There’s a train in my backyard

Rajdhani Express coaches derail, trundle along road of railway quarters

Narrow escape: The coaches of the Bangalore-Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express that derailed and crashed into the Mahatma Gandhi Railway Colony, while being shunted at the Bangalore City Railway station on Sunday. Photo: K. Murali Kumar

Residents of Mahatma Gandhi Railway Colony also called Railway Yard Quarters situated adjacent to the City Railway Station had a close call when two coaches of Rajdhani Express derailed and crashed through the compound wall before entering the service road on Sunday afternoon. However, the coach capsized and came to a halt before causing any casualties.

The incident occurred at around 3 p.m. when the coaches attached to the engine were moving in the reverse direction to be connected with other coaches in the yard. Soon after the coaches trundled along the road leading to the quarters, creating panic among the residents. Senior railway officials along with the police rushed to the spot and conducted spot investigations.

Preliminary investigations by the police found that the driver did not wait for the signal while taking the train in the reverse, leading to the mishap. The police said the loco pilot gave a statement that he did not see the signal to stop.

According to the officials, the train which had come to the city at 7.30 a.m. from New Delhi was supposed to begin its return journey at 7.30 p.m. on Sunday. The loco pilot was asked to connect the empty coaches from different platforms.

Railway officials who swung into action attached other coaches to the train to meet the schedule timing. Senior railway officials supervised the operations to get the coaches back on track.

The police said Sunday’s mishap was the third such incident in which the coaches of trains derailed in the last two months.

Meanwhile, commotion prevailed in the Railway quarters after the residents, who were relaxing after lunch, came out of their houses on hearing to a loud sound created by the coaches ploughing through the compound wall and trundling along the road.

Since it was Sunday, there was not much movement of the people on the road, said the police. Had it been a weekday, the damage would have been severe, the police official added. Residents said the road had a school and a temple, which attract many people.