Train services on both sides of the railway line were severely disrupted after an overhead electric (OHE) wire broke on the down line in Kolkata near Dakshineswar railway station in West Bengal, causing delays and inconvenience to thousands of passengers.
According to preliminary information, the overhead wire broke and railway authorities halted train movement on the affected section as a safety precaution. Up and down trains were also affected and a number of local and suburban trains were delayed or held at nearby stations.
Railway officials rushed technical teams to the site immediately to check the damaged overhead equipment. Electric trains depend on overhead wires for power supply, so train movement cannot resume until the damaged infrastructure is repaired and declared safe for operation.
The incident took place in the middle of the day so the day-to-day commuters who rely on the suburban train network in Kolkata were inconvenienced. Some stations were full of passengers waiting for news about train schedules, people used buses, taxis, metro and other transportation to go to their destinations.
The restoration work started soon after the incident, officials said.
Engineers and maintenance staff replaced the damaged overhead wire and checked other electrical components next to the damaged wire and examined the rest of the electrical components to make sure they didn’t have any more damage to the infrastructure before restoring train operations.
The overhead wire was snapped but officials have not yet pinned down what caused it. A technical investigation will be conducted to see if the damage was caused by equipment failure, weather conditions, excessive wear and tear or something else technical.
The railway administration asked passengers to be patient and cooperate with officials in restoration of train services. At stations, a regular announcement was made on arrival and updates were also made by railway officials with official communication.
The disruption once more highlights the importance of maintaining railway electrical infrastructure, particularly in busy suburban corridors where thousands of passengers travel every day.
Regular inspections and preventive maintenance are essential for rail operations and passenger safety.
Train services on both sides were stopped after the overhead wire broke on the down line at Dakshineswar station in Kolkata, West Bengal. pic.twitter.com/8Ap7w7e8Ns
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The railway officials said services would gradually return to normal once repair work was completed and the affected part had passed all safety tests. The train status was updated in advance of traveling.
The restoration effort continued today and railway workers continued to monitor the situation and coordinate traffic management. Passengers should not cross the railway tracks, and people could not do so, authorities said, because it would not be safe to travel through trains during the breakdown.
No injuries or casualties have been reported at all in the incident.
The railway authorities will have more details from the train service once they have repaired the damaged overhead equipment and have the technical assessment of the equipment.
The incident also serves as a reminder of the centrality of overhead electrical systems to India’s electrified railway network, and how a single fault can derail train schedules and commuter flow in a multitude of routes.
