Rail services in the chord line section were hit for three hours following derailment of one of the coaches of Chennai-Tirunelveli Nellai Express between Lalgudi and Valadi stations early on Sunday. However, no passenger was injured in the accident.
Seven incoming and outgoing long-distance express trains suffered detention at various places.
Two wheels of the SLR coach, the last compartment of Nellai Express, where parcels are loaded, derailed at around 2.17 a.m. leading to the detention. An alert was sounded to the divisional railway control room here and an Accident Relief Train carrying men and material was immediately moved from Tiruchi to the site. Railway sources here said the derailed SLR coach was detached from the remaining formation which was moved from the spot after conducting checks.
Thiruvananthapuram–Chennai Ananthapuri Express suffered detention for nearly one-and-half hours at the Tiruchi junction. Chennai Egmore–Madurai Pandian Express was halted for over 150 minutes at Lalgudi. Divisional Railway Manager, Tiruchi, P.V. Vaidialingam told The Hindu here that investigations were under way.