TIRUCHY: Southern Railway suspended the operation of the Tiruchy-Karaikal DEMU passenger (Train no. 06880) on Saturday after smoke was detected in the rear carriage of the train.
No casualty was reported as all the passengers were immediately evacuated and the smoke was put out within 10 minutes.
Hundreds of passengers were on board at the time of the incident after the train started the trip from Tiruchy railway junction at 8.35 am.
The smoke was noticed by the guard when the train reached Thiruverumbur station about 9 am. The train was halted there and the onward service was cancelled.
The railway’s rapid response team and Tiruchy Divisional Railway Manager MS Anbalagan, along with other senior officials, headed to the spot and held inspections.
The passengers who had deboarded were shifted to the Sawantwadi Road-Velankanni Special (Train no. 00107). This train was then allotted stoppages at all stations en route to ensure that the passengers on the Tiruchy-Karaikal train don’t get affected from its cancellation. Sources said the special train left Thiruverumbur about 9.30 am.
The Tiruchy division has initiated an inquiry into the incident. Senior officials appreciated the alertness of the guard and the rapid response of the railway team, said sources.