Fallen tree branch delays Bengaluru-bound express train nearly four hours

A tree branch falling on overhead equipment near Arasalu in Hosanagara taluk stranded the Talaguppa-KSR Bengaluru City Intercity Express for nearly four hours, leaving passengers, many returning from festival weekend visits, stuck along the route.

The train, numbered 20652, departed Talaguppa on schedule at 5.21 a.m. and reached Arasalu on time at 6.20 a.m., but was halted there after the fallen branch damaged the overhead equipment and snapped the line, a South Western Railway official said. Restoration work took considerable time before the train could resume its journey, the official added.

Delay cascades through the route

A majority of passengers aboard were returning to the capital after spending the festival weekend in their native places. The train reached Kusmi at 10.54 a.m. and Shivamogga at 11.48 a.m., against its scheduled arrival time of 7.16 a.m.. It is expected to reach Bengaluru by 4 p.m..

A passenger who shared the experience on a social media platform described the delayed journey. Several local residents helped the stranded passengers by selling coffee and snacks during the halt, the passenger said.

The incident underscores the vulnerability of train operations to natural obstructions during monsoon conditions, when vegetation frequently interferes with railway infrastructure.

Source: The Hindu