Kota: Rail services were disrupted along the high speed Bandra-Vaishno Devi Swaraj Express train after gusty winds damaged the Overhead Equipment (OHE) electric wires last night in Rajasthan's Kota, railway officials said on Friday. An official in the Northern Railways, which operates the train said that high speed winds damaged the OHE wires of the Train number 12471 Bandra-Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Jammu Swaraj Express train at around midnight.
The railway traffic came to a complete standstill on the route, the official said. As the 25000 KV line was disrupted, an emergency like situation emerged prompting the Northern Railways to press men and machinery into service to restore the OHE line. The team got involved in repairing the electric lines and poles to restore the traffic.
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After hectic efforts running for several hours, the railway line was restored again. An official said that at around 8:00 am, the power lines were fixed and traffic has started on the route. However, due to the disruption caused by inclement weather, many trains are running late by 6 to 7 hours on the route, an official said.
Besides, many trains have also been run from the diverted route, he added. According to railway sources, the Hisar Kota Express train reached Kota 6 hours late. Likewise, the Bandra Jaipur Express train was delayed by 4 hours. Indore-New Delhi Intercity and Jammu Tawi Swaraj Express remained halted at Arnetha station running five hours late.
The Mewar Express also ran late by hours. Similarly, many freight trains have also been affected due to the snag. According to an official, the train was moving near Arnetha station between Keshoraipatan and Kapren when the high speed winds damaged the power line along the route.
