SCR re-opens rail route to Visakhapatnam

Hyderabad, Oct 14 (INN): The rail route to Visakhapatnam on Vijayawada-Rajahmundry-Visakhapatnam Section of Vijayawada Division of South Central Railway has been opened to rail traffic at 2:30 PM on Tuesday.
 
The Railway track on down line towards Visakhapatnam has been made fit for traffic and the trains will be operated through this single line. Train No. 18520 Lokamanya Tilak Terminus to Visakhapatnam has smoothly passed through the restored line at 03:45 PM this afternoon.
 
SCR General Manager PK Srivastava, who rushed to the affected section yesterday, has continuously been camping at the work spot and closely monitoring the progress.  He led the rescue / restoration teams from the front and guided the activities for expeditious completion.
 
Breaches to track occurred at several locations between Elamanchili-Narsingapalli-Bayyavaram Stations on this route due to heavy rains in the aftermath of cyclone ‘Hudhud’.
 
SCR administration swung into immediate action to restore the railway track by deploying men and material on a massive scale. Through meticulous planning and speedy execution of works, SCR could commence rail traffic in this key route in 32 hrs of damages occurring to the track at several spots.
 
In addition to the equipments, material and manpower pressed in to service yesterday, SCR has deployed more number of workforce, heavy Earth Moving Equipments and track material this morning to ensure track is made fit in the earliest possible time. As many as 10 heavy duty JCBs, 10 Engineering track material trains with 180 loaded wagons consisting of sand bags, boulders, quarry dust, girders and cribs and around 600 labour force have been involved in this massive exercise. Diesel Generator sets have been deployed in a big way and special lighting arrangements made at the track breach locations for uninterrupted restoration works all through last night.  SCR has been able to restore one line with in a short time of less than 11/2 day, despite several odds such as lack of proper road connectivity to the affected portion, disruption to communication facilities and rain etc.
             
Works on restoring the second line i.e. Up line are also being undertaken on a war-footing and is likely to be cleared for traffic on Wednesday.