Today's Cancelled Trains
Bihar Flood Threat: ECR intensifies Night Patrolling of Tracks and Bridges
Hajipur (HJP): East Central Railway (ECR) GM Madhuresh Kumar on Monday held a high-level meeting with senior officials at the zonal headquarters in Hajipur in the wake of looming flood threat in Kosi region, posing danger to railway tracks. He directed the officials concerned to remain on high alert round the clock and keep a close tab on bridges and tracks.
Kumar said, “We are constantly watching the situation. Senior officials are already camping at all vulnerable points falling under Samastipur division of ECR. Railways has sufficient stock of boulders and other required materials at most of the sensitive locations under the division to save tracks from getting damaged. If required, movement of passenger trains will be regulated from safety point of view.” An emergency control room has become functional at Hajipur.
According to the GM, Koparia-Dhamara Ghat route located on Saharsa-Mansi section of Samastipur division is the most critical one and Supaul-Forbesganj route is also vulnerable to flood. Railways is at present running 14 to 16 pairs of passenger trains on these routes, which include Saharsa-Delhi Garib Rath Express and Rajrani Express, he said.
According to ECR CPRO Arvind Rajak, the speed limit of passenger trains has been regulated at 40 kmph on Saharsa-Mansi route due to rising water level in the Kosi. Railways is seriously monitoring water level or its discharge from Kosi barrage round the clock and accordingly makes its preparation for the movement of passenger trains. The CPRO said railways is also in touch with state government officials in Patna about the flood threat. In the event of any emergency, railways will act swiftly with its own disaster management team comprising mostly engineers and flood protection staff, he said.
ECR also has sent a team to Saharsa to oversee precautionary measures being taken to save tracks in the event of a Kosi flood.
The team is camping at Koparia-Dhamara Ghat in the district, around 170km northeast of Patna, to check work on the adjacent Saharsa-Mansi railway section. It comes under East Central Railway (ECR)’s Samastipur division and is considered lifeline of the Kosi region.
In the 2008 Kosi floods, the tracks were completely damaged, while in 2011 and 2012, they went under water. Learning its lessons, the railways administration sent the team to Saharsa on Sunday. It is camping near the Fango railway halt.
According to records of the Central Water Commission received on Monday, the Kosi is flowing 2.5m below the danger mark. But the railways authorities do not want to take any chances.
Divisional railway manager, Samastipur, Arun Malik told “At present, things are under control but the team is keeping a close eye on the situation.”
In 2011 and 2012, the 44km Saharsa-Mansi railway route came under immense pressure near the Fango railway halt.
He added: “Boulders have been pitched to protect them. The railways learnt its lesson from the 2008 flood (when tracks in the section were completely swept away). I have asked the engineers not to leave the spot unless the threat has passed.”
To ensure passengers’ lives do not come at stake, Malik also said: “In a 6km stretch of the railway line, where chances of soil erosion are severe, we have restricted train speed from 80kmph to 30kmph. We have decided to stop movement on this route if anything goes out of control. Adequate number of labourers is working with earth-moving machines and other equipment at the spot.”
Officials said in case of a flood, gauge conversion on an 118km stretch (under ECR in Bihar) would be affected. Chief public relations officer, ECR, Arvind Kumar Rajak said: “At present the situation is not alarming. Two rakes of boulder have reached Saharsa district and our best officers have been deputed to look into the matter.”
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