South Coastal Railway has cancelled 61 trains as Andhra Pradesh prepares for Cyclone Arnab, which is expected to cross the state’s coast on October 28, according to an IANS report.
The railway has announced cancellations, short terminations and short originations of services in the interest of passenger safety. Passengers have been advised to check train-specific updates and verify service status before travelling to stations.
Visakhapatnam-Kirandul and Koraput services cancelled
The Visakhapatnam-Kirandul and Kirandul-Visakhapatnam Night Express services will remain cancelled from October 29 to November 4.
The Visakhapatnam-Koraput Passenger will be cancelled from October 27 to October 30. Its pairing service will remain cancelled from October 28 to October 31.
The Visakhapatnam-Koraput Intercity Express has been cancelled for October 30, while the Koraput-Visakhapatnam Intercity Express will not operate on October 31.
The Visakhapatnam-Kirandul and Kirandul-Visakhapatnam Passenger services will also remain cancelled from October 27 to October 30.
53 trains cancelled on Andhra Pradesh routes
Railway authorities have cancelled 53 trains on various routes within Andhra Pradesh that were scheduled to depart on October 27 and/or October 28.
The affected services include:
- Rajahmundry-Vijayawada Junction
- Machilipatnam-Vijayawada Junction
- Machilipatnam-Gudivada Junction
- Vijayawada Junction-Bhimavaram Junction
- Bhimavaram Junction-Nidadavolu Junction
- Vijayawada Junction-Narsapur
- Narsapur-Rajahmundry
- Kakinada Port-Rajahmundry
Passengers have been asked to check cancellation details, confirm their journey dates and verify train status before heading to railway stations.
Andhra Pradesh releases ₹27 crore for cyclone relief
The Andhra Pradesh government has released ₹27 crore to 20 districts to support relief and preparedness operations ahead of the cyclone.
According to an official release, Rs 2 crore each has been allocated to Bapatla, Krishna, West Godavari, Konaseema, East Godavari, Kakinada and Anakapalli.
Special Chief Secretary of the Disaster Management Department G. Sai Prasad issued orders allocating Rs 1 crore each to Srikakulam, Markapuram, Guntur, NTR, Eluru, Alluri Sitarama Raju, Polavaram, Manyam, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Sri Sathya Sai, Nellore and Tirupati.
State reviews evacuation and emergency preparedness
The state government has stepped up precautionary measures, focusing on preventing loss of life and minimising property damage. Departments are coordinating evacuation plans and emergency response operations.
Real Time Governance Society Secretary Bhaskar Katamneni and CEO Prakhar Jain are reviewing preparedness measures and coordinating with officials across departments.
Officials are also briefing Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on the response arrangements and preparations for the anticipated cyclone.
The railway cancellations and state-level relief measures form part of the precautionary response ahead of Cyclone Arnab’s expected approach to the Andhra Pradesh coast.
