Mismatch between signal, route probably behind train accident

The train accident in Tiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu involving the 12578 Mysuru-Darbhanga Bagmati Express occurred due to a mismatch between the signal and the track, according to railway sources. The express train collided with a stationary freight train after being diverted onto a closed ring section instead of continuing on the main line. Although the signal for the main track was set, the passenger train was accidentally switched to the wrong track, which led to the accident.

The passenger train, which was traveling at 75 km/h, derailed twelve carriages in the collision and one railcar caught fire. The accident occurred about 40 km from Chennai with more than 1,300 passengers on board. Three people were seriously injured and six others suffered minor injuries. Two of the seriously injured were AC coach attendants Rahul Kumar (22) and Chandan Kumar (25) and the third was a 20-year-old passenger named Priyanshu Kumar.

The Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) has been directed to investigate the incident and determine the exact cause. According to sources, the CRS team visited the accident site the morning after the crash.

Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi criticized the government’s response to recurring accidents and drew parallels with the Balasore tragedy of June 2023 in which 294 people died. Gandhi remarked, “Although many people lost their lives in numerous accidents, no lessons are learned. Responsibility starts at the top. “How many more families need to be destroyed before this government wakes up?” he wrote on his social media platform X.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin expressed dismay at the accident and called for an expedited rescue operation.

The route needs to be restored today

Restoration of railway tracks has been intensified in Kavaraipettai near where the Mysuru-Darbhanga Bagmati express train derailed after ramming a goods train. The four-line section will be restored by the early morning of October 13, the railway said on Saturday.

Railway authorities were racing against time to complete the work and restore rail services on the section. With the assistance of senior officials of Southern Railway, Railway Safety Commissioner, Southern Circle, Bengaluru, AM Chowdhary initiated a thorough inspection of tracks, switches and blocks, signals, station electronic interlocking systems, control panels and other important safety, signaling and operational aspects said M. Senthamil Selvan, Chief Public Relations Officer, Southern Railway. (With PTI inputs)