Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore   

Trains delayed as empty coaches derail

PHOTO: S. SIVA SARAVANAN

Accident: Two coaches of the Coimbatore - Nagercoil Express train derailed at the Coimbatore yard while shunting was in progress on Thursday. —

Coimbatore: Derailment of two coaches of the Coimbatore – Nagercoil Express train in the yard loop line at the Coimbatore Railway Junction led to the delay of trains on Thursday evening.

According to Railway officials here, the coaches, after maintenance at the ‘pit line’ were moving out of the yard in the ‘loop line’ to the platform, for passengers to board the bogies.

However, while the shunting was in progress, two coaches slipped off the rails.

The derailment took place near the Lanka Corner Bridge.

As a result, the traffic on the Podanur – Coimbatore Junction section was affected.

Railway officials said that signalling for the Tiruvananthapuram – Hyderabad and Kanyakumari – Mumbai CST trains were delayed by 90 to 120 minutes.

Men and materials for rescue and relief were rushed to Coimbatore from the Erode loco shed, so that restoration work could be carried out.

The authorities said that they were confident of re-railing the derailed coaches and restoring normal traffic by Thursday night.

Meanwhile, with the main line available for traffic, authorities feel confident of timely receipt and despatch of trains passing through Coimbatore and departure of trains leaving Coimbatore Junction on Thursday night.

However, commotion prevailed at Coimbatore Junction on Thursday night following the delayed departure of important trains.

Delays in departure of various trains ranged from one hour to as many as four hours.

A Southern Railway press release that was issued here on Thursday night said that no one was injured in the incident, when the 8th and 9th bogies of the empty rake derailed when being moved.

The press release further said that Train No.6610 Coimbatore – Nagercoil Express, which was scheduled to leave Coimbatore at 2030 hours was rescheduled to leave at 0100 hours on December 19.

Besides this, Train No. 2672 Mettupalayam / Coimbatore – Chennai Nilgiri Express and Train No. 2674 Coimbatore – Chennai Cheran Express were likely to be delayed, the release from the railways added.

The other trains that were delayed as a result of the derailment that took place were Train No.608 Coimbatore – Erode Passenger and Train No.655 Coimbatore – Mettupalayam Passenger.

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