Kerala Train Disruption: Three Services Held, Five Delayed After Parassala Landslide

A landslide near Parassala railway station in southern Kerala derailed the locomotive of the Bilaspur–Tirunelveli Express early Thursday, disrupting train services in the Neyyattinkara–Parassala section amid heavy rainfall, Southern Railway said.

The incident occurred at 2:19 am when Train No. 22619 was stopped near Parassala following the landslide. The locomotive was found derailed after the train halted. All passengers and railway staff were safe, according to Southern Railway. The initial statement did not specify the extent of damage to railway infrastructure.

Railway authorities arranged a relief locomotive to move the train and dispatched an Accident Relief Train (ART), along with personnel and equipment, to the site for restoration work. Services in the affected section remained disrupted until the necessary work could be completed.

The incident affected several other services. Three trains were held en route: the Tambaram–Thiruvananthapuram Central Special at Eraniel, the Madurai–Punalur Express at North Panakudi and the Tambaram–Thiruvananthapuram Central Amrit Bharat Express at Nanguneri.

Departures of five trains were delayed, including the Kanniyakumari–Mangaluru Central Parasuram Express, the Nagercoil Junction–Punalur Passenger, the Thiruvananthapuram North–Nagercoil Junction Passenger, the Punalur–Kanniyakumari Passenger and the Thiruvananthapuram Central–Tambaram Express.

The Guruvayur–Chennai Egmore Express and the Pune–Kanniyakumari Express were also expected to be delayed, the railway statement said.

The incident occurred amid heavy rainfall in the region. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued an orange alert for Thiruvananthapuram district on Wednesday, warning of very heavy rainfall. A yellow alert was in place from October 22 to October 25, forecasting heavy rain.

The weather conditions prompted continued attention to railway operations as restoration work progressed. The precise cause of the locomotive’s derailment was not detailed in the initial report.

Passengers travelling through the affected section may check official Southern Railway announcements for updates on delays and service changes.