Rail traffic disrupted, Kalka-Shimla line worst-hit

Nitish Sharma

Ambala, July 10

The rail traffic was badly affected due to heavy rain and waterlogging on the Sirhind-Nangal Dam, Chandigarh-Sahnewal, Saharanpur-Ambala, Ambala-Chandigarh -Kalka and Ambala-Delhi sections on Monday. The Kalka-Shimla section is the worst-affected due to landslides and the falling of trees.

A large number of trains were cancelled, diverted, short-terminated and short-originated due to waterlogging. Trains which were already on tracks, were behind schedule and made halts at stations for several hours to ensure safe operations.

As per the Railways, over 70 trains, including 14711 (Haridwar-Shri Ganga Nagar Express), 12053 (Haridwar-Amritsar Express), 04523 (Saharanpur-Nangal Dam Special), 14609 (Rishikesh-SMVD Express), 04577 (Ambala-Nangal Dam), 04580 (Nangal Dam-Ambala), 15012 (Chandigarh-Lucknow Express), 12528 (Chandigarh-Ramnagar Express), 12238 (Jammu Tawi- Varanasi Express), 12232 (Chandigarh-Lucknow Express), 14631 (Dehradun-Amritsar Express), 22445 (Kanpur Central Amritsar Superfast), 12587 (Gorakhpur-Jammu Tawi Amarnath Express) and 14331 (Delhi Kalka Express) were cancelled on Monday.

Divisional Railway Manager of Ambala Division Mandeep Singh Bhatia said, “We are depending on the weather conditions at present. If they improve, we will restore trains from tomorrow. The Kalka-Shimla section is the worst-hit.”