The commuters of a bogie of the Ernakulam-Kayamkulam passenger had a miraculous escape when it broke off from the engine and derailed at Alappuzha railway station on Thursday. The accident happened at 11.15 am when the train was coming to a halt. No one was injured in the accident though some passengers jumped out of the coach as it slowed down at the station.
According to railway sources, the derailment of the second compartment from the engine was caused due to breaking of the coupling that links the coach to the engine.
The engine pulled the first compartment and the derailed bogie for nearly fifteen metres and stopped. The train resumed its journey with 12 compartments after one hour.
Three compartments were left in the station. The railway authorities have begun an investigation into the accident.
Reghunath, a passenger, said they heard some noise from the first compartment from the Thuravoor railway station onwards.
“We did not care much as such sounds are heard from other passenger trains also. When the train reached the first platform, the noise increased and the train stopped with a huge sound,” he said.
He complained that most of the compartments of the passenger trains running between Alappuzha- Ernakulam and Alappuzha-Kayamkulam are very old. Most of the compartments are packed during peak hours.
It is said that compartments completing over 10 years in express and other long-distance trains are shifted to passenger trains. While the compartments were sent to Chennai and other workshops for maintenance, old compartments conducting services in Tamil Nadu are sent back to Kerala.
Southern Railway Chief Safety officer Kumara Swami denied the allegation about the age of the compartments. He cited some mechanical problem behind the accident.