Gujarat: Cyclone Vayu puts a brake on Western Railway trains

The Western Railways (WR) has cancelled 15 trains and will short-terminate 16 others due to the Cyclone Vayu. The cyclone is set to make a landfall near Veraval in Gir Somnath district in Gujarat on June 13 but it will be preceded by heavy rainfall in isolated places, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Cyclone Vayu, which was classified as a 'severe' cyclonic storm, has been re-classified as 'very severe'. They are all trains passing through the coastal areas which will be running after 6 pm on Wednesday.

Pradeep Sharma, PRO of Ahmedabad division said, "In view of passenger safety, the WR has cancelled all trains including the Mail and Passenger trains, connecting to Porbandar, Olka, Bhavnagar, Veraval, Bhuj and Gandhidham which are near to the coastline."

It will implement on the train which is running after 6 pm on Wednesday till June 14. Even the meter gauge running in Bhavnagar division has been cancelled.

The railway officials have launched three relief special trains from Wednesday onwards, which will connect the Okha- Rajkot, Okha- Ahmedabad and Veraval-Ahmedabad.

As a precautionary measure, the department has made arrangements of external power supply, JCB, tree-cutters and generators among other things to clear the wreck.

"Our senior officials are in constant touch which the government officials ," Sharma said.

Safety First

• Railway officials have launched three relief trains from Wednesday which will connect Okha- Rajkot, Okha- Ahmedabad and Veraval-Ahmedabad
• Cyclone will make a landfall near Veraval in Gir Somnath district in Gujarat on June 13