Three weeks after rendering it defunct by triggering explosions, armed Maoists stormed into the railway station at Roxi, about 90 km from here, and asked its staff to close the station, RPF sources said here on Monday.
Shouting slogans: “station band karo” (close the station), a large number of red rebels asked the staff- assistant station master (ASM) Arbind Kumar and porter- to leave the building, they said.
The ultras did not harm anyone and traffic was normal on the route, the sources said.
The station, under Rourkela-Barsuan section in Orissa’s Sundargarh district, has remained dysfunctional since early this month as the Maoists had caused extensive damage to it by triggering blasts.
It was yet to become operational as construction and repair work still continuing, the sources said.
The single gauge line, about 60 to 70 km of which passes through the foot-hills of Maoist-infested Saranda jungles on the Orissa—Jharkhand border, is mainly used for transportation of iron ore from Barsuan mines area to Rourkela Steel Plant.
