Train services in Karnataka have been severely hit due to the continuing heavy rains and flooding in north, central and coastal regions of the state. Tracks have been inundated, and in some cases, have been damaged due to landslides. Most of Karnataka is covered by South Western Railway. The rest is covered by Konkan, Southern and South Central Railway.
Sakleshpur - Subramanya Road section
The most severely affected section in Karnataka is the Sakleshpur-Subramanya Road section. Tens of landslides have occurred in the last few days, and railway staff have been working on a war footing with earthmovers. Landslides have led to debris piling on tracks and in some cases, has loosened the soil below the track. There are also cases of railway bridges being flooded or being vulnerable due to the incessant rains.
Senior railway staff told TNM that engineers were positioned at all strategic locations and are monitoring restoration works in real-time.
But as more days of heavy rains have been predicted, the state government warned the South Western Railways to move all staff and labourers engaged in clearing debris and upkeep of the track until further notice. According to senior railway stuff, rainfall in Sakleshpur- Subramanya Road is almost double that of last year's cumulative rainfall. As a result, the Subramanya Road and Donigal parts in the section have been the most affected
Senior divisional staff have cancelled all trains passing through these tracks till August 23, and are assessing the extent of damage.
Waterlogging in Mumbai-Pune Section and Kerala
Heavy rainfall, which has triggered landslides and caused flooding in the Mumbai CST-Pune section and multiple sections in Kerala, has resulted in cancellation of some trains and partial cancellation of others. Many trains have also been diverted.
Trains which were running between Ernakulam - Bengaluru will now run between Thrissur and Coimbatore.
And the Kanyakumari-Bangalore Express will be diverted via Nagercoil, Madurai, Erode and Salem. The Mungur-Kolhapur Express has been cancelled, as are trains passing through Miraj and Kolhapur.
Shivamogga-Talaguppa section
Parts of the Shivamogga-Talaguppa section were inundated and train services were suspended on Saturday. However, with the water receding, train services were restored on Sunday.
The track between Shivamogga Town to Talguppa was suspended from 9.15 pm on August 9 due to heavy downpour, with water flowing above the track in many locations between Shivamogga Town to Talguppa.
The track has now been restored and certified as fit at 11.30 am on Sunday for running of through passenger trains between Shivamogga Town and Talguppa. Normal train services in the section will resume shortly.