Cyclone Arnab Floods Track: Train Services Disrupted
Cyclone Arnab has caused significant disruptions to train services in Srikakulam district, leading to cancellations and rescheduling by South Central Railway.
The Cliff News | 30 October 2026
Cyclone Arnab has severely impacted railway operations in Srikakulam district, submerging sections of the Howrah-Chennai track and prompting extensive cancellations, diversions, and reschedulings by South Central Railway (SCR). The affected area near Ichchapuram experienced heavy rainfall and rising water levels, leading to the suspension of services as a precautionary measure.
The full extent of the disruption became apparent on Friday, October 30, 2026, when SCR announced the rescheduling of four more trains. The Howrah-Secunderabad Falaknuma Express (12703) will now depart at 2:45 p.m. instead of 8:25 a.m., and the Bhubaneswar-Secunderabad Visakha Express (17015) at 10:30 a.m. instead of 8 a.m. The Secunderabad-Shalimar Express (22850) has been moved to a 6 p.m. departure from its original 3:55 a.m. slot. Significantly, the Charlapalli-Shalimar Express (18046) has been postponed by a day, slated to run at 8:40 a.m. on October 31.
Extensive Cancellations and Diversions
The impact of Cyclone Arnab was already felt on Thursday, October 29, disrupting train services along the Chennai-Howrah main railway network. A total of 35 trains were cancelled, 11 were rescheduled, and eight were short-terminated. Among the premium services affected was the Bhubaneswar-Visakhapatnam Vande Bharat Express.
Official operational updates released on Thursday evening confirmed the cancellation of several key long-distance and high-priority express services for October 29 and 30. Notable among these cancellations were the Bhubaneswar-Visakhapatnam Vande Bharat Express (20841/20842), Shalimar-Mangalore Central Vivek Express (22851), Howrah-SMVT Bengaluru Express (12863), Shalimar-Vasco da Gama Express (18047), and Puri-Tirupati Express (17479). Conversely, services along the Visakhapatnam-Secunderabad corridor, including the Visakhapatnam-Secunderabad Vande Bharat Express (20833/20834), reportedly remained operational.
To maintain essential inter-state passenger connectivity, several long-distance trains were diverted via alternative routes, including Hijli, Tatanagar, Jharsuguda, and Vizianagaram. Among the diverted services were the New Jalpaiguri-Nagercoil Amrit Bharat Express (20603), Dibrugarh-Kanniyakumari Vivek Express (22504), Silchar-Coimbatore Express (15628), and the CSMT-Bhubaneswar Express (11019), which was cancelled on October 31.
Rescheduling of Key Express Services
A total of 42 train movements were regulated or rescheduled across the affected region. The Howrah-MGR Chennai Central Coromandel Express (12841), departing Howrah on October 29, was rescheduled to depart at 10:55 p.m. and diverted via Tatanagar and Jharsuguda. On the outbound corridor, the Secunderabad-Bhubaneswar New Visakha Express (17016) and Secunderabad-Howrah Falaknuma Express (12704) experienced revised departure delays.
Railway authorities have emphasized that restoration and track safety assessments are being conducted on a war footing to ensure the early resumption of normal traffic flow. Passengers are strongly urged to verify updated train running status through official enquiry channels before proceeding to stations, as railway authorities regret the operational inconvenience caused by these unforeseen circumstances.