Rail operations on Dhanbad- Chandrapura section will stop from June 15 affecting freight and passenger traffic due to the long-running underground fire in Jharia coal belt.
The closure of the section in Jharkhand will affect the daily movement of about 37 passenger and freight trains resulting in a loss of about Rs 1,250 crore a year.
A major decision was taken to close the 41-km long Dhanbad-Chandrapura line from June 15 as per a Coal Ministry advisory, Railway Board Member (Traffic) Mohd Jamshed said here today.
Jharia coal belt, a major coal field, produces the finest coal in the country. However, the land around the section in Jharia coalfields has started caving in due to an underground fire which has been burning for over a 100 years, posing a great risk to train operations.
Jamshed said the closure of service in the section will have an adverse effect on freight and passenger traffic.
On an average 11 pairs of Mail/Express and six pairs of passenger trains run on the section daily which are going to be affected after June 15.
There are about 20 freight trains that will also be affected due to the closure of the line.
The Railways has made special arrangements to facilitate refunds as per the rules for the affected passengers.
However, Jamshed said steps have been taken to minimise passenger inconvenience by arranging bus services and other arrangements.
According to experts, unsafe and illegal mining has led to fire in coal deposits under the surface of the Jharia coalfields. The continuous fire now poses a serious risk to the population living in the area and a threat to rail transport.
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