BENGALURU: A collision took place between the Mysuru-Mayiladuthurai Express with 1380 passengers onboard and a truck at 8.35 pm on Monday when the truck driver trespassed onto the railway tracks between Karmelaram and Heelalige railway stations. There were no casualties or injuries although traffic along this route came to a standstill.
The train had crossed Karnelaram railway station and was heading in the Hosur direction when the mishap occurred.
General Manager, South Western Railway Zone, Sanjeev Kishore said the driver applied emergency brakes but could not avert the accident.
Divisional Railway Manager Shyam Singh who rushed to the spot in an Accident Relief Train with other officials said, "There are no injuries or casualties or any derailment of the train."
He added that as per the present information available the truck was empty.
The truck has been badly damaged with its wheels lying below the loco (engine room) on the railway tracks while the loco has suffered minor damages, pictures shared by passengers reveal.
Chief Public Relations Officer, South Western Railway Aneesh Hegde told TNIE, "The incident occurred between Train no 06232 and a truck at the location referred to technically as Km 188/700. We are still trying to find out how the truck driver entered the railway tracks and drove on it. He is absconding." The train had 20 coaches.
Meanwhile, traffic along this route came to a standstill with three trains affected, the CPRO said. The Mysuru-Tirunelveeli Express was detained at Nayandahalli, the Lokmanya Tilak-Coimbatore Express
at KSR Bengaluru station while the Yesvantpur-Kannur Express was detained at Banaswadi railway station.
Restoration work was underway and it would one and a half hours for it to be completed, the DRM said.
Ambulance and other relief vehicles have rushed to the spot.