Baripada: Train movement on Baripada-Bangiriposi route in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district came to a halt on Monday after heavy rains caused a 50-metre section of railway track to cave in near Sunagadia in the Station Bazar area.
The damage occurred after relentless downpours caused severe soil erosion and washed away the earth and concrete beneath the tracks. The damage to the tracks was detected late Sunday night during the movement of a DMU train, shortly after Puri-Bangiriposi Superfast Express had safely navigated through the section.
Addressing the situation, Sub-Collector, Baripada, Tapas Kumar Mohanta said: “We received information that the railway track had subsided. Personnel were on the job; the team has arrived and commenced work. There was a rain alert starting August 12. Heavy rainfall occurred on August 13, followed by another heavy rain alert yesterday. Senior officials have been deployed…”
The structural failure disrupted rail connectivity across the region. Several key trains originating from and passing through Baripada, including the Bangriposi-Bhubaneswar Superfast Express and the Bhanjpur-Rupsa MEMU service, were cancelled.
Railway emergency maintenance personnel rushed to the scene around midnight to begin restoration work. Work has been underway continuously to repair the damaged stretch and stabilise the ground. Railway officials confirmed that train operations on the route will remain suspended until the repairs are complete and the tracks are thoroughly inspected and declared safe.