Railway yard work to hit 170 train services

Vadodara: Passengers travelling through Vadodara over the next 10 days may want to check their train status before leaving for the station, with a major yard remodelling and signalling upgrade set to alter operations of more than 170 train services.While only a few trains have been cancelled, dozens of services will be diverted, shifted to Chhayapuri, Vishvamitri and Bajwa stations, or originate and terminate at alternate locations. Chhayapuri station will handle 114 train services during the period, while 57 services will be routed through Vishvamitri and another 20 through Bajwa. Some trains will also originate or terminate from stations such as Makarpura and Pratapnagar instead of Vadodara.The upcoming non-interlocking (NI) work, scheduled between June 29 and July 1, is considered one of the most critical stages of the station redevelopment project. It will facilitate the commissioning of a new electronic interlocking (EI) system and integration of the remodelled yard infrastructure, aimed at improving operational efficiency at one of Gujarat’s busiest railway junctions.Five pairs of services, including the Vadodara-Dahanu Road Superfast Express and Valsad-Dahod Intercity Express, will remain cancelled during the block period.

The impact, however, will be felt across a much larger number of trains. Six Ektanagar-bound services connecting Varanasi, Chennai and Rewa will be diverted via the Dabhoi-Kayavarohan-Miyagam Karjan route between June 23 and June 28, skipping Vadodara station altogether.Anubhav Saxena, public relations officer, Vadodara railway division, said railway officials have worked out extensive operational arrangements to minimise inconvenience. The latest arrangements are in addition to operational changes that have been in place since May 16 to facilitate the station’s redevelopment.