Ranchi: Train services in Jharkhand were disrupted after a herd of wild elephants was seen close to railway tracks in the Chakradharpur division. The South Eastern Railway slowed down and regulated 11 trains, including the Dhanbad–Bhubaneswar Express, Bhubaneswar–Dhanbad Express and Bhubaneswar–Anand Vihar Superfast Express.
Trains Affected
Nine long-distance express trains were affected between 10:45 pm on October 24 and 7 am on October 25. These included the 18404 Dhanbad–Bhubaneswar Express, 18110 NITR–Tatanagar Express, 22805 Bhubaneswar–Anand Vihar Superfast Express and 18030 Shalimar–Mumbai LTT Express.
Two more trains were affected on the Bangurkela–Nuagaon section between 12:40 am and 7 am on Sunday. They were the 13352 Alappuzha–Dhanbad Express and 18403 Bhubaneswar–Dhanbad Express, as reported by The New Indian Express.
Speed Restricted
After receiving information about elephants near the tracks, railway officials restricted train speed to 30 kmph in the elephant corridor. Train movement was also regulated to avoid any accident.
Officials said passenger safety and wildlife protection were their priority. They requested passengers to cooperate and adjust to the delays caused by the movement of elephants.
Earlier, on Saturday, elephant movement had affected at least three trains in the same division.