Landslides disrupt Konkan Railway traffic

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Panaji, July 18, 2011: Two massive landslides within hours have completely disrupted train services on the Konkan Railway route, as heavy rains lashed Goa and nearby areas for the eighth day Monday.

Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL) public relations officer (PRO) Baban Ghatge told IANS that the first landslide occurred at 8 p.m. Sunday in Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri district, about 150 km from here, while the second took place at 12:30 a.m. also at the same spot.

"We had resumed rail services after clearing the debris from the first landslide last night. But after the second landslide, all rail traffic has been halted," Ghatge said.  The official said that the Konkan railway was only carrying out transshipment services, which involves transferring passengers from trains on either side of the landslide to trains on the other side and ferrying them to their destination.

"Passengers from the Nizamuddin-Goa Sampark Kranti Express have been transshipped to the Trivandrum-Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) Netravati Express and vice versa for their respective onward journeys," Ghatge said.

Similar arrangements have been worked out for passengers travelling on the Kochiveli-Bikaner Express 16312 and 12619 LTT-Mangalore Matsyagandha Express, and 12617 Ernakulam-Nizamuddim Mangala Express and 12618 Nizauddim-Ernakulam Mangala Express respectively.

Courtesy: Deccan Herald