BHUBANESWAR: Due to the cyclonic storm ‘Titli’, which made landfall near Palasa in Andhra Pradesh on Thursday morning, the Railways have cancelled eight trains and rescheduled five others. It has started reviewing the situation to run diverted trains on its original route.East Coast Railway (ECoR) sources said Santragachhi-Chennai Special, Bhubaneswar-Visakhapatnam Inter City Express, Howrah-Hyderabad East Coast Express and Visakhapatnam-Digha Express were cancelled on Thursday.Howrah-Chennai Coromandal Express, Howrah-Yesvantpur Express and Bangalore-Bhubaneswar Prashanti Express will be cancelled for Friday, while Yesvantpur-Bhagalpur Express will not run on Saturday, official sources said.“Due to improvement in situation caused by the cyclone and after reviewing the feasibility and safety of train operations, it has been decided to run some of the trains on normal path or routes, which were earlier declared as cancelled and diverted,” said a spokesperson of the ECoR.Electricity supply was affected in some areas between Berhampur and Kottabomalli stations. During afternoon, engineering staff were engaged to sort out the issue. Platform shelters and cover sheets of foot over bridges (FOBs) were damaged at various places.Signalling pole and overhead electric masts have been damaged at some places between Palasa and Kottabomali stations. Trees have fallen on tracks at various places. Some station buildings including Palasa under ECoR jurisdiction have been damaged due to the storm.People were stranded at major stations waiting for the delayed and rescheduled trains. People were seen inquiring about trains at stations. “I have an emergency work at Visakhapatnam, but there is no train to that place due to the cyclone and heavy rainfall. I am inquiring about the trains here,” said Anirudh Behera, a resident of Patia.Candidates, who have applied for group-D posts in Railways, stranded at stations like Bhubaneswar, Berhampur, Sambalpur and Cuttack after their examinations were cancelled for Thursday and Friday. “I had booked ticket for Bhubaneswar to appear examinations here. When I reached here, I found my examination is cancelled. I cannot afford to return home,” said Sandi Gupta, from Balasore “Candidates scheduled to appear in the exams on Thursday and Friday will be rescheduled and the revised exam city and date intimation will advised through the registered mobile number and email of the candidates,” said railway recruitment board (RRB) Bhubaneswar sources.

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