Is the Tamil Nadu Express Jinxed? It would appear so given the accident track record of the train, now 36 years old. Monday’s fire incident is only the most gruesome fire to befall the TN Express, which was once the fastest on the Chennai-Delhi route, and which has often shot off the track too.
The TN Express has met with at least ten accidents.
The first instance of derailment of the train, which was introduced in 1976, was on February 8, 1977 near Vijayawada; no one was injured in this incident or in the next derailment on the Nagpur-Itarsi section in Maharashtra on October 29, 1978.
As many as 15 persons were killed and 39 others injured when 14 coaches derailed near Asifabad Road Station in Andhra Pradesh on august 31, 1981 – the speed of the train was reduced after this mishap.
Two years later on June 5, 1983, seven coaches jumped the rails near Kazipet. Once again, four coaches derailed on July 23, 1984 under Vijayawada division.
The first instance of fire was in Delhi, when on December 4, 1984, one of its coaches was gutted and two others were partially damaged. None were injured.
On February 26, 1986, a fire consumed the first class coach of the train between Agra and Gwalior injuring three persons. On November 7, 1987, two passengers were killed and 30 injured when 13 coaches derailed on the Amla-Nagpur section.
An empty train collided with the TN Express on February 4, 1990 at Mathura Station in Maharashtra. There were no casualties.
Incidentally, incidents of fire in trains have shot up alarmingly, particularly in the southern region. As many as four trains have fallen victims to fire accidents in the first seven months of 2012.
Apart from Monday’s incident at Nellore, one coach of the Hampi Express caught fire after it rammed into a goods train killing as many as 25 people in Anantpur district of Andhra Pradesh on May 22.
The Chennai-Alappuzha Express caught fire in Perundurai station in Erode district of Tamil Nadu on June 29. No one was injured.
The CPI(M) Politburo charged that the blaze underscored the absence of safety measures and accused the Railway Minister of being least bothered about the upkeep of trains and their safety.
The BJP too questioned the Prime Minister with its chief spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad wondering if the government was functioning or not.
Keywords: Tamil Nadu Express, train accident, Nellore railway station, Nellore train mishap, TN Express fire
sir i dont think not only tamil nadu express there are many other
premier trains in india jinxed . for e.g delhi - howrah rajdhani crashed
near bridge in uttar pradesh in 2003 i think looking into the
probability and statistics of respective train cadre /type wont be a
much use . railways should install safety equipments . accidents should
be minimised in future .
Dear Sir
Have read with deep concern of this accident and the related details-
some thoughts after study.
1)The speed and rate of a fire spreading to gut the whole coach so fast is singular and please note in fact most unusual -How ?
2)If at all an electrical circuit shorting (most doubtful)some sparking and early indications but a whole bogey of Passengers cannot be so fast asleep through it-So no sign -caught unaware suggests some combustion of a spontaneous kind- hazardous may have been carried; even by some passenger..courier or !!
For Forensic study traces.
3)Heat generated and fire damage surely also indicates as in (2)
Where does this lead--
4)Now the question of a long history of Fire accidents in coaches and titled as jinxed--is essentially it is the Safety Policy and Management that needs scrutiny. In recent years Railway safety has seen many disturbing scenes and accidents- What are we learning and planning to do on a Priority?
Did the writer analyze the records of other trains? Frequent accident means inability or unwillingness to learn from experience - not anything else. Believing things without objective and in-depth analysis is stupidity, and publishing such stories will push safety further down the "waitlist" in which it is now. Please remember - "where the clear stream of reasoning has not lost its course in the dreary desert of dead habits" and the first Prime minister's wish of this countrymen acquiring "scientific temper".
Even if an in-depth analysis finds TN Express track record is bad, that will only mean something particularly wrong in the way this train is being run. Comparing the difference, one may be able to identify the most probable cause. Conclusions such as "jinx" is futile.
My deep hearted condolences to the bereaved families & relatives of the victims. I wonder why the authorities neglect in providing minimal safety standards though the organisation is flooding with revenues. The introduction of fireproof bogies might have saved the lives of the destitutes. Just the announcement of exgratia alone wouldn't help. Its really embarrassing to see the train mishaps claiming innocent lives particularly in south india quite often. The authorities have to ponder over the allotment of bogies to prevent any further inferno's. I pray the authorities to allocate substantial budget to south to prevent further mishaps.
The Hindu is a respected newspaper famed for its rational opinions. Please don't create rumors such as saying something is "jinxed". It does not bode well with the editorial policies of your newspaper.
So, we stop blaming our poor railway safety and call out jinxes now? Is
this the new standard reporting has risen to?
Poor safety practices by the Indian railways was the sole reason for all
these accidents. This shows the vacuum in adhering to safety standards.
If one does his/her job correctly, no train is going to be "jinxed".
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