By Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR: Train services were affected in the East Coast Railway (ECoR) area on Wednesday as 16 wagons of a goods train derailed near Nergundi station in Cuttack.

As a result, five passenger trains have been cancelled and others that were to pass through Cuttack have been diverted via Naraj.

Sources said the fertilizer-laden goods train with 42 wagons was heading to Haibargaon in the North Frontier Railway zone from the Gangavaram Port in Visakhapatnam. Sixteen wagons from the engine along with the dead locomotive jumped the rails at around 4.30 am.

An ECoR official said as train services along the Cuttack route have been affected, all Up and Down trains were diverted via Naraj and Kapilas Road bypassing Cuttack.

The cancelled trains are: 58407 Bhadrak-Bhubaneswar Passenger, 58411 Bhubaneswar-Berhampur Passenger, 58412 Berhampur-Bhubaneswar Passenger, 58424 and 58436 Cuttack-Bhadrak Passengers, 58423 and 58435 Bhadrak-Cuttack Passenger.

Similarly, the 18451 Hatia - Puri Tapaswini Express, 07182 Secunderabad-Howrah Special and Bhubaneswar-New Delhi Rajdhani Express have been diverted via Naraj. Passing trains are being provided with stoppages at Kapilas Road and Naraj, an ECoR release stated.

The ECoR has arranged a bus service for Rajdhani Express passengers who were to board at Cuttack. They were taken to Kapilas Road.

Meanwhile, senior railway officials led by Khurda divisional railway manager (DRM) have reached the spot to speed up restoration measures. Two cranes from Khurda Road and Bhadrak have been engaged to clear the wagons from the tracks.