Malda, Sept. 30 -- Train services on the Malda division of Eastern Railway were disrupted after severe erosion along the Ganga damaged rail infrastructure between Sakrigali and Maharajpur stations in Jharkhand's Sahibganj district. Several passenger and goods trains have been cancelled, while others have been diverted, short-terminated or controlled.
According to Eastern Railway authorities, erosion of the Ganga embankment has caused a major depression barely 13 metres from the railway track in the Sakrigali-Maharajpur section of the Sahibganj-Barharwa route. Movement of passenger and freight trains on the down line has been suspended as a precautionary measure. Trains are being operated slowly on the available line.
Several trains have been cancelled, diverted or curtailed. On September 30, Sahibganj-Rampurhat MEMU (63406) and Rampurhat-Sahibganj MEMU (63073) were cancelled. Earlier, several services including Sahibganj-Malda Town MEMU, Azimganj-Sahibganj MEMU, Sahibganj-Bhagalpur MEMU, Barddhaman-Sahibganj MEMU, Barharwa-Sahibganj Passenger, Howrah-Sahibganj Express, Rampurhat-Sahibganj MEMU, Malda Town-Sahibganj MEMU, Sahibganj-Azimganj MEMU, Bhagalpur-Sahibganj MEMU, Sahibganj-Barddhaman MEMU and Sahibganj-Barharwa Passenger were also cancelled for journeys commencing on September 30.
Railway authorities have deployed a large number of officials and employees at the affected site, with restoration work continuing round the clock on a war footing to restore normal services at the earliest.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.