Jajpur (Odisha): Puri-Howrah Vande Bharat Express train on Sunday was stopped following power disruptions caused due to lightning and a hailstorm near Baitarani Road station in Odisha's Jajpur. The semi-high-speed train from Puri to Howrah has been stranded between Baitarani Road and Manjuri Road stations since 4.30 pm. The express was stranded after a giant tree fell on the train, causing partial damage on the front portion, and impacting the overhead electrical equipment, an official said. A tree fell on the overhead electric line and the train was subsequently hit by it.
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On receiving the information, the officials, along with the technical team and equipment, rushed to the spot. The overhead wire equipment was repaired and a diesel engine would move the train from the site to Manjuri Road as the pantograph was entangled with the overhead wire, the official said. After the train is cleared up to Manjuri Road, it will again function with its own engine up to its destination.
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The train, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off on May 18, was halted due to overhead wire damage. The tree is said to have fallen due to a hailstorm near Bhadrak. "The train is expected to resume its service in some time," said an official of East Coast Railway (ECoR).
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