150-Year-Old Clock Tower Collapses at Kozhikode Railway Station After Heavy Rain; No Casualties
A 150-year-old heritage clock tower partially collapsed onto Platform No. 2 at Kozhikode railway station on Thursday morning following heavy rainfall, causing disruption to train services but no casualties or injuries, railway officials said.
The incident occurred at around 11.10 a.m. on July 9, 2026. The iconic structure, part of the old station building that houses the Station Master's office and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) office, gave way, sending debris and roofing sheets onto the platform and overhead traction wires.
According to railway sources, minor cracks were detected on the vintage structure on Wednesday, July 8, while the station is undergoing extensive redevelopment. Acting on the warning, RPF personnel moved passengers away and erected caution tapes and barricades around the site by Thursday morning.
RPF officers said the section of the building was scheduled for controlled demolition later in the day, and the collapse occurred as workers were preparing to set up additional safety barriers. Emergency response teams, including Fire and Rescue Services, RPF, and police, arrived immediately to begin clearing operations.
Train services were temporarily suspended. The railway administration disconnected power supply to overhead lines across tracks 1, 2, and 3 to facilitate debris clearance. Rail traffic was restricted to track 4, causing delays for several trains.
Southern Railway officials confirmed major operational changes. The Thiruvananthapuram Central-Kozhikode Jan Shatabdi Express (Train No. 12076) was short-terminated at Kallayi station, with its return service rescheduled from Kallayi. The KSR Bengaluru-Kozhikode Express (Train No. 16511) terminated at West Hill station.
Long-distance commuters faced delays: the Mangaluru-Thiruvananthapuram Eranad Express ran over an hour late, and the Mumbai-Thiruvananthapuram Netravati Express was delayed by nearly two and a half hours. The Kozhikode-Kannur Passenger, already at the platform when the structure fell, was detained indefinitely.
Beypore MLA and former PWD Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas, who visited the site, termed the incident a serious oversight and criticized railway authorities for delays in safely dismantling the dilapidated structure. He called for a comprehensive safety audit across all railway stations in the state undergoing modernization.
Railway officials stated there was no oversight, as the collapse occurred minutes ahead of planned demolition with all safety precautions in place. They said train services would return to normal within hours and that work was underway to restore overhead power cables.
