5 am of 17 august local passengers are facing difficulties in reaching their workplaces however four special trains have been pressed into service for the convenience of local passengers speaking to toi assam rail passangers association general secretary dipankar sarma described the move of the railway authorities to cancel most local trains unjustified after the nf railway cancelled many of local trains from august 2 passengers staged demonstrations on tracks in tihu rangia and pathsala in lower assam many employees and workers are dependent on passenger trains in districts like barpeta and nalbari but the railway authorities have not realized the inconvenience of passengers he said sarma objected the decision of nf railways to give priority to longdistance trains the instructions of the assam government to put restrictions on trains ahead of independence day shows that the government has not taken the security agencies into confidence at a time when the government is saying that the separatist groups are willing to join dialogue why they are harassing the passengers said sarma he criticized the congressled government in assam for not being able to ensure safety and security along the railway tracks even after returning to power for the third successive term though the nf railway had changed the timings of trains during night hours in the last few years on security ground it is difficult to understand why they have made lakhs of local passengers captive by canceling so many passenger trains said sarma he added that passengers would stage agitations if the railway authorities do not take up concrete measures for the convenience of local passengers for whom trains are the preferred mode of communication however chief public relations officer of nf railway s hajong said special trains being run in the wake of cancellation of passenger trains would reduce the woes of local passengers it may be mentioned that the nf railway is running four special trains between kamakhya and alipurdwar guwahati and lumding lumding and mariani and mariani to tinsukia from august 12 to 17