Mail News Service
Jamshedpur, Dec 17: Rail operations under the Chakradharpur Railway Division of South Eastern Railway have been disrupted once again due to intensified movement of wild elephants along forest-fringed railway sections.
As a safety precaution, the railway administration has cancelled five MEMU and passenger train services.
Officials said elephant herds have been frequently spotted near and across tracks on the Naugaon–Rourkela, Chakradharpur–Rourkela and Rourkela–Jharsuguda sections, all of which fall within identified elephant corridor zones.
To avoid any potential mishap, these trains will remain cancelled on December 18 and 19.
The cancelled trains include the Chakradharpur–Rourkela MEMU, Tatanagar–Rourkela MEMU, Hatia–Jharsuguda MEMU, Rourkela–Jharsuguda MEMU and the Badampahar–Bangriposi passenger service, affecting both onward and return journeys on the specified dates.
Railway authorities noted that elephant activity in these sections has increased over the past few days, creating operational risks.
Continuous monitoring is being carried out in coordination with the Forest Department and the Railway Protection Force, and services will be restored once the situation stabilises.
Though the cancellations have inconvenienced daily commuters, students and office-goers, officials stressed that the decision was taken in the larger interest of passenger safety and wildlife protection.
