Jnaneswari Exp resumes night journey from Howrah

Nearly two years after night running of the train was suspended on the route, Mumbai-bound Jnaneshwari Express has resumed its nocturnal journey from Howrah.

Nearly two years after night running of the train was suspended on the route, Mumbai-bound Jnaneshwari Express has resumed its nocturnal journey from Howrah, railway officials said here on Monday.

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The train left Howrah station on schedule at 10.55 pm on Sunday evening after more than 19 months as the ban on night movement of the train between Kharagpur and Tatanagar was lifted recently by the railways, the officials said.

This was the same train that was targeted by Maoists on the wee hours of May 28, 2010 between the two stations killing 148 passengers, prompting railways to impose an immediate ban on night movment of the train on the route.

Jnaneshwari along with several other trains was rescheduled following this and continued to run on revised timings, posing inconvenience to passengers.

Till the report was filed, the train was running almost on time and would reach Mumbai in the early hours tomorrow after a gap of 19 months.

Strangely, one could still see the mangled coaches of the ill-fated rake lying adjacent to the rail tracks near Jhargram where the accident, considered one of the worst tragedies in the annals of rail history, had taken place.

However, Railways had kept the scheduled departure of the train after 19 months a low key affair fearing any mischievious attempts from rogue elements resulting in the occasion largely going unnoticed.