CHENNAI: Panic gripped hundreds of passengers in the AC coaches of Thiruvananthapuram-Chennai Central Mail on Wednesday morning after smoke began to emit from the wheels. The disruption in the wheel movement, caused by pressure fluctuation after the brake was released, turned out to be the reason for the smoke emission, and the incident delayed the train by 20 minutes.
At 8:02 am, the Chennai-bound train automatically halted on the fast upline between Thiruninravur and Pattabiram when smoke emerged from the wheels of the B1 coach. When the smoke entered the coaches, passengers standing near restrooms and gangways became panic-stricken and raised alarm.
There were 1,000 passengers on board the train when the incident happened. Meanwhile, the passengers from unreserved and sleeper coaches disembarked from the train, and occupied the tracks. The loco pilots, who rushed to the spot, alerted the technical staff.
An examination of the coach wheels revealed that the brake had got bound to the wheels, prompting pressure fluctuations to restrict the wheel movement. The issue was addressed, and the train resumed its journey after a 20-minute delay.