Passengers remain stranded as train services hit hard

PATNA: Movement of trains in Danapur division was badly hit following a major breakdown in the eastern power grid. About 45 passenger trains remained stranded at different stations.
According to Danapur DRM LM Jha, railways dispatched several pairs of diesel locomotives to pull stranded trains from block line to main stations so that passengers could get drinking water and eatables.Railway reservation and signalling systems were completely paralysed. "Railways hired generators from local market to ensure power supply to major stations and vital railway installations," he said, adding railways would reschedule departure of a few trains originating from Patna Junction after midnight.
According to Danapur rail division PRO, R K Singh, while Magadh express (2402) was stranded at Dumraon from 1pm, Katihar Intercity (5713) was stationed at Patna Saheb. Similarly, Bhagalpur-Mumbai Express (2335), Sealdah-Varanasi Express (3133), Puri-Patna Express (8449), Vikramshila Express (2367), Purva Express (2308), Archana Express and Mumbai-Patna Lokmanya Tilak Express remained stranded at different stations, he said.
The Mughalsarai and Dhanbad divisions were the worst hit. This was the first time that train traffic in Bihar was totally paralysed for such a long period, an ECR official said.
However, Jayaprakash Narayan International Airport, Patna was least affected. "There is no need to panic as the Patna airport has sufficient power backup for a day," said Arvind Dubey, the airport director.
But the Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park was remained in dark till late in the evening. "There is an inverter connection for the snake house and the rest house," said Abhay Kumar, the zoo director.
The power failure, however, did not have much impact on the functioning of PMCH and NMCH. But it hit the examinees of 1st year MBBS physiology at PMCH. HoD, Dr Rajiv Ranjan Prasad said special modules were prepared without use of electricity so that experiments could be performed. Hospital sources said operations were performed as per schedule though emergency ward was partially affected.
NMCH superintendent Dr S K Prasad said scheduled operations were performed on Tuesday with the help of generators. But the drinking water supply to the hospital was hit.
ANMMCH superintendent Dr Sita Ram said the crisis had a minimal impact on hospital functioning. Gaya civil surgeon Dr KB Prasad Singh was not even aware of any such crisis till 7pm.
But there was a chaos at the Gaya railway station. According to rail area manager B Jha, efforts were being made to run some passenger trains from Gaya.