Heavy rain leaves passengers stranded at Nagpur station

The coming week could be painful for passengers travelling between Mumbai and Nagpur as the restoration work of tracks and of a minor bridge, which was washed away between Sindi and Tuljapur on July 19, is still not complete.

Never-ending wait: Amrutlal Kara had to wait for nearly 16 hours to board the Sevagram Express

Thousands of passengers have been reportedly stranded at the railway stations in Nagpur, Wardha and Akola for hours waiting for the train.

Two lines were affected due to rains of which one has been restored. Journeys on trains such as the Sevagram Express, Vidarbha Express and others, which come from Nagpur via Wardha to Mumbai that lasts 12 hours is now taking over 24 hours.

Amrutlal S Kara (68) who boarded the Sevagram Express from Akola waited at the railway station for over 16 hours to board the train. "We arrived at Akola railway station at 8.30 pm on July 22 but the train did not arrive till next morning.

Richa Tiwari, who boarded a train from Wardha station says that hundreds of passengers including senior citizens, small children, pregnant women were waiting for hours for a train.

"I reached the station at 9 pm. There was an announcement that our train was late by four hours," she said. Tiwari, who was travelling with her six-year-old daughter added, "After waiting for over 11 hours we finally boarded the train and the journey took over 24 hours."

The reason behind the delay is the heavy rainfall on July 19 when the ballast on the tracks and a minor bridge were washed away leading to the cancellation of over ten mail and passengers train. Over 500 workers are engaged in restoration work at the moment. u00a0