CHENNAI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA), Government Railway Police (GRP), and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) will conduct a detailed inquiry into the suspected sabotage attempt at Thiruvalangadu railway station, located in the Arakkonam-Tiruvallur section.
According to Southern Railway officials, bolts from the point machines — critical devices that control track alignment — were found to have been deliberately removed from a track at the station on Sunday. Thanks to the alertness of the station master and the effective signalling system, a potential accident was averted, official sources confirmed.
The incident occurred around 1.15 am, when point number 64 at the Thiruvalangadu yard failed. The failure immediately triggered an alert through the electronic interlocking (EI) system installed at the station. The station master was promptly notified, and a pointsman was quickly dispatched to the location.
Upon inspection, it was found that a connecting bolt on the switch rail had been intentionally removed, indicating a malicious act. The EI system’s timely alert allowed railway staff to secure the defective point machine in time, said an official note.
The damaged bolts have since been replaced, and normal operations have resumed. “This was clearly a case of track fastening tampering, seemingly intended to compromise the safety of train operations. Fortunately, the attempt was thwarted by the swift action of railway staff and the alert raised by the signalling system,” added an official statement from Southern Railway.
Meanwhile, the site was inspected by GRP, NIA, and RPF officials, and a comprehensive probe is on. Notably, the incident bears resemblance to a previous case of damaged point machines at Kavaraipettai in the Chennai-Gudur section, which led to a major accident involving the Bagmati Express and a goods train last year.