Itarsi fire: 78 trains cancelled, 23 diverted

BHOPAL/MUMBAI: The railway traffic in the Bhopal division of West Central Railway (WCR) continued to remain affected for the second day today following a breakdown of signalling system due to a fire at Itarsi station.

The route relay interlocking (RRI) cabin at Itarsi station witnessed the fire incident yesterday.

23 trains passing through Itarsi station were diverted through other routes and 78 trains cancelled today, Bhopal Division Public Relation Officer (PRO) I A Siddiqui said.

Around 275 trains connecting different parts of the country pass through Itarsi station daily but in last two days only 50 trains with manual signalling have been cleared, Itarsi Station Superintendent SS Baghel told PTI at 5.30 pm.

He said around 250 staffers from other stations have reached Itarsi and are helping them to clear traffic from the station.

Meanwhile, Railway Board member (Traffic) Ajay Shukla today rushed to Itarsi, one of the biggest railway junctions in the country that connects North India to Central and Western India, and took stock of the situation.

Divisional Railway Manager Alok Kumar said, "Shukla has suggested some methods to smoothen the traffic and we are applying it."

He said that things will improve in a day or two but the complete traffic system restoration will possibly take a month's time.

Some of the trains cancelled included LTT-Gorakhpur Kushinagar Express, CST-Amritsar Express, LTT-Habibganj Express, CST-Jabalpur Garibrath Express.