Trains, flights run behind schedule due to downpour

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Passengers had a harrowing time as both trains and flights were cancelled or diverted because

of bad weather conditions in the
state and neighbouring Karnataka. Many flights, which took off from Mumbai airport,
had to take a U-turn and return as the runway got flooded and the airport was declared shut.

Several passengers were stranded at the Dabolim airport for over five hours as 28 flights were affected due to the Navy declaring the runway unfit for use because of flooding.

Officials said that the airport was closed from 1pm to 6pm, though the Navy declared the runway unfit for use only by 4 pm. In the morning, five flights arrived in Goa. However, the problem started after 1pm.

While 13 flights were expected to arrive in Goa, they had to be either cancelled or diverted due to the bad weather. Most of the flights were from Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore and Delhi. About four incoming Kingfisher flights, two Spicejet, three Jet Airways, one Jetlite, two Indigo, one Indian airlines and one Go Air were affected.

While domestic flights and passengers suffered, major relief came after one international flight landed at Dabolim airport at 5:30 pm coming from Kuwait via Chennai. The second international flight from Dubai via Bombay was diverted to Bombay airport.

Several trains on the Konkan Railway route were cancelled, while some were rescheduled or diverted on account of railway tracks going under water in areas between Canacona and Karwar and north Karnataka regions.

Both up and down Matsyagandha Express trains (Mangalore Lokmanya Tilak Terminus), Trivandrum bound Netravati Express departing from Lokmanya Tilak terminus, Mumbai and Garib Rath Express train, were cancelled, while Trivandrum-Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express was running indefinite late.

While the Mangalore-Verna passenger train had to be halted at Ankola, the Mumbai Ernakulam Mangala Express has been diverted through an alternate route, senior public relations manager, Konkan Railway, Baban Ghatge informed. The Margao Karwar passenger train scheduled for departure on Saturday morning also stands cancelled, Ghatge told TOI.

 

source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/city/goa/Trains-flights-run-behind-schedule-due-to-downpour/articleshow/5082040.cms