KOCHI: Besides flooding train tracks, the heavy rain in the district has led to uprooting of trees on the tracks at many places, delaying train services for the past few days. This happened the other day too, when a tree fell on the tracks near Mulanthuruthy halting traffic along the route.
Railways authorities, however, blamed private land owners for the issue. “All trees deemed dangerous were felled as part of the monsoon drive initiated by the Railways. The trees that got uprooted and fell were the ones located on private properties. The owners did not allow us to fell the trees and due to their non-cooperation, we had to deal with trees falling on the tracks,” said an officer.
“However, we were prompt in removing the obstruction from the tracks to allow smooth running of trains,” he said.
The continuous downpour is also posing another danger – landslides. This possibility is huge in areas where the tracks go between deep, steep ledges.
“We have shored up all vulnerable ledges and a team has been deployed to carry out round-the-clock checks. Inspections are being done to check whether the tracks have developed cracks or have been damaged due to the rust. They are also checking the strength of the tracks, whether there is any abnormal flow of water and also the stability of the land,” he said.
If the team finds any signs of a possible landslide, they will immediately alert the next station and ensure the trains are stopped, he said.
The officer said the decision to end the Palaruvi Express service at Kollam for the time being was taken after a minor problem was detected between Bhagvathipuram and Punalur.
“It is a dark section and a forested area. There are many deep cutting and to rectify any defect, we will need the approval of the Forest Department. On Tuesday, a high-level team of engineers had visited the area and assessed the situation. They will be approaching the Forest Department. Since the region comes under Madurai Division, they will be the ones taking any action,” he said.