The Tamralipta Express from Howrah to Digha was halted about two kilometres before its destination on Wednesday after an electrical failure on the railway line, leaving passengers and tourists stranded and forcing some to arrange alternative transport.
The train remained stopped for several hours because power was reportedly not reaching the relevant section of the line. Passengers began getting down with their luggage while Digha was still around two to two-and-a-half kilometres away, according to a report by Anandabazar – West Bengal.
Some travellers sought help from local residents and used battery-operated three-wheelers, or totos, to reach Digha. Passengers reportedly alleged that some operators charged arbitrary fares after the disruption. The incident shifted the final stretch of the journey from a rail connection to an unplanned road-based transfer, leaving travellers to manage luggage and onward transport on their own.
Railway police officers reached the site after receiving information about the power failure and attempted to restore normal movement. After several hours, a separate locomotive was brought from Tamluk to move the train onwards to Digha, the report said.
The disruption occurred as coastal areas of West Bengal were under heightened alert following the landfall of Cyclone Arnav on the Andhra Pradesh coast. Anandabazar reported that the storm’s effects were being felt along the West Bengal coast, with rough seas at Digha, Mandarmani and Tajpur and restrictions on visitors approaching the sea.
The railway incident added a transport disruption to an already constrained tourism environment, where visitors were expected to remain largely inside hotels because of the coastal safety restrictions. Local administration officials were reported to be maintaining surveillance in the affected areas. The immediate rail service was restored after the additional locomotive reached the stalled train.
