Bhubaneswar: Rail services on the Howrah-Chennai route were disrupted Thursday after the swollen Bahuda river crossed the danger mark at two railway bridges in Odisha’s Ganjam district following heavy rainfall triggered by Cyclone Arnab, officials said.
As many as 36 trains were cancelled, 30 diverted and eight regulated or rescheduled as a precautionary measure to ensure passenger safety.
The East Coast Railway (ECoR) cancelled 24 trains and diverted 22, while the South Coast Railway (SCoR) cancelled 12 trains and diverted eight others.
Eight more trains were regulated or rescheduled, according to officials.
The Vande Bharat Express between Bhubaneswar and Visakhapatnam, the Bhubaneswar-Visakhapatnam Intercity Express and the Visakha Express, which connects Bhubaneswar with Secunderabad in Telangana, were among the trains cancelled, the ECoR said.
The SCoR also cancelled the Shalimar-Mangaluru Vivek Express, Shalimar-Vasco da Gama Express and Howrah-SMVT Bengaluru Express.
Train services in the Ichchapuram-Jhadupudi section of the Visakhapatnam division were affected after water levels crossed the danger mark at two railway bridges along the route, officials said.
“Thirty-six trains have been cancelled, and 30 others diverted to ensure passenger safety. Railway officials are closely monitoring the situation. Train services will be restored once the water level recedes and the section is declared safe for train operations,” an official said.
Chief Secretary Anu Garg said the state government was in constant touch with the railways and had suggested that passengers be taken care of, with road transport arranged for short-distance travellers wherever possible.
“We hope that the water level will recede soon and train movement will return to normal,” Garg said.
Meanwhile, rainwater was seen flowing over railway tracks in parts of Ganjam district, one of the areas worst affected by the cyclone.
In a statement, the ECoR said around 550 mm of rainfall triggered by Cyclone Arnab in Ganjam district had led to a sharp rise in the water level of the Bahuda river.
