Daijiworld Media Network - Hyderabad
Hyderabad, Oct 27: South Central Railway (SCR) has cancelled 11 trains in view of the ‘very severe’ cyclonic storm Arnab over the Bay of Bengal, which is likely to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast on Wednesday.
In a release issued on Tuesday, SCR said the cancellations were ordered in the interest of passenger safety. Ten trains scheduled to commence their journeys on Tuesday, October 27, and another train scheduled to depart on October 28 have been cancelled.
The cancelled trains include the Secunderabad-Howrah Falaknuma Superfast Express, Secunderabad-Bhubaneswar New Visakha Express, Hyderabad-Visakhapatnam Godavari Superfast Express, Mahabubnagar-Visakhapatnam Superfast Express, Secunderabad-Visakhapatnam Garibrath Superfast Express, Lingampalli-Kakinada Town Cocanada Superfast Express, Lingampalli-Narsapur Express, Lingampalli-Kakinada Port Gowthami Superfast Express, Hazur Sahib Nanded-Sambalpur Nagavalli Superfast Express, Charlapalli-Srikakulam Road Special and Srikakulam Road-Charlapalli Special.
The Nagarsol-Narsapur train has been partially cancelled between Charlapalli and Narsapur. The Howrah-Secunderabad Falaknuma Express, scheduled to depart from Howrah on October 29, has also been cancelled.
South Coast Railway has already announced the cancellation of 61 trains.
SCR said the intensification of the cyclone is likely to affect several places in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and other areas. Accordingly, train services in the region may be altered depending on the prevailing situation to ensure passenger safety and the safe operation of trains.
Cyclone Arnab is likely to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, near Yanam, during the forenoon of October 28 as a very severe cyclonic storm.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Khammam, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Mulugu and Mahabubabad districts on October 28. Heavy rainfall is also forecast over Warangal, Hanumakonda, Suryapet and Nalgonda on October 28 and 29. In view of the expected weather conditions, several trains operating along the affected routes and sections may be cancelled or diverted.
South Central Railway General Manager Sanjay Kumar Srivastava reviewed safety measures and preparedness with Dr R. Gopalakrishnan, Divisional Railway Manager of Secunderabad Division, and other officials.
During the review, Srivastava assessed identified vulnerable sections and bridges across the division, patrolling arrangements and the deployment of patrolmen and watchmen at sensitive locations. He also reviewed water levels in tanks.
The General Manager further assessed the readiness and positioning of boulder, sandbag and ballast rakes, along with Accident Relief Trains (ARTs) and Accident Relief Medical Equipment (ARMEs), at Kazipet and Dornakal.
Srivastava directed the heads of all departments to remain on high alert to ensure the safety of passengers, railway staff and assets. Officers and senior supervisors at divisional and headquarters levels are closely monitoring train operations, bridge conditions and water levels at vulnerable locations.
Passengers have been advised to plan their journeys in view of the prevailing climatic conditions, including heavy rainfall and the approaching cyclone.
SCR said changes to train services, including cancellations, diversions and rescheduling, would be communicated to passengers through SMS messages sent to the mobile numbers provided while booking reserved tickets.