Bhubaneswar, Sept. 26 (UDN): Train services on the Koraput-Kirandul route were severely disrupted on Friday after a high-voltage transmission tower collapsed near Maliguda railway station amid strong winds and heavy rain, triggering landslides that damaged sections of the railway track.
The incident occurred in the Maliguda-Chhatriput section, where nearly 150 metres of earth slid onto the tracks. Railway officials said the landslide caused subsidence at several locations, making the route unsafe for train operations.
Witnesses said the transmission tower had begun leaning under the impact of the adverse weather before eventually collapsing, while continuous rainfall further destabilised the surrounding hillside.
Senior railway officials, including Rayagada Divisional Railway Manager Amitabh Singhal, rushed to the site to assess the damage and supervise restoration work. Engineering teams were deployed to remove debris, stabilise the affected embankment and repair the damaged track.
Train Services Hit
In view of the disruption, the Railways cancelled several passenger services on the route.
The Kirandul-Visakhapatnam Express, Kirandul-Visakhapatnam Passenger, and Rourkela-Jagdalpur Intercity Express were cancelled, while two other services were curtailed to Koraput until further notice.
Railway authorities said train operations would resume only after safety inspections confirm that the affected section is fit for traffic.
Officials are continuing restoration work on a war footing as the region remains under the influence of persistent rainfall triggered by the prevailing weather system over southern Odisha.
