Trains canceled due to rain, falling boulders

Visakhapatnam: Train services were affected on Tuesday due to heavy rain and rocks falling on the tram system of Tyda-Sivalingapuram line of Kottavalasa-Kirandul.

According to railway communication here on Wednesday, to avoid accidents due to falling of rocks, the pilot of a goods train took alert and stopped the train from the affected tram.

Responding quickly, to clear the line, he ordered Socorro trains from Visakhapatnam, Koraput and Araku.

Waltair Railway Divisional Director, Saurabh Prasad, along with senior officials of the division, reached the spot the same night. Rescue teams braved storms to restore service to trains, despite difficult climatic conditions. Due to the collective efforts of various departments, goods train services were restored in the affected trains at 9.30 am.

Meanwhile, train no. 08552 Kirandul-Visakhapatnam Passenger Special which had reached Araku at the time of the rock fall, was halted for a while and in view of the disruption, Division Waltair arranged three buses from Araku station to Visakhapatnam to transport 199 passengers of the train. The road around Tyada-Sivalingapuram is prone to rock falls during intense rains and high winds. They also arranged for refunds for passengers who canceled tickets from Araku.

The commercial department of the Waltair Division stood by the extreme conditions and provided water, tea, biscuits etc. Train passengers were moved in buses from Araku station to Visakhapatnam in view of road blockage due to the collapse. A rock near Shivalingapuram.

However, Visakhapatnam-Kirandul passenger trains will remain canceled from Wednesday till December 8 due to continuous rain in this section.