The Hindu : Goods train derails near Ennore

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Apr 30, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai

Goods train derails near Ennore

By K.T. Sangameswaran

CHENNAI April 29 . A major derailment of a goods train near the Ennore railway station here this morning affected operation of services, including suburban trains, on the Chennai Central-Gudur line.

In the impact of the accident, track on two lines was damaged for a distance of 400 metres. The worst affected were passengers of suburban services, operated upto Gummidipoondi.

Train services were restored at 2 p.m. and suburban services were disrupted for four hours from 10 a.m. said a Railway release.

The Divisional Railway Manager, M. S. Jayanth, told The Hindu at the accident spot that the derailment occurred at 9.40 a.m. when the train, with a 40-wagon formation and carrying wheat, was coming to Korukkupet here from Jhansi. Eleven wagons derailed, and 10 of them capsized.

Of the six lines at Ennore, four were heavily damaged in the derailment. Track fittings for about 400 metres on two lines were damaged. The 11 wagons were extensively damaged. Couplings were broken and wheels of some of the wagons were wrenched off. The wagons dug up the ballast and the soil beneath it. Mechanical parts of the wagons were lying in the excavated portion. Several concrete sleepers were uprooted and damaged. Some of the wagons ran into the ballast. Half-a-dozen wagons lay criss-crossing the track.

An army of railway workers was at the spot to restore traffic.

The consignment in the derailed wagons was being unloaded and wheat bags were kept on the open land beside the track so that road cranes could be pressed into service and the wagons pushed to the side to enable workers to repair the lines. Asked about the cause of the derailment, Mr. Jayanth said it was too early to give the reason. The first train to reach Chennai after the accident was the Pinakini Express from Vijayawada. The train, which was stopped at Gummidipoondi, arrived at 3.20 p.m. through an unaffected line. In the return direction, it left at 4.05 p.m. The Sangamitra Express from Patna to Yeshwantpur was coming to the city via Gudur, Renigunta and Arakkonam, railway sources said.

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