Hit by power cuts, Rlys face delays, cancellations

“If things do not improve in a day or two, train operations are going to be seriously affected,” said Railways Public Relations Officer (PRO) Yogendra Kumar Singh. “The load-sheddings imposed in Pune and other areas of Maharashtra have affected normal train operations and the workings of the railways,” he added.

“This has affected all 72 stations of Pune division, which are facing serious difficulties due to load-shedding and frequent power interruptions,” he informed.

Already the railway signalling systems, route systems, setting systems, operations at level crossing gates, announcement systems, public reservation systems, maintenance, cleaning and watering operations have been affected because of load-sheddings, Singh said.

“We are trying to use DG sets and invertors but back-up is not available for more than one-two hours,” he pointed out. At present, the city is facing more than six hours’ load-shedding a day.

Singh informed that Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Corporation Ltd (MSEDCL) has agreed to reschedule load-sheddings at Pune station. “However, it has said that it will not be able to reduce the time period of load-shedding,” he noted.