Falling boulders and landslips following incessant rainfall have damaged railway tracks at Lower Paglajhora in the Kurseong sub-division
(Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
Toy Train services between New Jalpaiguri (JP) station in Siliguri and Darjeeling have been cancelled for four days beginning today after falling boulders and landslips following incessant rainfall damaged railway tracks at Lower Paglajhora in the Kurseong sub-division.
Railway officials said around 60 metres of the railway tracks were damaged
after the boulders started falling yesterday morning.
The incident occurred a day after a technical team of the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) had reviewed the fitness of the tracks. Full-fledged Toy Train services resumed on 15 December last year after they were suspended due to the 104-day long shutdown in the Hills.
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READ | Falling boulders halt toy train services
“Torrential rains have triggered major landslides at km 37/11-13 at Lower Paglajhora between Gayabari and Mahanadi of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) at around 1.30 pm yesterday. Approximately 60 metres of the tracks were damaged by falling boulders, resulting in stoppage of train movement in the section,” FR chief public relations officer Pranav Jyoti Sharma said Thursday.
Mr Sharma said the track restoration work would begin only after the cessation of the rain and stabilisation of the topography.
“Since the boulder slips are occurring at frequent intervals, the track restoration work can only be undertaken after cessation of rains. Therefore, in view of the safety of passengers, the 52540/52541 NJP-Darjeeling train service has been cancelled from 2 to 5 August,” Mr Sharma said.
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