 "Cyclone Titli: ECoR cancels 8 trains, suspends services between Odisha, AP")
East Coast Railway (ECoR) has cancelled at least eight trains and suspended services between Khurda Road in Odisha and Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh after 10 pm Wednesday till further advice in view of Cyclone Titli.
With the very severe cyclone heading for landfall between coastal Odisha and Andhra Pradesh Thursday morning, the train services in both directions will be suspended, an ECoR Spokesman said.
Services of up-trains from Howrah/Kharagpur to southern destinations were not allowed in ECoR jurisdiction from Bhadrak after 5.15 pm Wednesday till further advice, he said.
Similarly down-trains from Hyderabad/Visakhapatnam to the north were also not allowed from Duvvada (Visakhapatnam) after 6.40 pm Wednesday till next advice, the ECoR spokesman said.
At least eight trains, including 18463 Bhubaneswar- Bangaore Prashanti Express, 12830 Bhubaneswar-Chennai Central Express and 12773 Shalimar-Secunderabad Express from Shalimar, were cancelled in view of the cyclone, he said.
Another at least nine trains were partially cancelled, 18 others diverted and two trains were rescheduled, he said.
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Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of ECoR, J P Mishra said the Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) examinations would not be held in any of the centres under the jurisdiction of RRB-Bhubaneswar at Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Sambalpur, Khurda and Berhampur on Thursday and Friday due to Cyclone Titli.
ECoR has also set up a round-the-clock emergency control room for the convenience of people and has taken special steps to ensure uninterrupted communication with stations, he said.
Standby diesel engines have been kept ready in case overhead electricity wires are affected, he said.
ECoR has opened helplines. Their numbers are 8455885936, 0674-2301525, 0674-2301625, Mishra said.