Rail traffic in the Chakradharpur Railway Division was once again disrupted due to elephant movement along the Manoharpur–Jharsuguda railway section in Jharkhand.
This is the third instance in the past 10 days that train services have been affected, prompting the railways to cancel several local passenger trains as a precautionary measure to prevent any wildlife-related mishap.
According to an official notification issued by the Chakradharpur Division, 18 local passenger trains will remain cancelled for four days, from December 25 to December 28. The decision was taken in view of frequent elephant movement along the forested railway corridor.
Key MEMU services affected include Tatanagar–Rourkela–Tatanagar, Chakradharpur–Rourkela–Chakradharpur, Tatanagar–Barbil–Tatanagar, Tatanagar–Gua–Tatanagar, Tatanagar–Chakradharpur–Tatanagar and Tatanagar–Kharagpur–Tatanagar.
Also read: Jharkhand: Five dead in three days in elephant attacks
The repeated suspension of local services has caused inconvenience to daily commuters, particularly passengers travelling between smaller stations. Railway sources said the frequent cancellations have also led to a dip in passenger ticket bookings.
At the same time, the Chakradharpur Railway Division has earned praise for its proactive approach towards wildlife protection. Recently, railway officials and staff were commended by the Wildlife Trust of India for ensuring the safe passage of a herd of 22 elephants across railway tracks.
The incident occurred on the busy Howrah-Mumbai main line between Bisra and Bandamunda Cabin ‘A’, where the herd was spotted near the tracks. Acting swiftly, railway authorities temporarily halted 12 long-distance trains, allowing the elephants to cross safely without any accident.
A felicitation programme was later held at the DRM conference hall in Chakradharpur, where Divisional Railway Manager Tarun Huria honoured the alert railway personnel and officers involved in the operation.
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