Indian Railways resumed passenger train services on Monday on the tracks that were affected by the tragic train accident in Odisha's Balasore. The first train to run on the section where the accident occurred started its journey at around 10.40 pm on Sunday, 51 hours after the devastating crash that claimed the lives of nearly 300 people.
First train departure in presence of Railway Minister and media
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw saw off the goods train, which was carrying coal to the Rourkela Steel plant from Vizag port. Numerous media personnel and railway officials were present to witness the departure.
The coal train was running on the same track where the ill-fated Bangalore-Howrah train met with the tragedy on Friday. The Howrah-bound train collided with the capsized bogies of the Coromandel Express, which had earlier crashed into a stationary freight train.
Railway minister gives update on restoration
Ashwini Vaishnaw took to Twitter, announcing the completion of down-line restoration and the first train movement in the section. Shortly after the down-line restoration, the upline was also restored.
Resumption of train service on upline
The upline saw the departure of an empty goods train, marking the first train to run on the accident-affected section. This section of the track was where the Coromandel Express was travelling before diverting into the loop line and colliding with the stationary goods train.
Continuing recovery efforts
Ashwini Vaishnaw, visibly emotional, expressed his commitment to normalising the entire section and locating missing persons' family members. Despite the progress made, around 200 bodies remain unclaimed, underscoring the ongoing responsibility to bring closure to affected families.
Railway officials planned to run approximately seven trains in the section on Sunday, further aiming to restore normalcy. The primary objective remains locating and reuniting missing persons with their families promptly.
