Kozhikode clock tower collapse: Trains rescheduled; Rajdhani, Bhavnagar Express delayed till Friday

Kozhikode: Train traffic through Kozhikode has been severely disrupted following the collapse of the historic clock tower onto Platform 2 at around 11.10 am on Thursday. Railway authorities confirmed that power lines were immediately disconnected after the crash, completely halting all train movements through the station for hours.

While entry to Platforms 1, 2, and 3 was strictly banned initially, partial services resumed via Platform 1 by 2.20 pm. Earlier, traffic was being managed exclusively through Platform 4.

Comprehensive train arrangements and delays

To handle the crisis, the Southern Railway has implemented the following emergency arrangements, cancellations and major delays across the network.

• Jan Shatabdi Express (Kozhikode – Thiruvananthapuram): As previously decided, the 1.45 pm service originated from Kallai Railway Station instead of Kozhikode. To assist stranded passengers, the Eranad Express (which arrived at Kozhikode's Platform 4 at 1.07 pm instead of its scheduled 11.10 am slot) was granted a special emergency stop at Kallai so passengers could catch the Jan Shatabdi. In addition, the KSRTC operated special bus services from Kozhikode to Kallai.
• KSR Bengaluru – Kozhikode Express: This train short-terminated at West Hill Railway Station. Its return journey to Bengaluru will also originate from West Hill instead of Kozhikode.
• Stranded trains: Iconic long-distance trains, including the Netravati Express and Eranad Express, were held up at nearby Vellayil and West Hill stations for hours, while several others were stopped at signals outside the city limits.
• The Kozhikode–Kannur Passenger: The clock tower collapsed directly onto the platform where this train was stationed. The rake was empty and locked at the time, saving hundreds of lives. Its scheduled 2.05 pm departure was hugely impacted.

Massive rescheduling of south-bound premium trains

Because pairing trains have been heavily delayed due to the bottleneck in Kozhikode, the following premium services departing from Thiruvananthapuram have been severely rescheduled.

Call for investigation

Following a site visit, MLAs Faisal Babu and K Jayanth demanded a comprehensive, high-level probe into the structural failure and strict punitive action against negligent officials who failed to secure the decaying structure despite prior warnings.