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Montha’s deluge stalls trains across Telangana

Cyclone Montha’s rain bands drenched key rail corridors in Telangana on Wednesday, flooding tracks and yards and bringing parts of the South Central Railway (SCR) network to a crawl. Severe waterlogging at Dornakal Yard in the Secunderabad division stranded the Visakhapatnam–Secunderabad Vande Bharat and several other services at Khammam, Warangal, Mahabubabad and nearby stations.

  • Passengers due to alight at Warangal from the Vande Bharat were moved by RTC buses from Khammam.
  • The Secunderabad–Visakhapatnam Vande Bharat’s return departure, scheduled for 3 p.m., was pushed to around 8 p.m., subject to conditions.
  • At least a dozen trains were cancelled or rescheduled, with additional long-distance services diverted to bypass flooded stretches.

Where the network is worst hit

The Mahabubabad–Dornakal–Khammam section remains the principal bottleneck. Track inundation and yard waterlogging have limited movements to safety-only operations, with authorities indicating that services will resume or speed up only as water levels recede and inspections clear the track.

What’s running, what’s not

SCR said the service plan will remain fluid and depend on weather and drainage work. As of Wednesday afternoon and evening, the following changes were announced:

  • Fully cancelled (select examples):
  • 67768 Vijayawada–Dornakal (Wed)
  • 67766 Dornakal–Kazipet (Wed)
  • 12748 Vikarabad–Guntur (Wed)
  • 07001 Cherlapalli–Tirupati (Wed)
  • 07251 Cherlapalli–Tiruchanur (Wed)
  • 07002 Tirupati–Cherlapalli (Thu)

  • 07252 Tiruchanur–Cherlapalli (Thu)

  • Partially cancelled:

  • 67215 Vijayawada–Bhadrachalam (segment curtailed)

  • 17034 Sirpur Town–Bhadrachalam (segment curtailed)

  • Diverted or rescheduled (select examples):

  • 8189 Tatanagar–Ernakulam
  • 16031 MGR Chennai Central–SMVD Katra
  • 16318 SMVD Katra–Kanniyakumari
  • 20497 Rameswaram–Firozpur
  • 17406 Adilabad–Tirupati; 17405 Tirupati–Adilabad
  • 12787 Narsapur–Nagarsol
  • 17205 Sainagar Shirdi–Kakinada Port; 17202 Secunderabad–Guntur
  • 03680 Coimbatore–Dhanbad
  • 12521 Barauni–Ernakulam; 12270 H. Nizamuddin–Chennai Central
  • 12625 Thiruvananthapuram–New Delhi; 12643 Thiruvananthapuram–H. Nizamuddin

Officials cautioned that additional cancellations or route changes may be necessary if rain persists or fresh flooding is reported.

SCR’s response and passenger advisory

SCR has activated incident management measures to stabilize operations and support passengers:

  • War rooms at divisional and zonal levels are tracking field conditions and coordinating with State authorities.
  • Civil Defence teams and Scouts & Guides are assisting station staff with crowd management, relief, and information dissemination.
  • Restoration crews are dewatering flooded sections, inspecting track, points, and signaling assets, and preparing for controlled speed operations once water recedes.

Travel advisory highlights:

  • Defer non-essential journeys until conditions improve.
  • Verify train status via official channels: IRCTC, NTES, RailOne, or 139.
  • Expect SMS alerts on the mobile number used for booking when services are cancelled, diverted, or rescheduled.
  • Allow additional time for interchange and last-mile travel; use buses arranged locally where rail has paused.

How to check and get help

Passengers can access real-time updates and assistance through multiple touchpoints:

  • Official status: IRCTC website/app, NTES, RailOne, and 139 helpline.
  • Station help desks and helplines (select):
  • Secunderabad: 040-27786170 / 040-27786140
  • Hyderabad: 9063330400
  • Kazipet: 0870-2576430
  • Warangal: 9063328082
  • Vijayawada: 0866-2575167
  • Guntur: 6302201468
  • Tirupati: 9063311778

If traveling, carry water, snacks, essential medicines, and device chargers; keep tickets and ID accessible for rebooking or assistance.

The road to normalcy

Railway officials indicate that once floodwaters at Dornakal and adjoining block sections recede, services will restart in phases, typically at reduced speeds after mandatory safety checks. Given the scale of the weather system across Telangana and coastal Andhra Pradesh, passengers should prepare for a staggered restoration and rolling updates through the evening and into Thursday. Local bus bridging may continue where pockets of waterlogging prevent immediate through-running.

Over the next 24–48 hours, the operational focus will remain on:

  • Clearing and certifying critical sections for safe passage.
  • Prioritizing long-distance trunk routes to minimize network-wide ripple effects.
  • Rebalancing rakes and crews displaced by diversions and short terminations.
  • Communicating dynamic changes quickly to reduce crowding at stations.