Thaindian News

Mumbai, July 25 (IANS) Heavy rainfall in the coastal region of Maharashtra hit Konkan Railway Sunday. Several trains were cancelled, with passengers evacuated from one after huge mounds of soil blocked the tracks.
More than 400 passengers of Madhusagar Express were shifted to another train Saturday-Sunday near Nivsar village in Ratnagiri district, a Konkan railway spokesperson told IANS.

“The train could not go any further as mud had accumulated on the tracks due to soil erosion,” he said.

The stranded passengers were put in nearly 40 buses and taken to the nearby Adavli station from where they boarded another train, the official added.

This is the second such incident in Nivsar village in the last two days. A portion of road near the Nivsar station caved in Saturday due to unprecedented heavy rains.

“The region has received around 500 mm rainfall in the last two days. It is becoming increasingly difficult for us to restore the tracks to working conditions due to continuous rainfall,” the spokesperson said.

The Diva-Sawantwadi train that runs between Diva and Ratnagiri was cancelled Sunday.

The Konkan Railway also cancelled the Madgaon-Sawantwadi Passenger, Mumbai CST-Madgaon Janshatabdi Express and the Mumbai LTT-Mangalore Matsyagandha Express.

The Mumbai LTT-Trivandrum Netravati Express has been diverted via Panvel to Mumbai.

Heavy rains lashed the entire western and coastal districts of the state including Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg and Mumbai for the seventh consecutive day Sunday.

All the major rivers in the Konkan region, including Savitri, Vashishth, Jagbudi, Sorad and others originating from the Western Ghats, were flowing at danger mark, posing a threat to towns and villages downstream.