Telangana stir derails train services

BHUBANESWAR: The Telangana agitation in Andhra Pradesh has an echo in Orissa. Hundreds of train travellers are extremely inconvenienced as trains - long as well as short distance ones - have either been cancelled or diverted. With the volatile situation in the neighbouring State unlikely to change anytime soon, passengers may be in for a bad time.Anticipating disruption, East Coast Railways (ECoR) had already cancelled three trains and changed the schedule and routes of a dozen others. A number of trains have also been short-terminated. The Visakhapatnam-Nizamuddin-Visakhapatnam Express, Visakhapatnam-Nanded-Visakhapatnam Express and Sambalpur-Nanded-Sambalpur Express have been cancelled from both the directions. A number of trains have been diverted. The Bhubaneswar-Mumbai (CSTM)-Bhubaneswar Konark Express will run o­n a diverted route via Vijayawada, Guntur, Guntkal and Wadi. Similar will be the route of Visakhapatnam-LTT-Visakhapatnam Express.The Shirdi-Visakhapatnam Special Train and Manmad-Bhubaneswar Special Train are being diverted through Nagpur-Raipur-Titlagarh, the ECoR said. The Nizamuddin-Visakhapatnam Express will run through Nagpur-Raipur-Titlagarh-Vizianagaram and so will Bhubaneswar-Manmad Special train. The Puri-Okha Express will be diverted via Bhubaneswar-Talcher Road-Sambalpur-Raipur-Nagpur. What poses serious inconvenience to the travellers is that scores of trains will be short-terminated well before the original destination. The Secunderabad-bound trains such as Howrah-Secunderabad Falaknuma Express will travel up to Vijayawada and will remain cancelled between Vijayawada & Secunderabad. In the return direction, the train will originate from Vijayawada instead of Secunderabad. The services between Vijayawada and Secunderabad from both the directions will be suspended.   The fate of Visakhapatnam-Hyderabad-Visakhapatnam Godavari Express, Visakhapatnam-Secunderabad-Visakhapatnam Garib Rath Express, Visakhapatnam-Secunderabad-Visakhapatnam Janmabhoomi Express, Bhubaneswar-Secunderabad-Bhubaneswar Visakha Express, Howrah-Hyderabad-Howrah East Coast Express will be same as all of them will remain suspended from Secunderabad and run between shorter destinations.  The change in the schedule of these trains will remain in force till October 18, sources in the ECoR said.