Rain, floods, soil erosion hits train services in north India; more than 70 trains cancelled in Punjab, Jammu

The Indian Railways on Wednesday, 27 August, cancelled over 70 trains, 18 of them in the Ambala Division, including the New Delhi-Katra Vande Bharat, due to heavy rain and flash floods in Punjab and Jammu, according to an official.

The other cancelled trains included the Katra-Subedarganj Express, Udhampur-Pathankot Express, Katra-New Delhi Express, Jammu Tawi-Varanasi Express, Katra-Rishikesh Express and Kalka-Katra Express.

Ambala Division Senior Commercial Manager Naveen Kumar Jha said the down line has been completely affected due to the erosion of Punjab's Chakki river.

The tracks from Pathankot to Kandori, in Himachal Pradesh, have been damaged, Jha said and added that the Jammu route will be affected the most and the trains will remain cancelled till further orders. Passengers will get full refund, he assured.  Swollen rivers and incessant rain have submerged many villages and low-lying areas in several districts of Punjab.

In Jammu Division apart from the cancelled trains 64 trains were short-terminated or short-originated at various stations in the division.

Rail traffic, which was briefly restored on Wednesday morning with six trains departing from Jammu after a day-long suspension, was halted later due to flash floods and heavy soil erosion in the Chakki river area, officials said.

The public relations officer (PRO) of Northern Railway, Jammu Division, said, 58 trains were cancelled, three partially cancelled, one partially restored, five fully restored, and three diverted.

Heavy rains have been lashing the Jammu region for the past 38 hours, severely disrupting rail and road traffic. The Jammu region has recorded its heaviest rainfall in decades, with over 360 mm in less than 38 hours since Monday night. The downpour has triggered floods, landslides, damaged bridges and roads, and inundated residential and agricultural areas, forcing people to move to safer locations.