Railway Gears Up Safety Precautions for Cyclone Amphan
Railway Gears Up Safety Precautions for Cyclone Amphan
SER GEARS UP SAFETY PRECAUTIONS FOR CYCLONE “AMPHAN”
South Eastern Railway has geared up safety precautions In view of cyclone “AMPHAN” which is likely to hit West Bengal and Odisha. Precautionary measures adopted in this regard are as under:
- Close watch on Railway Bridges, Tracks, Yards & Signaling System
- Silt, Vegetation and other obstructions cleared from catch water and side drains
- Close coordination with State Govt. officials
- All DG sets, diesel drive pump, earth moving equipment’s etc. has been kept ready.
- Patrolling at vulnerable locations by deputing patrolmen & Watchmen
- Sectional trackmen will patrol the tracks
- Tree cutting a road clearing teams are kept in alert at critical locations
- Arrangements made to stock sufficient quantities of track maintenance reserve materials
- Constant watch over Meteorological Department advisories
- Additional Control Room & Disaster Management Cell of SER to be opened
South Eastern Railway has done preparations and ground work to meet the challenges posed by Cyclone AMPHAN. Taking advantage of the meteorological forecasts,SER has planned for early restoration of train traffic and railway track, if affected by AMPHAN. Round the Clock Disaster Management Cell has been opened at SER HQs at Garden Reach and at Divisional Headquarters. Hot line has been established between HQ and divisional Disaster Management Cell.
SER has also taken adequate steps by positioning of Special Teams for early restoration of tracks, signaling system and electrification etc., Safety of Train Operations, to run train, if there will be no electric supply.
Diesel locomotives have been kept in position for utilization during failure of electricity. As Red Alert has been given in coastal areas, SER is keeping watchful eye at all the stations in Howrah – Kharagpur-Bhadrak Section and other sections too.
General Manager, South Eastern Railway has directed the concerned officials to be on full alert towards any incident like flood situation near Railway Track and to ensure the safety for staff and their families. The staff and their family members are advised to stay indoors when cyclone hits the territory.Help line number also to be kept operational at HQ and divisions for assistance to employees’ families.
Accordingly, all precautionary measures have been taken. The catch water drains and side drains have been cleared of silt, vegetation and other obstructions to ensure free flow of rain water. The water ways of bridges have been cleared of vegetation and other obstructions.
Close coordination is being maintained with State Govt. officials at different levels. Full Supply Level (FSL) in case of canals & Danger Level (DL) in case of bridges have been painted with bright red band across each pier adjacent to the abutment so as to be clearly visible to the Patrolman, Stationary Watchman and Drivers.
Arrangements have been made not to allow water to stagnate on the track. In station yards, the cross drains and longitudinal drains have been cleared/provided proper grades.
Patrolling of Railway tracks by Patrolmen has also been planned. They observe danger or interruption if any and protect the trains from any unusual occurrence. Stationary Patrolmen and Watchmen along with mobile Patrolmen have been deployed in vulnerable sections.
Instructions have been issued that whenever there is heavy rain, the sectional Trackman will organize patrolling of track on their own in their beat to make sure that the track is safe for passage of trains and ensure protection at all locations where washouts/slips are likely to occur.
Arrangements have been made to stock sufficient quantities of track & bridge repair reserve materials, viz., boulders, sand, cinder, quarry dust, ballast at identified locations. The Engineering relief vans and their equipments are kept ready. Bridge materials are kept in readiness so that they can be moved as per requirement. SER is in constant touch with Indian Meteorological Department and getting weather alerts on hourly basis.
IT HAS BEEN DECIDED THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO PASSENGER CARRYING TRAIN IN KHARAGPUR -BHADRAK SECTIONAND OTHER SECTION TOO IF REQUIRED, AS PER THE INPUTS RECEIVED FROM THE MATEROGICAL DEPARTMENT DURINGTHIS CYCOLONE PERIOD.
As, all passenger carrying trains have already been suspended till further announcement in view of COVID-19, only some Shramik Special Trains, one AC Special Train, Freight and Parcel Express were running as per guidelines of Ministry of Home Affairs. Shramik Special Trains will be suitably controlled, diverted and will not be allowed to run in the vulnerable section.
In view of the above Cyclone forecast, Bhubaneswar-New Delhi-Bhubaneswar AC Special Train has been diverted via Angul-Jharsuguda-Rourkela-Tata route bypassing Bhubaneswar-Hijli (Kharagpur) route for four days.
Here’s how Indian Railways prepared safety protocols during Cyclone Amphan, based on official sources and media reports at the time:
Contents
🌪️ Railways’ Safety Precautions During Cyclone Amphan (May 2025)
🛠️ South Eastern Railway (SER)
- Opened 24/7 Disaster Management Cells at SER headquarters and divisional offices (e.g. Garden Reach, Howrah‑Kharagpur, Bhadrak) to maintain real-time monitoring and coordination.
- Conducted continuous patrolling of tracks, bridges, signaling, and yards at vulnerable sections; cleared silt, vegetation, and obstructions from drains for better water flow.
- Kept diesel locos, DG sets, pumps, earth-moving tools, track mats, standby engineering staff, cranes, and hotlines fully ready for restoration tasks.
- Ensured constant weather advisories monitoring and coordinated with state disaster agencies. All railway staff and families were advised to stay indoors.
🌊 East Coast Railway (ECoR)
- Set up control rooms at Bhubaneswar, Garden Reach, Khurda Road, and Visakhapatnam to manage storm response and train operations.
- Identified flood-prone zones and deployed engineering teams for rapid response and signal/track safety.
🚨 Railway Board / Multi-Zonal Planning
- Formed war rooms at Railway Board and divisional levels with officers from engineering, operations, S&T, electrical, security, and commercial departments.
- Bridges and OHE masts inspected and secured, hoardings removed, and Level Crossing gates lowered ahead of the storm.
- Monsoon patrolling intensified and rolling block planning introduced: preventive track renewals scheduled 52 weeks ahead.
📋 Summary: Cyclone Amphan Safety Response
| Railway Zone | Key Measures |
|---|---|
| SER & ECoR | Emergency control cells, patrolling, silt/obstruction removal, standby engineering teams |
| Railway Board / All Zones | Monsoon patrolling, infrastructure checks, track asset monitoring systems (OSS/TRC/USFD) |
| All Zonal Railways | Strict coordination with IMD forecasts, cancellation/diversion of trains as needed |
| Assets & Equipment | DG sets, diesel locos, cranes, pumps in readiness; infrastructure safety checks |
| Staff Safety & Communication | Hotlines for staff & families, pre‑storm advisories issued |
🧭 Why These Measures Were Critical
- Cyclone Amphan severely affected Odisha and West Bengal, prompting rail operations to be suspended or diverted, especially for migrant passenger trains like Shramik specials.
- Railways’ predictive weather-based action planning helped ensure passenger safety, prevent infrastructure damage, and enable swift restoration of services in the aftermath.
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- Post-Amphan service rescheduling or cancellation notices?
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- How Kavach or interlocking systems further enhance safety during adverse weather?
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