Rourkela: Train services on the Mumbai-Howrah railway route were halted for hours from yesterday night till today morning after a poster allegedly put up by Maoists was found on the railway track near Manoharpur at Odisha-Jharkhand border.

In view of the safety of passengers, the security personnel suspended the train services on the Mumbai-Howrah rail line. The goods train, express and passenger trains were halted at different railway stations between Jharkhand and Rourkela for around 5 hours.

Following a thorough inspection of security by the railway personnel, the train services resumed at around 6 AM today.

On June 17 this year, five Maoists, including two women and zonal commander Kande Honhaga from Thalkobad in Chaibasa, who had a bounty on his head, were killed in an encounter with security forces at Chaibasa in Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district.

The Maoists called for a bandh to protest the death of red rebels in Jharkhand. To evade possible Maoist menace in the state, the security forces have intensified combing operations at border areas since last night.