Passengers of the Talaguppa-KSR Bengaluru City Intercity Express (20652) had a harrowing journey on Tuesday (September 15) after a tree branch fell on the overhead equipment near Arasalu in Hosanagara taluk, delaying the train by over four hours. A majority of the passengers were returning to the capital after spending the festival weekend in their native places.

The train left Talaguppa on schedule at 5.21 a.m. and reached Arasalu on time at 6.20 a.m. However, it was halted there for nearly four hours after the fallen branch damaged the overhead equipment and snapped the line, an official of the South Western Railway said. 

Restoration work took considerable time before the train could resume its journey, the official said. A passenger who shared the experience on a social media platform said the journey was delayed. Several local residents helped the stranded passengers by selling coffee and snacks during the halt.

The train reached Kusmi at 10.54 a.m. and Shivamogga at 11.48 a.m., against its scheduled arrival time of 7.16 a.m. It is expected to reach Bengaluru by 4 p.m.