VIJAYAWADA: Rail traffic along the busy Vijayawada–Visakhapatnam section was fully restored on Friday evening following a swift, large-scale emergency response by South Coast Railway (SCoR) after a goods train derailed at Kovvuru Railway Station earlier in the day.
The derailment initially disrupted regional train traffic and forced SCoR authorities to cancel two services and reschedule 13 major long-distance express trains across the regional network.
Restoration operations were launched on a war footing under the direct supervision and continuous monitoring of South Coast Railway General Manager Sandeep Mathur, with Principal Chief Engineer BSK Rajkumar leading operations on-site.
Over 500 personnel, comprising over 50 officials and technical staff spanning Engineering, Mechanical, Electrical, Signal & Telecom, Operations, and Commercial departments, were mobilised along with machinery, including four JCBs & two Accident Relief Trains (ARTs).
To clear stalled traffic, single-line train movement was operationalised by 9.40 am. Emergency engineering crews re-railed all affected wagons by 6.40 pm, allowing the first train to safely pass through the cleared site by 7.05 pm.
A total of 13 long-distance trains were rescheduled. Chief Public Relations Officer Y Balaji Kiran stated that help desks across Vijayawada (0866-2571244), Vizag (0891-2746330), Rajahmundry (8125986801), Eluru (7569305268), and Vizianagaram (8712641260), to assist affected passengers.