In Full Swing: Restoration Work At Balasore Accident Site

Expediting the restoration work at Balasore, more than 1,000 labourers with seven poclain machines are working non-stop at the accident site.

Besides two Accident Relief Trains, one 140-ton railway crane, four road cranes are also pressed into service at the site.

The Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express and Sir M Visvesvaraya-Howrah Superfast Express derailed near Bahanaga Bazar Railway station near Balasore in Odisha causing huge loss of lives and railway properties on 2 June.

All top brass of Indian Railways including Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Chairman Railway Board AK Lahoti and other senior railway officials have camped at the derailment site and are continuously monitoring the restoration work.

According to the Railways, all 21 coaches which capsized and derailed have been grounded now. The site is being cleared from bogie/wheel sets and other components.

Grounding work for three wagons and locomotives is going on and expected to be completed shortly while track linking and OHE work are going on side by side.

Railway doctors are treating the injured and coordinating with hospital doctors.

South eastern Railway has run special trains between Balasore-Howrah and Bhadrak-Chennai for carrying the stranded passengers.

Moreover, one Special train was run from Howrah to Balasore to carry the relatives of the affected passengers. Railways is taking every initiative on a war footing to complete the restoration work.