BHUBANESWAR: A goods train derailed on a single line between Angul and Talcher Road under Dhenkanal-Sambalpur rail section in East Coast Railway (ECoR) early on Tuesday morning as heavy rains washed out a portion of the railway track.
Sources said around 100 metres of the single line track was washed out due to flash floods triggered by a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal. The restoration work has been affected as floodwater was still flowing above the track.
"Nine bogies and engine of the rice laden train derailed nearly 2 km away from the Talcher station as the railway track approaching a bridge was badly damaged in the heavy flow of rainwater. Signalling was also affected due to inundation of railway tracks," said a railway spokesperson.
Two accident relief trains from Sambalpur and Khurda Road sides have arrived at the spot for restoration of the damaged track. The work will start once the rainwater recedes from the track, he informed and confirmed that no casualty was reported.
Divisional Railway Manager of Khurda Road Rinkesh Roy has rushed to the site and is reviewing the restoration and rerailment works. Preliminary investigation revealed that the derailment was due to bank slip on box bridge approach due to flash flood.
A crane from Sambalpur will tackle wagons from Angul side and another from Khurda Road will tackle engine and then wagons from Talcher side. One JCB has also been mobilised to create diversion so as to reduce water flow for filling the breach.
"The box girder is intact. Retaining walls on both sides have been damaged. The left railway track on approach to bridge from Angul side has been washed out," the spokesperson added.
Several passengers have been stranded at Sambalpur station due to the derailment. Railway officials of Sambalpur Division have distributed snacks, drinking water and tea to around 2400 stranded passengers of Bikaner-Puri Special (1000 passengers) and Durg-Puri Special trains (1400 passengers).
Meanwhile, train services in the section have been affected leading to cancellation of 12 trains and diversion of eight trains. The Rourkela-Bhubaneswar Inter City Special will run between Rourkela and Sambalpur on the day.
Trains cancelled on September 14
01. 08105 Rourkela-Puri Special from Rourkela
02. 08106 Puri-Rourkela Special from Puri
03. 02862 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela Inter City Special from Bhubaneswar
04. 02866 Puri-LTT Special from Puri
05. 08493 Bhubaneswar-Balangir Inter City Special from Bhubaneswar
06. 08494 Balangir-Bhubaneswar Inter City Special from Balangir
07. 08451Hatia-Puri Special from Hatia
08. 08452 Puri-Hatia Special from Puri
09. 08425 Puri-Durg Special from Puri
10. 08426 Durg-Puri Special from Durg
11. 08127 Rourkela-Gunupur Special from Rourkela
12. 08128 Gunupur-Rourkela Special from Gunupur has been cancelled on September 15
Trains diverted
13. 02814 Anand Vihar-Bhubaneswar Special from Anand Vihar on 13.09.2021 will run
via Chakradharpur-Jaroli and Jakhapura
14. 08503 Visakhapatnam-Amritsar Special from Visakhapatnam (now at Khalikot) will
run via Vizianagaram-Rayagada-Titilagarh-Sambalpur
15. 08426 Durg-Puri Special from Durg on 13.09.2021 now at Boinda will run via
Sambalpur-Titilagarh-Vizianagaram-Khurda Road
16. 08451 Hatia-Puri Tapaswini Special from Hatia on 13.09.2021 now at Angul will
run via Sambalpur-Titilagarh-Vizianagaram-Khurda Road
17. 02145 LTT-Puri Special from LTT on 12.09.2021 now at Angul will run via
Sambalpur-Titilagarh-Vizianagaram-Khurda Road
18. 04709 Bikaner-Puri Special from Bikaner on 12.09.2021 now at Rairakhol will run
via Sambalpur-Titilagarh-Vizianagaram-Khurda Road
19. 05128 Gunupur-Rourkela Special from Gunupur on 13.09.2021 now at Talcher Road
will run via Kapilas Road-Jakhapura-Jaroli
20. 02037 Puri-Ajmer Special from Puri on 13.09.2021 now at Budhapank will run via
Khurda Road-Vizianagaram-Rayagada-Titilagarh