Cyclone Dana: 190 local trains cancelled in Eastern Railway's Sealdah division

Cyclone Dana: The Eastern Railway will not operate 190 local trains in its Sealdah division from 8 pm on Thursday till 10 am on Friday in view of cyclonic storm 'Dana', an official said. The step was taken as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of train passengers.

The 190 trains that will remain cancelled are in the Sealdah South and Hasnabad sections, the ER official said.

The storm, which is likely to make landfall between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra port in Odisha early Friday with wind speeds of up to 120 kmph, will bring heavy rain in several south Bengal districts on October 24 and 25, the Met office said.

"The measure is being taken to ensure that no train is on the tracks in the affected areas during the time when the cyclone is apprehended to make landfall," the ER official said.

The cancellations include 13 up and 11 down trains in Sealdah-Canning section, 15 up and 10 down trains in Sealdah-Lakshmikantapur section, 15 up and 14 down trains in Sealdah-Budge Budge section, 15 up and 15 down trains in Sealdah-Diamond Harbour section, seven up and nine locals in Sealdah-Baruipur section and 11 up and nine down locals in Sealdah-Barasat/Hasnabad section, he said.

The official said that the last train from Hasnabad and Namkhana stations, which are close to the coastal areas in North and South 24 Parganas districts respectively, will depart towards Sealdah by 7 pm on October 24.

Further decisions on running of trains in the Sealdah division will be taken assessing how the situation develops, he said.

The Metro Railway authorities said that it is taking adequate measures to ensure normal services as well as safety and security of commuters.

South Eastern Railway on Tuesday announced that more than 150 express and passenger trains running through its jurisdiction were cancelled in view of the cyclone.

The East Coast Railways on Tuesday also cancelled as many as 198 trains passing through and originating from Odisha.