Over 150 express and passenger trains operating through South Eastern Railway (SER) jurisdiction have been cancelled due to the expected formation of a severe cyclonic storm, anticipated to impact the Odisha-West Bengal coasts on October 25, an SER official stated on Tuesday (October 22).
Among the cancelled trains are the Howrah-Secunderabad Falaknuma Express, Kamakhya-Yesvantpur AC Express, Howrah-Puri Shatabdi Express, Howrah-Bhubaneswar Shatabdi Express, and Howrah-Yesvantpur Express.
These trains were set to depart between October 23 and 25, the official said.
Indian Railways warns of more cancellations
More cancellations could follow if the situation worsens. The SER zone, headquartered in Kolkata, spans West Bengal, Odisha, and Jharkhand. Meanwhile, the Eastern Railway will operate an emergency control room from October 24 to 25, according to an ER official.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that a depression over the east-central Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm, crossing the Odisha-West Bengal coasts between Puri and Sagar Island early on October 25, with wind speeds expected to reach 100-110 kmph, gusting to 120 kmph.