Thunderstorm disrupts train services in Kolkata

Kolkata: Seasonal thunderstorm swept across various parts of the city and suburban areas disrupting train services and blocking major roads by uprooting trees on Saturday evening, officials said.

"Train services in the city's circular railway has completely disrupted after the storm. There was also a temporary disruption in Baraipur-Lakhikantapur line under the Sealdah south section as some trees fell on the over-head lines. 

However the services resumed after an hour," Ravi Mahapatra, Chief Public Relations Officer of the Eastern Railways told IANS.

"Our technicians are working to remove the obstacles from the tracks and overhead lines as soon as possible. The services at Sealdah North section is not affected," he said.

At Howrah, the other major railway station under South Eastern railways, a number of trains were delayed due to the storm.

"The sudden thunderstorm caused minor disruptions at Howrah as some trains in the Howrah-Kharagpur line were delayed. However no express trains got cancelled today," said S. Ghosh, Chief Public Relation Officer of South Eastern Railways.

Vehicle movement was affected in the city as the storm -- known as Norwester which is common in this part of India during this time -- felled trees on important arterial roads like Jessore Road, Harish Mukherjee Road, Lenin Sarani, Rashbehari Avenue and Judges Court Road.

There were long queues of vehicles on many roads even late into the night.