Train services via Kottayam remain disrupted with Railways unable to remove the loose earth and boulders that fell on the track near the approach to the second tunnel at Chingavanam during heavy rain on Wednesday.
Railways were hoping to remove the debris that had fallen along the 15-metre track and restore traffic by Thursday afternoon. But, the limited working space in the landslip area, poor road connectivity to move the machines and the 15-m high cutting from where the earth caved in hampered the restoration works.
As it is a single lane and the landslip occurred near the approach to the tunnel, the debris is being removed using wagon to the opposite side and this is a time-consuming process. “Work is in full swing and the rail traffic is expected to be restored by Friday,” a top divisional railway official said.
Preventive steps
Railways would take immediate measures to prevent further landslip by flattening the 15-metre cutting by acquiring land, he said.
Train services via Kottayam had been diverted via Kayamkulam Junction-Alappuzha-Ernakulam Junction.
Diverted
On Thursday, Thiruvananthapuram Central-Ernakulam Venad Special Express (06302), Kannur-Thiruvananthapuram Central Janshatabdi Special (02081), Ernakulam-Thiruvananthapuram Central Venad Special Express (06301) and Thiruvananthapuram Central-Kannur Janshatabdi Special (02082) conducted service via Alappuzha. All these trains were provided additional stoppage at Kayamkulam Junction, Alappuzha and Ernakulam Junction and train 02082 was provided additional stoppage at Cherthala also.
Thiruvananthapuram Central-Ernakulam Venad Special Express (06302) and Kannur-Thiruvananthapuram Central Janshatabdi Special (02081) of July 31 have been diverted via Alappuzha, a railway spokesman said.