Naxal attempt to derail Chalukya Express last month comes to light

An alert loco pilot who spotted seven concrete slabs placed horizontally on the railway tracks applied emergency brakes averting a loss of life and limb to nearly 1,500 passengers.
Concrete slabs placed horizontally on the railway tracks to derail the Chalukya Express at Thoppur in Tamil Nadu. | Express Photo Service
Concrete slabs placed horizontally on the railway tracks to derail the Chalukya Express at Thoppur in Tamil Nadu. | Express Photo Service

BENGALURU: A daring attempt by a Naxal group to derail the Chalukya Express at Thoppur in Tamil Nadu recently has come to light. An alert loco pilot who spotted seven concrete slabs placed horizontally on the railway tracks applied emergency brakes averting a loss of life and limb to nearly 1,500 passengers.

But for the alert loco pilot, this would have been counted among the derailments in the past two months.
The incident took place at 12.05 am on December 22, 2016, at Thoppur which falls under the Bangalore Railway Division. Railways have managed to keep it under wraps for so long.

While the role of miscreants and petty mischief makers was revealed in previous minor derailments in the Division, this is the first time that a huge conspiracy angle involving a Naxal group has emerged, shocking officials. Railway officials confirmed the Naxalite angle to Express.

The Chalukya Express (Train no. 11022) that runs between Tirunelveli and Dadar passes through many stations in the Bangalore Railway Division. This incident took place after midnight just after the train crossed Salem and Omalur (both stations fall under Southern Railway) and entered Thoppur.

“As the train crossed Thoppur and was heading towards Karuvalli railway station, the driver noticed the concrete slabs placed on the rails,” said a top railway official.

These slabs are usually kept on the side of the railway tracks to carry out infrastructure-related work.
“Since the slabs were painted in white and were shiny, the loco pilot was able to spot them and instantly applied emergency brakes. It was not enough though to stop the train from hitting the slabs.

However, it reduced the train speed in a big way and the train slowly drove on the objects breaking the slabs to pieces,” he added.

The train wheels sustained minor damage and the train continued on its journey after detention there for some time, the source said.

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