Balasore:Within 51 hours after the disastrous train accident, train service resumed on the Bhadrak-Balasore route crossing the accident site at Bahanaga station.
This was made possible by the railway officials in coordination with local administration under the close personal supervision of Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
Soon after the incident,Shri Vaishnaw cancelled all his scheduled programmes and reached the accident spot by Saturday morning. Since then, he has been there and personally monitored the rescue operation and restoration works throughout day and night.
He waved at the crew of a goods train and prayed for a safe journey, as services resumed on the affected route last night.
Shri Vaishnaw was seen offering prayers with folding hands as train services were reinstated on the down-line track at the accident site.
A goods train carrying coal destined for Rourkela Steel Plant from Vizag port, departed at approximately 10:40 p.m.
In two tweets, the Minister informed that both upline and down-line were restored.
Getting emotional while speaking to media at the accident site, Shri Vaishnaw said that responsibility was not yet over and vowed to go beyond the immediate aftermath of the incident, focusing on reuniting missing persons with their anxious family members.
Meanwhile, a passenger train and Howrah-Puri Vande Bharat Express train also resumed services after restoration of the tracks this morning. The Vande Bharat express train was seen crossing the tracks of Bahanaga railway station with a very slow speed.
Three trains— Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express and a goods train — were involved in the pile-up Friday, being described as one of India’s worst train accidents.
The Coromandel Express rammed into a stationary goods train and many of its carriages overturned including some onto another train – the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express which was also passing by at the same time Friday.
Notably, 275 persons have been killed and over 1000 injured in the tragic triple train accident at Bahanaga station in Balasore last Friday. About 260 passengers are still under treatment at different government and private hospitals.–