Tamil Nadu rail mishap: Special train leaves with stranded passengers

Passengers of the Darbhanga Bagmati express that met with an accident at Kavaraipettai near Chennai on Friday night have left for Dharbanga by a special train on Saturday, the southern railway said.

A high-level enquiry has been ordered into the incident, and at present the work to restore the track at the accident spot was going on in full swing, the railway authorities said.

The Train No.12578 Mysuru -- Darbhanga Bagmati Express collided with a stationary goods train at around 8.30 pm on October 11 and the passengers were transported by buses to Ponneri and then to Chennai Central by two EMU specials, the railway said.

"After all the passengers arrived, they were boarded onto the passenger special towards Darbhanga, via Arakkonam, Renigunta and Gudur," a release here said.

The passengers were provided with food packets and water and the special train left at 4.45 am, it said.

"It was not supposed to stop here (Kavaraipettai station), so it was to pass through it. After leaving Chennai, green signals were given for this train. The driver was following the signals correctly, but the train should have taken the main line. Instead, it took the loop line at the switch, which is where the error occurred," R N Singh, General Manager of Southern Railway, said.

The reasons for this were a matter of investigation. Seven to eight people have suffered injuries, and there are no casualties, Singh told reporters.

Meanwhile, the southern railway has rescheduled trains passing through this section. Accordingly, the Visakhapatnam Express scheduled to leave Dr MGR Chennai Central railway station at 10 am on October 12 has been rescheduled to leave at 12.30 pm and will run via diverted route of Arakkonam, Renigunta and Gudur, duly skipping stoppage at Sulurupetta.

Track restoration work at the accident spot was going on in full swing and the General Manager and Additional General Manager, Southern Railway, and Principal Heads of departments and other officials of railways are at site overseeing the work, a release in Chennai said.

"Among the hurt, three grievously injured passengers were admitted to the Stanley Medical College Hospital, and four passengers with simple injuries were treated at Government Hospital, Ponneri. They were given ex-gratia as per norms," said D Om Prakash, Senior Public Relations Officer, Southern Railway.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin visited the injured passengers undergoing treatment at the Stanley hospital here and consoled them.

'A high-level enquiry has been ordered by the railway into the accident,' Prakash said in the release.

Earlier, before boarding the special train, the passengers of the Darbhanga express were screened by the railway doctors at a medical camp held at the Central station.