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Uttarakhand: Landslide halts train services on Haridwar-Dehradun line
Despite protective wire mesh installed along the slope, several large boulders rolled onto the railway track, forcing the suspension of train services
Haridwar: Train operations on the Haridwar-Dehradun railway line in Uttarakhand were suspended on Monday morning after a landslide brought boulders and debris crashing down near the Shri Dat Maha Kali temple at Bhimgoda, close to Har-ki-Pauri.
The incident occurred around 6.30 am, when stones, mud, trees and debris slid into the temple premises and onto the adjacent railway track, eyewitnesses said. Despite protective wire mesh installed along the slope, several large boulders rolled onto the track, forcing the suspension of train services.
Assistant superintendent of Railway Police, Aruna Bharati, who reached the site soon after the incident, said, “No human life was lost. All trains coming from Dehradun and Rishikesh, including Vande Bharat and DLS Passenger Express, were stopped immediately. Operations will remain halted until clearance work is completed.”
Railway officials estimated it would take 8–10 hours to restore services. “The terrain here is unstable with hanging cliff rocks, and the spot often witnesses landslides. Dozens of railway workers have been deployed with rock-breaking machines and JCBs. Fortunately, no train was passing at the time of the landslide, and the retaining fencing prevented debris from spilling onto the road that runs alongside the track,” said a senior railway official at the site.
Temple priest Kalu Ram said two devotees present at the shrine were rescued safely. “The main temple structure was unaffected, though part of the side wall was damaged,” he told reporters.
District disaster management officer Meera Raturi said personnel from the Government Railway Police, Railway Protection Force, city police, and disaster management teams rushed to the spot. “Barricades have been put up and passersby are being cautioned. Train operations will resume once debris is cleared and railway engineers certify the track safe. Meanwhile, trains are terminating at Haridwar station,” she said.
Notably, a similar landslide occurred at the same site on August 5, leaving two motorcyclists injured when debris spilled onto the adjacent road, once part of the old Haridwar–Dehradun highway.
