The first train on t𓆉he section where the accident happened in Balasore started its journey at around 10.40 pm on Sunday, 51 hours after the horrific crash which kiꦐlled 275 people, officials said.
The goods train was seen off by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw as scores of mediapersons and rai🐟lway officials looked on.✅
The train carrying coal is headed towards Rourkela Steel pla🤡nt from Vizag port and is running on the same track where the ill-fated Bangalore-Howrah train met with the tragedy on Friday.
The Howrah-bound train crashed with the capsized bogies of the Coromandel Express which had collided wi🔥th a stationary freight train seconds e♑arlier.
"Down-line restoration complete. First♐ train movement in section," tweeted Ashwini Vaishnaw.
Barely two hours af🧜ter the restoration of the downline, ♔the upline was also restored.
An empty goods train wa😼s the first train to run on the up line of the accident affected section.
This is the same track on which the Coromandel Express was running before it entered into the loop line to crash into a stationary goods tr💟ain.
"Three trains have left from the section (two down and one up) and we have planned to run around seven tonight. We have to take this entire section towards normalisation.
"Our objective is to ensure that all the missing persons' family members find them aꦓs soon as possible. Our responsibility is not over yet," said a visibly emotional Vaishnaw as he announced the restoration of the accident affected section.
Around 200 bodies so far remain unidentified.
