Four coaches of the Miraj-Hubli Link Express (1047) derailed near Tavaragatti station on Hubli-Londa section (at km 536) early on Tuesday disrupting train traffic on the section till evening.
Fortunately there were no casualties and the railway authorities made alternative transport arrangements for the passengers going to Hubli and other places.
Medical Relief Van (MRV) and two Brake Down Special vehicles (one each from Hubli and Castlerock) were pressed into service. Divisional Railway Manager of Hubli Adesh Sharma accompanied by senor railway officials, doctors and paramedical staff rushed to the spot immediately and monitored the relief and restoration work.
The railway officials made arrangements to take 422 passengers of the affected train to their respective destinations from Londa to Hubli in six buses.
For the stranded passengers of Bangalore-Kolhapur Rani Channamma Express (6589), arrangements were made for two buses from Dharwad to Kolhapur (114 Passengers), three buses from Dharwad to Miraj (162 Passengers) and one bus from Dharwad to Belgaum (48 Passengers).
For stranded passengers of Haripriya Express, five buses were arranged as alternative mode of transportation. The train services in the section were restored late in the evening.
Cause for derailment
According to a release from the South-Western Railway, the accident occurred at 4.33 a.m. on Tuesday between Nagaralli and Tavaragatti stations derailing three general second class coaches and one second class luggage-cum-brake van. As per the preliminary report from the accident spot, after removal of formation, a foreign material (joggled fishplate) was found at km 537/000 in twisted and damaged condition.
Dragging mark of foreign material over foot of the rail was clearly seen at km 537/050 up to 537/0. Because of entanglement of foreign material and sudden application of brake, front wheel of loco got jumped and derailed and resulted into multiple weld fracture, the release said.
Following the accident, the following trains were cancelled partially and some were regulated till the restoration work was completed.
Rani Channamma Express (6589/6590) was partially cancelled between Dharwad and Kolhapur; Hubli- Bellary Passenger (311/312) was cancelled between Hubli and Bellary and Bellary and Dharwad; Hubli-Miraj-Hubli Passenger (1619/1620) were partially cancelled between Londa and Hubli.
Bangalore-Jodhpur Express (6508) diverted via Gadag, Bijapur, Sholapur and Pune; Dadar-Yeshvantpur Chalukya Express (1017) was regulated at Belgaum; Tirupati-Kolhapur Haripriya Express (7415) was regulated at Hubli; Vasco-Howrah Amaravati Express(8048) was regulated at Londa.
Tirupati/Hyderabad-Kolhapur Haripriya Express (7415) was cancelled between Hubli and Kolhapur and the same rake was run as train no. 1048 Express on Tuesday from Hubli to Miraj. From Miraj to Kolhapur, the rake would be run empty to pick up train no. 7416 Express link from Kolhapur.
Because of the accident, services of the slip coaches from Vasco to Bangalore by train number 2779/6590 were cancelled between Vasco and Hubli. However, slip coaches would be attached from Hubli to Bangalore by train number 6590, the release said.
Similarly, slip coach services between Hubli and Vasco by Hubli-Miraj Link Express/Nizamuddin-Vasco Goa Express (1048/2780) were cancelled.
