Rail services hit as goods train derails in Maharashtra

Helpline counters and helpline phones have been set up at Kazipet, Warangal and other stations

A coal-laden goods train proceeding towards Balharshah derailed at Wihirgaon station in Maharashtra in the early hours on Friday affecting rail services.

The incident occurred on Kazipet-Balharshah section about 30 kilometres before Balharshah station on South Central Railway (SCR) at around 1 am on Friday, SCR Chief Public Relations Officer M Uma Shankar Kumar said in a release in Hyderabad.

"Train services in the section have been affected in both Up and Down directions," it said adding restoration measures have been immediately taken up on a war-footing.

SCR Additional General Manager A K Gupta is monitoring the measures from the Disaster Control Room activated at Rail Nilayam in Secunderabad.

Senior Railway officials, including Divisional Railway Manager, Secunderabad Division and Chief Operations Manager, SCR have also rushed to the spot.

Cranes of 140 tonnes capacity have been dispatched from Kazipet and Nagpur to take up the restoration work at the site. Accident Relief Trains (ART) have been rushed from Kazipet and Balharshah to the spot, the release said.

Helpline counters and helpline phones have been set up at all major Railway stations, including Kazipet, Warangal, Khammam, Sirpurkagaznagar, Ramagundam and Manchiryal etc to provide information to passengers on train movements, it added.

In view of the derailment of the goods train, SCR officials announced the cancellation of three trains, including Train No. 12723 Hyderabad - New Delhi Telangana Express, Train No. 12724 New Delhi - Hyderabad Telangana Express and Train No. 57121 Kazipet - Balharshah passenger.

Eight trains were partially cancelled while several other trains were diverted, the release added.