Indian Railways has cancelled more than 150 express trains for the safety of passengers before cyclone “Dana” hits the coast. These trains were running under the jurisdiction of South Eastern Railway (SER).
The cancelled trains include:
Howrah-Secunderabad Falaknuma Express
Kamakhya-Yesvantpur AC Express
Howrah-Puri Shatabdi Express
Howrah-Bhubaneswar Shatabdi Express
Howrah-Yesvantpur Express
These trains were scheduled to run from their originating station between October 23 and 25. If the situation worsens, other trains passing through the South Eastern Railway zone (SER) may also be cancelled.
Eastern Railway emergency preparedness:
The Eastern Railway (ER) has announced that it will set up an emergency control room from October 24 to 25. According to the Meteorological Department, the depression in the Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm that may hit the coastal areas of Odisha and West Bengal between Puri and Sagar Island on the morning of October 25 with strong winds of 100-110 kmph and gusts up to 120 kmph.
Preparation at the airport:
The Kolkata airport authorities have started preparations to deal with the possible situations arising from the cyclone. Standard operating procedures are being followed to ensure inspection and evacuation arrangements, checking of airport structure, and serviceability of all facilities.
A meeting was also held with various stakeholders to discuss the matter. This information was given by Dr. Pravat Ranjan Beuria, Director of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport.
