BENGALURU: Passengers of Bengaluru-bound Double-Decker Express from Chennai had a providential escape when the train derailed near Bisanattam station, 20 km from Bangarpet, on Monday morning. No casualty or injury was reported.
In all, 1,305 people were on board the train that left Dr MGR Chennai Central Station for Bengaluru.
An alert train manager (guard) and a loco pilot averted a major tragedy. It is learnt that the derailment happened due to a lack of coordination between various departments of the Bengaluru Railway Division.
Train No 22625, which left Kuppam station, was proceeding towards Bangarpet when the four wheels of C1, the last of 12 coaches in the rear with 122 passengers, jumped off the track. “Hearing the rattle, the train manager immediately applied the handbrakes. He alerted the loco pilot too, who applied emergency brakes. The train screeched to a halt 200 metres away from the spot,” said a source.
Senior railway officials rushed to the spot with a relief train. The passengers of C1 were asked to board other coaches. Coach C1 was detached from the train which left for Bangarpet an hour later. Sources told The New Indian Express that a lack of communication between the signalling and telecommunication-cum-engineering departments and the operations department could have caused the derailment.
“Maintenance work was taken up on this section on Sunday afternoon and it continued Monday. In such instances, a restriction on speed limits had to be imposed. The train was proceeding at its usual speed and this led to the accident,” a source said.
“The cause of the accident will be investigated by the railway enquiry committee,” said Aneesh Hegde, Chief Public Relations Officer, of South Western Railway. Meanwhile, the track was declared fit for operation at 5 pm on Monday.