Daijiworld Media Network – Sakleshpur
Sakleshpur, Aug 2: Due to continuous heavy rainfall in the Western Ghats region, a massive landslide occurred on Saturday night near Arebetta, between the Yedakumari and Shiribagilu railway stations in the Mysuru railway division.
Following the landslide, huge quantities of soil and massive boulders crashed onto the railway tracks. This has completely disrupted the crucial train services connecting Bengaluru to Mangaluru and other parts of the coastal region.
Prioritizing passenger safety, the South Western Railway (SWR) initially partially cancelled several services, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded at various stations. However, to facilitate passenger movement, the SWR has now announced alternate diversion routes for several major trains for journeys commencing on Sunday, August 2.
Trains diverted on August 2:
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17377 Vijayapura - Mangaluru Central Express: Diverted to run via SSS Hubballi, Londa, Castle Rock, Madgaon, Karwar, Thokur, and Mangaluru Jn.
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17378 Mangaluru Central - Vijayapura Express: Diverted to run via Mangaluru Jn, Thokur, Karwar, Madgaon, Castle Rock, Londa, and SSS Hubballi.
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16586 Murdeshwar - SMVT Bengaluru Express: Diverted to run via Murdeshwar, Thokur, Mangaluru Central, Kannur, Shoranur Jn, Palakkad Jn, Podanur, Jolarpettai, and SMVT Bengaluru.
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16512 Kozhikkode - KSR Bengaluru Express: Diverted to run via Mangaluru Central, Kannur, Shoranur, Palakkad, Podanur, Jolarpettai, and SMVT Bengaluru.
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16511 KSR Bengaluru - Kozhikkode Express: This train will now originate from SMVT Bengaluru and run up to Mangaluru Central on a diverted route via Jolarpettai, Podanur, Palakkad, Shoranur, and Kozhikkode.
Partially cancelled services:
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16585 Bengaluru–Murdeshwar Express: Journey terminated at Hassan; service cancelled between Hassan and Murdeshwar.
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16595 KSR Bengaluru–Karwar Express: Will terminate at Sakleshpur; service suspended between Sakleshpur and Karwar.
Rain hinders clearance operations
Continuous rainfall at the landslide spot is severely hindering operations to clear the soil and boulders from the tracks. Railway staff are engaged in the clearance work with the help of heavy machinery. Meanwhile, the South Western Railway has requested passengers to check the running status of their trains before commencing their journey.