At least 27 trains passing through Ahmedabad on Monday have been fully or partially cancelled after a specialised mobile gantry crane used in construction of an elevated viaduct of Ahmedabad-Mumbai Bullet train project skidded from its position and fell near the railway tracks passing below, official sources said.
According to National High-Speed Rail Corporation Ltd the incident took place around 11 pm on Sunday (March 23) when a segmental launching gantry used for viaduct construction at Vatva (near Ahmedabad city) was retracting after launching a concrete girder. During this process, it accidentally skidded from its position.
“This has affected the adjoining railway line in the vicinity. Senior NHSRCL officials are already at site. No casualties have been reported. There has been no damage to the structure erected,” a statement from NHSRCL said.
According to Western Railway, the fall of the gantry at the NHSRCL work-site led to a breakdown of Overhead equipment --that supply power to the electric trains --- between Geratpur-Vatva section of Ahmedabad divison. This impacted the movement of trains on the down line. The Railways started clearing down trains on the functional UP line from 1 am on Monday.
Trains fully cancelled include 12934/12933 Ahmedabad-Mumbai Central Karnavati Express, 12931/32 Ahmedabad-Mumbai Central Double Decker Express, 19033/34 Ahmedabad-Mumbai Gujarat Queen, 22953/54 Mumbai Central-Ahmedabad Gujarat Express, 20959/60 Valsad Intercity Express, 19418 Vatva-Borivali Express among others. 20901/02 Mumbai Central-Gandhinagar Vande Bharat and 12009/10 Mumbai Central-Ahmedabad Shatabdi Express trains have been partially cancelled and will be terminated at Vadodara railway junction. In addition 19309 Ahmedabad-Indore Shanti Express has been partially cancelled between Ahmedabad and Anand, 20935 Gandhidham-Indore superfast express has been cancelled between Gandhidham and Nadiad stations and 09410 Ekta Nagar-Ahmedabad Heritage special has been partially cancelled between Kanjari Boriyavi and Ahmedabad stations.
Five trains have been rescheduled, while six others have been diverted, the western railway sources said.