The Commissioner of Railway Safety, South Eastern Sector, Sudarson Nayak, on Tuesday began his inspection of the spot between Hindu College and Pattabhiram railway station where the Chennai–Trivandrum Mail and an electrical multiple unit collided last week.
Mr. Nayak said that after a detailed inspection, he would be submitting a report to the railway authorities and that the exact cause of the derailment and the collision could not be ascertained now.
The officer was briefed about the ‘point of drop’ — the exact spot where the wheels of the locomotive jumped off the track and also, the place where it rammed the three coaches of the EMU that was crossing over from the suburban lines to the main line towards Pattabhiram Military Siding railway station.
Mr. Nayak has come from Kolkata, as the post of the Commissioner of Railway Safety for Southern Railway and South Central Railway, based in Bengaluru, is vacant following the retirement of the incumbent last month, sources said.
Sources in Southern Railway said they had arrived at a loss of Rs. 78 lakh owing to damage to the track for a distance of nearly 170 metres. The losses due to damage to the rolling stock — locomotive and compartments of the mail and EMU were yet to be ascertained.
Further, losses on account of disruption of suburban train services were also yet to be calculated, officials said.
Officials say a loss of Rs. 78 lakh was incurred due to damage to the track for nearly 170 metres
