Cyclone Arnab Has Passed, but Its Floodwater Is Still Rerouting Indian Trains

Cyclone Arnab made landfall in Andhra Pradesh on October 28, but the trouble for rail passengers on India’s east coast did not end with the wind. East Coast Railway cancelled trains on October 29 and diverted 14 services after heavy rain pushed the Bahuda River above the danger mark at the rail bridge between Ichchapuram and Jhadupudi, a stretch of the main Howrah–Chennai route.

The cancellations include the Bhubaneswar–Visakhapatnam Vande Bharat Express, and the Jagdalpur–Bhubaneswar Hirakhand Express is also off today. Earlier in the week the railway had said at least 22 express and passenger services would be cancelled or regulated between October 27 and November 5, among them the Visakhapatnam–Kirandul Express, which will not run from October 29 through November 4.

Officials expected the worst impact in five Odisha districts: Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput and Malkangiri, with Rayagada Division seen as the most vulnerable. A disaster management cell was set up at Rail Sadan in Bhubaneswar, with round-the-clock war rooms at divisional headquarters and relief trains and diesel locomotives held in reserve.

The railway says services will be restored once the water recedes and the track is certified safe, but cancellations are scheduled to run into early November. The cyclone has killed at least three people and prompted the evacuation of more than 180,000, so travelers heading to Odisha or Andhra Pradesh should check their train’s status before leaving for the station.

Sources: Travel Monitor, OdishaBytes, Al Jazeera