Protective wall of the railway track collapses at Thrissur: Major disaster averted; multiple trains delayed

WADAKKANCHERY: The protective wall of the railway track in Wadakkanchery Akamala collapsed due to heavy rain. Traffic on the Shoranur-Thrissur route (southbound) was disrupted for several hours and was restored by 9.30 pm. Trains including Vande Bharat were delayed. A major disaster was averted due to timely information.

The loco pilots had noticed unusual shaking in the trains going towards Thrissur since morning. This became more severe after 3:30 pm as the Jan Shatabdi passed. The loco pilot then informed the Wadakkanchery station. The protective wall had collapsed and the metal and other safety systems on the railway track had been washed away. The concrete sleepers were found to be disconnected from the ground. An inspection by an expert team on the track revealed a very serious situation between the Akamala Dharmashasta Temple and the flyover.

Following this, train traffic was completely stopped at 4:30 pm. Train traffic to the north was running smoothly. Trains from Shoranur to Thrissur were stopped at various stations. To solve the concerns of long-distance passengers, the Vande Bharat train was diverted via the Thrissur-Shoranur route at 7 pm.

The trains that were delayed were Lokmanyatilak-Kochuveli Express (12201), Nilambur Road-Kottayam Express (16325), Mangalore-Thiruvananthapuram Vande Bharat (20633), and Palakkad-Punalur Palaruvi Express (19792). The passenger train that was supposed to leave Thrissur for Shoranur at 5:30 pm started its journey at 7:30 pm.