Gaya/Siwan/Patna: Adverse weather conditions disrupted railway operations in several parts of the state on Friday after heavy rain and strong winds affected tracks and overhead power infrastructure, railway officials said.
In Gaya district, train movement was affected in the Gurpa-Gajhandi ghat section under the Dhanbad railway division after continuous rain made tracks slippery, leading to engine failures and delays across multiple stations.
In Siwan district, a tree falling on railway infrastructure during a storm damaged overhead electric (OHE) wires near Gauri Bazar on the Gorakhpur-Siwan section, forcing authorities to divert and delay several trains.
Duronto Express halted in Gaya section
Railway officials said the engine of the Duronto Express failed near Baskatwa home signal between Gurpa and Dilwa stations at around 8.20am on Friday.
According to officials, persistent rainfall increased slippage on the tracks in the hilly ghat section, preventing the locomotive from pulling the train forward. Train movement on the down line was temporarily suspended after the loco pilot informed railway control.
A relief engine was later sent from Gajhandi station and attached to the train, allowing operations to resume after significant delay.
Freight train breakdown worsens disruption
Shortly after the Duronto Express incident, a loaded freight train also suffered engine failure near pole number 416/26 close to Baskatwa, officials said.
Another engine was dispatched from Gurpa station nearly two hours later to clear the affected section.
The disruption led to delays for several trains across the route. The Ajmer-Sealdah Express was halted at Gurpa station, while the Patna-Ranchi Janshatabdi Express was stopped at Paharpur. The Vande Bharat Express and other trains were delayed at Tankuppa station.
Passengers reported inconvenience due to extended waiting times and missed onward connections.
Railway issues advisory for ghat section
Gurpa station superintendent Rajesh Kumar said the Gurpa-Gajhandi section is a steep and hilly stretch where track slippage increases significantly during rainfall.
He said railway authorities had issued a special advisory directing loco pilots to operate trains with additional caution in the section during adverse weather conditions.
Storm damages OHE wires in Siwan
In Siwan district, strong winds and rain disrupted rail traffic after a tree fell on railway tracks near Gauri Bazar, damaging overhead electric wires on the Gorakhpur-Siwan route.
Railway officials said several trains had to be diverted following the disruption.
Among the affected services were the Amrapali Express, Lohit Express, New Delhi-Darbhanga Special and New Delhi-Barauni Special, which were rerouted via Kaptanganj and Thawe.
Multiple trains delayed
Several trains remained stranded at stations for hours following the disruption.
The Maurya Express was delayed by around three-and-a-half hours, while the Gorakhpur-Chhapra passenger train ran nearly 90 minutes late. The Pataliputra Express and Vaishali Express also departed about an hour behind schedule.
Railway technical teams began repair work after weather conditions improved. Officials said efforts were underway to restore normal services and repair damaged overhead lines at the earliest.
