Heavy rain damaged walls of Prenem tunnel, which lies ahead of Madgaon on the single-line Karwar section of Konkan Railway. (Express photo)

Movement of trains to Goa and further south has been badly hit after heavy rain damaged the walls of Prenem tunnel, which lies just ahead of Madgaon on the single-line Karwar section of Konkan Railway.

Portion of the wall, measuring nearly 10 metres, of the 1.5-km-long tunnel has caved in allowing slush into the tunnel from multiple cracks. The tunnel was built in 1998. The cracks developed on August 6 following heavy rain.

Restoration work is underway but has been hampered by rain. DGM (PR) of Konkan Railway Baban Ghatge said restoration work was likely to take two weeks as it was being constantly stalled by rain.

At least eight trains bound for Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam have been diverted through Pune-Miraj to reach Madgaon and then head further down south.