India
Flooded tracks halt trains: Heavy rain causes water leak in Goa tunnel, disrupts Konkan Railway | India News – Times of India
NEW DELHI: Goa’s idyllic beauty was overshadowed by chaos on Wednesday morning, when persistent rainfall caused severe flooding in a tunnel near Pernem, which leads to a huge disruption on the Konkan Railway route.
The problem started at 2.35pm on Tuesday when water started seeping into the Pernem tunnel between Madure-Pernem section, confirmed Baban Ghatge, deputy general manager of Konkan Railway Corporation (KRCL).
Despite initial efforts to clear the water and resume traffic at 22:13 on Tuesday, relief was short-lived. At 02:59 on Wednesday, water again entered the tunnel, this time with greater intensity, forcing train services to be halted and causing widespread chaos.
Due to the rain, which started on Tuesday afternoon, several trains were cancelled and diverted, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded at various stations.
Goa has been battered by heavy rains for the past three days. There was some light rain on Wednesday morning, but the Meteorological Department issued a red alert for exceptionally heavy rain, which worsened the crisis.
Trains stopped and diverted
The iconic Vande Bharat Express, along with several other crucial trains, were victims of this natural attack. Cancelled trains included:
Vande Bharat Express (Mumbai CSMT)
Mandovi Express (Margao to Mumbai)
Passenger train from Margao to Sawantwadi
Margao to Mumbai Tejas Express
Margao to Mumbai Jan Shatabdi Express
Sawantwadi-Diva Express
In addition, important trains such as the Tirunelveli-Jamnagar Express, Nagarcoil-Gandhidham Express, Ernakulam-Hazrat Nizamuddin Express and Thiruvananthapuram Central-Lokmanya Tilak Express were diverted to alternative routes.
Stranded passengers and chaos at stations
The disruptions left passengers stranded at key stations in Goa, including Margao, Canacona, Karmali, Thivim and Pernem. Margao station witnessed particularly chaotic scenes, with hundreds of passengers stranded and no clear guidelines for alternative arrangements.
Among the stranded travellers were 200 travellers from Gujarat, including 60 senior citizens, who were left in the dark when the Goa Samparkranti Express was abruptly cancelled two hours before its departure. Abdul Walekar, a member of the group, expressed his collective frustration: “There is a group of 200 people with us, at least 60 of whom are senior citizens. Two hours before, we were told that the train was cancelled. What will we do now?”
The group, on its way to Baroda, pleaded with KRCL officials for alternative travel arrangements. “We don’t mind waiting here at the railway station, but arrangements should be made for our return journey. We have a large group with us. Staying in Goa will mean incurring huge expenses,” added another member.
KRCL officials, led by deputy general manager Baban Ghatge, assured passengers that work was underway to clear the tracks at the Pernem tunnel. However, they could not provide a specific timeline due to the ongoing water leakage.
Attempts to restore normality
“We are trying to resolve the issue as soon as possible,” PTI quoted Ghatge as saying, highlighting the ongoing problems due to the incessant rains.
As the situation develops, stranded passengers can only hope for quick solutions to return home or continue their journey. In the meantime, the people of Goa and those travelling through its beautiful landscape must brace themselves for more rain and disruption as the skies clear and the tracks dry.
The problem started at 2.35pm on Tuesday when water started seeping into the Pernem tunnel between Madure-Pernem section, confirmed Baban Ghatge, deputy general manager of Konkan Railway Corporation (KRCL).
Despite initial efforts to clear the water and resume traffic at 22:13 on Tuesday, relief was short-lived. At 02:59 on Wednesday, water again entered the tunnel, this time with greater intensity, forcing train services to be halted and causing widespread chaos.
Due to the rain, which started on Tuesday afternoon, several trains were cancelled and diverted, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded at various stations.
Goa has been battered by heavy rains for the past three days. There was some light rain on Wednesday morning, but the Meteorological Department issued a red alert for exceptionally heavy rain, which worsened the crisis.
Trains stopped and diverted
The iconic Vande Bharat Express, along with several other crucial trains, were victims of this natural attack. Cancelled trains included:
Vande Bharat Express (Mumbai CSMT)
Mandovi Express (Margao to Mumbai)
Passenger train from Margao to Sawantwadi
Margao to Mumbai Tejas Express
Margao to Mumbai Jan Shatabdi Express
Sawantwadi-Diva Express
In addition, important trains such as the Tirunelveli-Jamnagar Express, Nagarcoil-Gandhidham Express, Ernakulam-Hazrat Nizamuddin Express and Thiruvananthapuram Central-Lokmanya Tilak Express were diverted to alternative routes.
Stranded passengers and chaos at stations
The disruptions left passengers stranded at key stations in Goa, including Margao, Canacona, Karmali, Thivim and Pernem. Margao station witnessed particularly chaotic scenes, with hundreds of passengers stranded and no clear guidelines for alternative arrangements.
Among the stranded travellers were 200 travellers from Gujarat, including 60 senior citizens, who were left in the dark when the Goa Samparkranti Express was abruptly cancelled two hours before its departure. Abdul Walekar, a member of the group, expressed his collective frustration: “There is a group of 200 people with us, at least 60 of whom are senior citizens. Two hours before, we were told that the train was cancelled. What will we do now?”
The group, on its way to Baroda, pleaded with KRCL officials for alternative travel arrangements. “We don’t mind waiting here at the railway station, but arrangements should be made for our return journey. We have a large group with us. Staying in Goa will mean incurring huge expenses,” added another member.
KRCL officials, led by deputy general manager Baban Ghatge, assured passengers that work was underway to clear the tracks at the Pernem tunnel. However, they could not provide a specific timeline due to the ongoing water leakage.
Attempts to restore normality
“We are trying to resolve the issue as soon as possible,” PTI quoted Ghatge as saying, highlighting the ongoing problems due to the incessant rains.
As the situation develops, stranded passengers can only hope for quick solutions to return home or continue their journey. In the meantime, the people of Goa and those travelling through its beautiful landscape must brace themselves for more rain and disruption as the skies clear and the tracks dry.
