Rail traffic on the Thiruvananthapuram-Kasaragod corridor, disrupted since Friday due to landslips and floods, has been restored with Railways operating trains on the Shoranur-Kozhikode sector on Monday.
Ernad Express was the first train to move along the Shoranur-Kozhikode corridor at 1.40 p.m. With the opening of the corridor following the safety clearance given to Feroke bridge, trains can proceed via Mangalaru junction.
Divisional Railway Manager, Thiruvananthapuram, Shirish Kumar Sinha said Maveli, Malabar and Mangaluru expresses from the capital in the evening would run as per schedule to destination following the opening up of the corridor up to Kozhikode.
Much to the relief of the commuters hit by the floods, Railways operated trains from Thiruvananthapuram via Kottayam and Alappuzha to Palakkad and beyond on Sunday and from Thiruvananthapuram Central to Nagercoil side, Madurai, and beyond.
The Divisional Railway Manager, however, said speed restrictions would continue on the Thiruvananthapuram- Nagercoil, Kayamkulam- Alappuzha- Ernakulam, and three stretches on the Ernakulam- Shoranur sections as a precautionary measure.
On the Shoranur-Vallathol Nagar section, restoration works, including placing of sand bags on the site of landslip, are on. “Ninety% of the mail and express trains will pick up the sanctioned speed by Tuesday. Water level below the critical railway bridges has come down. We will continue to monitor the situation,” Mr. Sinha said.
Railways operated 02645 MGR Chennai Central - Ernakulam Special Fare Special from Chennai Central on Monday to clear the rush to Ernakulam.
Railways cancelled 16337 Okha- Ernakulam Express, 12521 Barauni - Ernakulam Raptisagar Express, 22645 Indore- Thiruvananthapuram Ahilyanagari Express, and 07116 Kochuveli- Hyderabad Special of August 12 due to traffic dislocation in the Palakkad division.
In addition, 2654 H. Nizamuddin- Thiruvananthapuram Superfast, 12618 H Nizamuddin- Ernakulam Mangala Express, 12626 New Delhi- Trivandrum Kerala Express, 22660 Dehradun- Kochuveli Superfast, 13351 Dhanbad- Alappuzha Express of August 12 had to be cancelled. The 12218 Chandigarh- Kochuveli Kerala Samparkkanti Express of August 14 will not run.
Partial cancellation
The 12075 Kozhikode - Thiruvananthapuram Janshatabdi was partially cancelled between Kozhikode and Shoranur Junction on Monday. The train commenced service from Shoranur Junction at its scheduled time.
