Train traffic between Bengaluru/Hassan and Mangaluru was affected for a couple of hours after a boulder fell on the track at the Sakleshpur-Subrahmanya Road Ghat section on on Thursday at 11.30 am.
Movement of trains, however, resumed at around 12.40 pm after emergency teams visiting the spot confirmed that the boulder had fallen off the track after bouncing against it. The team confirmed that there was no damage to the track located between Yedakumari and Kadagaravalli stations on the Ghat stretch.
Consequently, the Yeshwantpur-Mangaluru Junction Gomateshwara tri-weekly express (16575) that was regulated at Donigal station soon after learning about the incident, was given the green signal to move forward. It was allowed to move at a reduced speed of 5 km/ hour on the affected stretch, sources said.
The Karwar-Yeshwantpur tri-weekly Express (16516) that left Mangaluru Junction at its usual departure time of 11.30 am was likely to cross the Ghat section as per schedule.
Meanwhile, the Vijayapura-Mangauru Junction Express Special (07377) had already crossed the Ghat section before the boulder fall, and was on time to reach the Junction at 12.40 pm, sources added.
The ghat section on the Western Ghat region has been receiving very heavy rainfall up to 200 mm every day and, therefore, landslips, boulder falls etc., were likely to occur despite several protection measures taken by the South Western Railway. A couple of years ago, major landslides at a few stretches on the Ghat had obstructed train operations for over a month.
