Kolkata : Due to damage of 16 nos. signaling cable, safety of train operations was endangered causing huge delay in train movements in Sonarpur – Baruipur, Baruipur – Diamond Harbour and Baruipur – Lakshmikantapur sections besides economic loss in Goods/Passenger trains movement yesterday night. A total of 37 passenger train operations were affected causing total detention of more than 12 hours affecting thousands of commuters.
In an unusual incident, on 03.07.2025 at around 2:02 am, a team of West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (WBSEDCL) working near the Electronic lnterlocking building, Baruipur Station in Railway area with Micro Tunneling Machine without approval/ information to Railway authority, resulting irreparable damage of a bunch of signaling cables causing total disruption of all signals at the station.
The temporary cabling work for restoration of operations has taken nearly 15 hours and it may take few days to complete the whole underground cabling for resumption of normal operations. The total damages, as per Railway rules towards restoration works and delays in operation, works out to be nearly Rs. 62 lakhs.
It’s reiterated that, this is an unwarranted failure of serious nature on account of tunneling work in Railway areas without proper permission/supervision from Railway authorities. Defaulters have also been advised to pay the damages.
