Fourteen days after a severe depression triggered massive landslides along the strategic Kotavalasa-Kirandul (KK) railway line, train services remain completely paralysed, causing immense hardship to passengers across the region.
The calamity struck between the Maliguda and Chhatriput stations near Jayapur, where massive chunks of earth collapsed from the hillsides, severely damaging both the up and down tracks as well as overhead electric installations. Since then, passenger and freight traffic on the route has come to a standstill.
Relentless Restoration Efforts Face Major Hurdles
Railway authorities have mobilised a massive task force to restore normalcy. Over 40 heavy machines are deployed around the clock for soil excavation, debris clearance, and track laying.
However, restoration work has proven exceptionally challenging. Engineering teams revealed that underground water springs have formed beneath the affected sections, causing newly filled earth to slide away repeatedly. Despite senior officials, including the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) from Rayagada, camping on-site at Maliguda to personally oversee operations, a clear timeline for the resumption of train services is yet to be established.
Commuters Suffer Mounting Hardship
The prolonged disruption has heavily impacted travellers from Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Jayapur, and neighbouring areas of Chhattisgarh. With direct trains out of commission, passengers travelling to Visakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, or Kolkata are forced to make expensive and arduous journeys to Koraput station just to catch alternative transport, incurring heavy additional expenses.
Revised Train Operations and Cancellations
With tracks remaining unrepaired, the East Coast Railway has extended the cancellation and short-termination periods for several key trains:
-
Cancelled Trains: The Visakhapatnam-Kirandul-Visakhapatnam Night Express and the Rourkela-Jagdalpur-Jagdalpur Express remain temporarily suspended until October 12 and 13, respectively.
-
Short-Terminated Services: Six major trains, including the Hirakhand Express, Samaleswari Express, and the Visakhapatnam-Kirandul Passenger, are currently running only up to Koraput station.
While railway officials and workers continue to pull out all the stops to stabilise the terrain and restore overhead power lines, commuters must brace for continued travel disruptions in the days ahead.
