Cancellations, diversions hit train services for 5 hours
Times of India | 10 November 2024
Kolkata: The derailment of the 22850 Secunderabad-Shalimar Express hit South-Eastern Railway services for the next five hours, leading to cancellation of four long-distance as well as several suburban locals, diversion of many and short-termination of several others. It also had a long-term effect with the authorities being forced to slow down all trains and to let drivers operate through a single set of tracks on Up line. "Normal services are expected to be restored by Saturday night," said SER CPRO Omprakash Charan.
Digha-Howrah, Howrah-Digha, Howrah-Adra, Howrah-Purulia, and Howrah-Ranchi Intercity Express, all scheduled to start journey on Saturday, were called off. Those diverted included LTT Mumbai-Shalimar Express, CSMT Mumbai-Howrah Express, SMVT Bengaluru-Guwahati Express and Kanniyakumari-Dibrugarh Express. Around 20 trains were short-terminated or short-originated, including Puri-Howrah Shatabdi, Hatia-Howrah Express, Puri-Shalimar, Sambalpur-Shalimar Express, MGR Chennai Central-Shalimar Express and Adra-Howrah Express. Ranchi-Howrah-Ranchi Vande Bharat Express and Howrah-Tatanagar Steel Express were also affected.
Some of the services were restored after the middle track was cleared at 2.40 pm and the Down line around 6 pm. Bhubaneswar-Howrah Jan Shatabdi ran up to Howrah instead of the earlier plan of being short-terminated at Kharagpur. Puri-Howrah Shatabdi ran up to Howrah instead of the earlier plan of ending at Bhadrak. Howrah-Puri Shatabdi was restored, as was Ranchi-Howrah Intercity, Howrah-Purulia Express and Ranchi-Howrah Vande Bharat.