Double Train Tragedy in a Single Day in India

It was hard enough to believe the tragic New Delhi-Howrah Kalka Mail derailment news earlier today when another train accident at around 8.20 pm shocked me.

I switched on the television at night to see news about the Kalka Mail accident and was surprised to see some station names that had no connection whatsoever with the derailment. Another train had derailed in India - Guwahati-Jagannath Puri Express... Seriously!

Looks like a nightmare, and I so hope that when I wake up in the morning I realise it was a terrible nightmare. Things can't be so bad, so sad.

While over the last couple of days, we hated the fact that Mumbai local trains services were horribly affected with just 1 day of heavy rains... while we heard 'tragic' incidents of people stranded in trains and at stations for a couple of hours... suddenly today all of that appears like not so much of a big deal. Suddenly the 7/11 memories are revived.

Deepest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones. Let's pray there are no more casualties.

Guwahati-Puri Express derailed - Helpline Numbers
03621-2737154/55
03621-2731621/622/623

Howrah-Delhi-Kalka Express derailment - Helpline numbers

Allahabad: 0532 2408149

Aligarh - 0571-2403055/56

Fatehpur: 05180-222025, 222026, 222436

New Delhi: 011-23342954 , 23341074, 23967332

Kurja- 05738-253084/85

 

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Guwahati-Puri Express derailed; Helpline Numbers

8 bogies of Guwahati-Jagannath Puri Express derailed today (Sunday, July 10, 2011) in Kamrup district of Assam, between Rangiya and Kokrajhar, injuring around 100 passengers as per the first reports.

Since at the time of the accident the train was at a slower speed, lesser casualties are expected

This is the second train accident in the day. Earlier today, a Howrah-Delhi-Kalka Express derailment had shocked the nation.

Here are the Rangiya HELPLINE NUMBERS for the Jagannath Puri-Guwahati Express derailment:
03621-2737154/55
03621-2731621/622/623

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Howrah-Delhi-Kalka Express derailment - Helpline numbers

Today (July 10, 2011), several bogies (12) of the New Delhi-Howrah Kalka Mail derailed near Malwa railway station, near Kanpur / Fatehpur, UP. As per the latest news, over 125 people are reported injured and 20 dead.

The relief operations are in progress. Few trains are deeclared cancelled.

Kalka Mail Derailment Railway Helpline Numbers:

Allahabad: 0532 2408149

Aligarh - 0571-2403055/56

Fatehpur: 05180-222025, 222026, 222436

New Delhi: 011-23342954 , 23341074, 23967332


Kurja- 05738-253084/85

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Trains running (crawling) late today

The rains have delayed the trains a lot today. While the local trains were running 15-20 minutes late in the morning, they were crawling at noon. Reportedly, one of the harbour line trains took 45 minutes to reach Kurla station from Chembur! Also, people have been reaching their destination station around an hour late given the long waiting time for the trains to arrive as well as the way they have been moving today.

If you have any latest updates, do share on the comments section here or on our Facebook page.

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Bhajans and prayers in Mumbai trains

There are our Main Gods, Rain Gods and then there are Train Gods!

The busy Mumbai life leaves us with no time for anything... not even for prayers. So some Mumbaikars have made the local trains their temple!

Rightly so, since these trains do fulfill some of our wishes like reaching work just a few minutes late, reaching back home, staying in shape (running on FOBs, lifting luggage with one hand while streching the other hand to hold the train handle...). And what could be a better way to pray to the Almighty - utilising the long commute hours. So some local train commuters, equipped with books, pictures of Gods, bongos, manjiras and the memorised and popular bhajans, sing along in a group while occupying acertain 'fixed' area in the compartments.... every single working day!

Good, for it might please the Gods who might enable these people fulfill their small and big wishes. But what about those who are studying in the trains for their exams, thinking of an idea for the next client pitch, having a headache or catching up on the sleep the busy Mumbai life has deprived them of? Well who cares?

Now, MS Gopal aka Slogan Murugan from Mumbai managed to get us some great pictures of the bhajan routine in trains (more pics). God bless him!

Click on M S Gopal's blog for photographs and stories from the city that's always on the move.

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Lost and found: Bag full of cash in train

Thanks to the alert cops!
Two GRP constables returned a bag containing Rs 47500 and important documents to a student who had left it behind in a Titwala-bound train. Read more about the Hindustan Times story here - Cops return bag with cash, books found in train

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FOB Delayed, Trains Delayed!

Location: Diva
Date: July 5, 2011
Incident: Protest by Commuters
Demand: To get an FOB constructed on time
Result: Trains delayed, FOB might still not be ready in time!

Commuters who want an important Foot-Over-Bridge (FOB) to be functional by August 31, protested at Diva Junction yesterday leaving the trains delayed in the morning. In the absence of an FOB directly leading to the east side of Diva station, commuters are left with no choice but to cross tracks. Need we mention that this is directly proportional to accidents!

CR officials have reportedly said that due to rains the FOB work cannot be completed until September end!

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Experience Slow Motion in trains until Sunday

Following the derailment between Cotton Green and Reay Road on June 2, 2011, the Harbour line trains will run slower than the regular speed until July 3.

So plan your schedule by keeping that buffer!

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