Several trains were cancelled and others short-terminated after a rivulet reached the danger mark at a railway bridge between Ichchapuram and Jhadupudi in the Srikakulam district section of Visakhapatnam Division, disrupting rail services between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh on Thursday.
The cancellations include train No. 58531 Brahmapur–Visakhapatnam passenger departing from Brahmapur, train No. 18525 Brahmapur–Visakhapatnam Express departing from Brahmapur, and train No. 58532 Visakhapatnam–Brahmapur departing from Visakhapatnam.
South Coast Railway also altered the operation of three other services because of the regulation of train movements in the Ichchapuram–Jhadupudi section. Train No. 68419 Bhubaneswar–Palasa, which was scheduled to leave Bhubaneswar, was short-terminated at Chatrapur. Train No. 68420 Palasa–Bhubaneswar began its journey from Chatrapur instead of Palasa, while train No. 18448 Jagdalpur–Bhubaneswar was short-terminated at Palasa.
The disruption affects a rail corridor connecting major stations across southern Odisha and north-coastal Andhra Pradesh. The affected section includes stations serving passengers travelling between Brahmapur, Palasa and Visakhapatnam, making the temporary regulation relevant to daily commuters as well as longer-distance travellers.
South Coast Railway said it was making arrangements to operate a special train between Visakhapatnam and Palasa. The service is intended to facilitate the movement of stranded passengers and reduce inconvenience caused by the cancellations and altered train operations.
The railway has also provided help-line desks at Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and other major stations to disseminate information to passengers. Travellers using the affected services are being directed to obtain updated information at stations as train operations remain regulated in the Ichchapuram–Jhadupudi section.
The immediate disruption has highlighted the operational vulnerability of railway crossings and bridges during periods when water levels approach safety limits. For passengers, the railway’s next operational step is the arrangement of the Visakhapatnam–Palasa special train and continued dissemination of service information through help-line desks at major stations.
