Cyclone Dana: Train services cancelled in Eastern Railway's Sealdah division in West Bengal

Fishermen shift their boats in preparations for Cyclone Dana. File Pic/PTI

The Eastern Railway will not operate any local train from Sealdah station from 8 pm on Thursday till 10 am on Friday in view of the Cyclone Dana, an official said, the PTI reported on Wednesday.

He said that the announcement comes as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of train passengers in the Sealdah division that serves six districts of West Bengal - North 24 Praganas, South 24 Praganas, Nadia, Murshidabad, Kolkata and Howrah.

IN PHOTOS: East coast braces for cyclone Dana as low pressure strengthens into depression over Bay of Bengal

2 months agoPHOTO GALLERY

The storm which is likely to make landfall between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra port in Odisha early Friday with wind speeds of up to 120 kmph, will bring heavy rain in several south Bengal districts on October 24 and 25, the Met office said.

"From 8 pm onwards on October 24, no local train will start from Sealdah station to ensure that no train is on the tracks during the time when the cyclone is apprehended to make landfall," the Eastern Railway official said, according to the PTI.

He said that local train services in the Sealdah division will remain suspended till 10 am on October 25, he said.

The official said that the last train from Hasnabad and Namkhana stations, which are close to the coastal areas in North and South 24 Parganas districts respectively, will depart towards Sealdah by 7 pm on October 24.

South Eastern Railway on Tuesday announced that more than 150 express and passenger trains running through its jurisdiction were cancelled in view of the cyclone.

The East Coast Railways on Tuesday also cancelled as many as 198 trains passing through and originating from Odisha.

Rain begins in Odisha as Cyclone Dana's outer band touches land mass: IMD

Meanwhile, parts of Kendrapara and Bhadrak districts in Odisha experienced rain and adverse weather conditions on Wednesday afternoon with the Indian Meterological Centre (IMD) saying that the outer bands of Cyclone 'Dana' has begun to affect the eastern coastline, according to the PTI.

Senior IMD scientist Umashankar Das posted on X, "According to radar data from Paradip, the outer band of Cyclone 'Dana' has touched the land mass in Bhadrak and Kendrapara districts."

He clarified that while the cyclone is around 500 km offshore, its outer bands, composed of clouds, can influence local weather conditions.

The IMD said Cyclone 'Dana' is likely to make landfall between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra port, a distance of around 70km, early Friday.

In response to the cyclone's movement, the Odisha government has expedited evacuation efforts in the coastal districts of Kendrapada, Bhadrak, Balasore, Puri and Jagatsinghpur.

The latest IMD bulletin forecast light to moderate rainfall¿between 7 cm and 11 cm¿at isolated locations in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Puri, Jajpur and Cuttack, the news agency reported.

(with PTI inputs)