Cyclone Montha has unleashed significant disruption across Telangana’s railway network. On Wednesday morning, the Secunderabad-bound Vande Bharat Express (Train No. 20833), originating from Visakhapatnam, alongside numerous other services, found itself stranded at stations like Khammam, Warangal, and Mahabubabad. This widespread paralysis was a direct consequence of severe waterlogging at Dornakal station, caused by the cyclone’s relentless, heavy rainfall.
SCR in coordination with RTC arranged a bus for passengers of Vande Bharat Express at Khammam. | Photo Credit: BY ARRANGEMENT
To alleviate the plight of passengers on the Vande Bharat Express, especially those destined for Warangal, local RTC buses were promptly arranged from Khammam station. Railway authorities are closely monitoring the situation, holding out hope that water levels will recede soon, allowing the Vande Bharat to cautiously proceed towards Secunderabad.
Consequently, the Secunderabad–Visakhapatnam Vande Bharat service, originally slated for a 3 p.m. departure, is now anticipated to depart much later, around 8 p.m. The broader impact includes 11 train cancellations and 11 departures already rerouted, with approximately a dozen more services facing either cancellation or rescheduling. Bus services are being utilized to transport affected passengers to their nearest accessible destinations.
A comprehensive list of affected trains includes cancellations for services such as the Secunderabad-Vijayawada (12714), Vijayawada – Dornakal (67768), Dornakal – Kazipet (67766), Vikarabad – Guntur (12748), and several Charlapalli – Tirupati/Tiruchanur routes (07001, 07002, 07251, 07252). Additionally, trains like Vijayawada – Bhadrachalam (67215), Bhadrachalam – Vijayawada (67216), Sirpur Town – Bhadrachalam (17034), Secunderabad – Sirpur Kaghaznagar (17233), and Sirpur Kaghaznagar – Secunderabad (17234) have also been cancelled. A multitude of other services, including the Tatanagar – Ernakulam (8189), MGR Chennai Central – SMVD Katra (16031), SMVD Katra – Kanniyakumari (16318), Rameswaram – Firozpur (20497), Adilabad – Tirupati (17406), and various express trains connecting to Delhi and Chennai, are experiencing diversions or significant rescheduling.
Officials confirm that the widespread waterlogging in the Mahabubabad–Dornakal–Khammam section of the Secunderabad division is the primary cause, and further changes to train schedules remain a possibility as the weather situation evolves.
How to check train status?
Passengers planning rail travel are strongly advised to reconsider their journeys unless absolutely essential, given the severe weather. All updates regarding cancellations, diversions, or rescheduling will be communicated via SMS to the mobile numbers provided during ticket booking. For the most current information, passengers should consult official sources such as IRCTC, RailOne, NTES, or contact the railway enquiry number 139 before commencing their journey.