Shivamogga: Hundreds of commuters returning to Bengaluru after the Ganesh Chaturthi festival and long weekend were left stranded in the middle of their journey on Tuesday morning after a tree fell onto a railway track and cut overhead electrical cables near Arasalu. It completely disrupted train services on the Talaguppa–Bengaluru route.The incident occurred near the Kenchanala halt section close to Arasalu railway station shortly after the Talaguppa–Bengaluru Intercity Express (Train No. 20652) had departed Anandapuram at 6.18am. The falling tree snapped high-tension traction wires and blocked the tracks, bringing the train to a complete standstill for more than three and a half hours.On receiving the information, railway engineers, technical staff, and Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel rushed to the spot to clear the fallen tree and repair the damaged electrical equipment. To prevent further delay while the high-voltage electrical lines were being repaired, railway officials attached a diesel locomotive to tow the train past the affected stretch before resuming regular electric traction.The unexpected breakdown caused major distress among passengers, many of whom were heading back to work in Bengaluru after the holiday. Downstream stations including Shivamogga town and Bhadravathi saw heavy rush as commuters were left waiting without clear timelines. While several stranded passengers opted to head to local bus terminals or return home, many were forced to wait at the platforms for hours. The train, which usually reaches Shivamogga by 7am and arrives in Bengaluru by noon, experienced severe operational delays across its route.Railway officials informed TOI that the train reached Bengaluru after a three-hour delay.
