Smitha, a passenger on the Bangalore–Chennai AC Double Decker Express, along with her sister Priya and aunt, decided to get off the train at K.R. Puram station after waiting inside the train for several hours. The train which departed Bangalore City at 2.10 p.m. was stopped after a 25,000 W cable snapped at the K.R. Puram station.
Officials at the station told them only at 6.30 p.m. that the issue would be resolved “soon”.
As they did not want to reach Chennai very late, they decided to go back home.
According to Ms. Smitha, “There was no information on when the train would actually leave.”
Ms. Priya said that she would take a bus to Chennai to be in time for work on Monday, while Ms. Smitha and her aunt would have to book train tickets again.
She said that two other women alighted from the train.
According to officials, the Brindavan Express, scheduled to depart at 3.10 p.m., was also delayed by two hours, while the Duronto Express from Howrah, which was scheduled to arrive at Yeshwantpur at 4 p.m., arrived at 6.50 p.m.
Anil Agarwal, Divisional Railway Manager, Bangalore, claimed that the power cable was repaired at 5.38 p.m.
He said the reason for the cable snapping was not known. A detailed report from the site was awaited.
One possibility was that the overhead wires had got entangled with the power cable.
Sources said there was no fear of electrocution as there was a system in place that stopped power from flowing through the cable if it snapped.
( Names changed on request )
