Mismatch between signal, route likely behind train accident
The train accident in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvallur district, involving the 12578 Mysuru-Darbhanga Bagmati Express, occurred due to a mismatch between the signal and the route, according to railway sources. The express train collided with a stationary goods train after being diverted to a closed loop section instead of continuing on the main line. Although the signal had been set for the main track, the passenger train was mistakenly switched onto the wrong track, leading to the crash.
The passenger train, traveling at 75 km per hour, derailed 12 coaches as a result of the collision and a power car caught fire. The accident took place approximately 40 km from Chennai, with more than 1,300 passengers onboard. Three individuals were seriously injured, while six others sustained minor injuries. Two of the seriously injured were AC coach attendants, Rahul Kumar (22) and Chandan Kumar (25), and the third was a 20-year-old passenger named Priyanshu Kumar.
The Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) has been directed to investigate the incident and identify the exact cause. The CRS team visited the accident site on the morning following the crash, according to sources.
Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi criticised the government’s response to recurring accidents, drawing parallels with the Balasore tragedy of June 2023, which claimed 294 lives. Gandhi remarked, “Despite many lives lost in numerous accidents, no lessons are learned. Accountability starts at the top. How many more families must be destroyed before this government wakes up?” he wrote on his social media platform X.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin expressed shock over the accident and called for an expedited rescue operation.
Track to be restored today
Restoration of the railway lines at Kavaraipettai near here where the Mysuru-Darbhanga Bagmati express derailed after ramming into a goods train, has been intensified, and the section with four lines will be restored by early morning of October 13, the railway said on Saturday.
The railway authorities have been racing against time to complete the work and restore rail traffic in the section. Assisted by senior officials of Southern Railway, Commissioner of Railway Safety, Southern Circle, Bengaluru, AM Chowdhary initiated a thorough inspection of the track, points and blocks, signals, station electronic interlocking systems, control panels and other significant safety, signal and operational aspects, Chief Public Relations Officer, Southern Railway, M Senthamil Selvan said. (With PTI inputs)
