A major accident was averted in the wee hours of Monday as three bogies of the Chennai-bound Kaveri Express derailed when rocks fell on its track near Kuppam station in Andhra Pradesh. The train was coming from Mysore.
According to sources, the train left Kuppam for Jolarpet after a 30-minute halt due to heavy rainfall.
When it was nearing Mallanur station, the driver of the engine Sriram and assistant pilot Ritesh noticed the rocks on the track. They immediately applied brakes, the sources said. However, due to the wet track and the short distance between the moving train and the rocks, there was not enough friction to avoid the collision.
The train reportedly dragged the rock for about 10 metres before it came to a grinding halt.
Following the incident, the front portion of the engine was damaged and the first three compartments, including an AC coach, derailed. In the process, about 10 passengers sustained injuries. Also, some passengers panicked and jumped from the train and got hurt.
According to sources in the Railway Department, the rocks must have rolled onto the track just before the train reached the spot since the line was clear when the Bangalore-Chennai Mail crossed it around 1.30 am.
Senior officials, including Bangalore Divisional Manager Agarwal and DCM Raghuram, along with railway staff rushed to the spot and helped clear the track.
“Train services on the route were affected as boulders were still being cleared and track restoration work was under progress. Trains towards Chennai and Bangalore were delayed for more than six to seven hours due to the mishap,” the GRP inspector said.
Alternate arrangements were made as passengers were accommodated on a special train as well as on the Shatabdi Express to reach their destinations.