Train services to and from Thiruvananthapuram Central were hit for more than four hours on Saturday morning after a locomotive jumped the shunting signal, damaging the point and signal gears near the Route Relay Interlocking (RRI) cabin.
“There was no derailment of the locomotive. The locomotive jumped the point that was closed and landed above it, damaging the point and signal gears. The point machine has to be replaced,” a top divisional railway official told The Hindu .
Shunting loco pilot S. Anil has been placed under suspension and an inquiry by a four-member team has been ordered.
The train services that came to a halt at 9.37 a.m. were restored by 1.45 p.m. after repairing the signal gears and point.
Six mail and express trains coming to and leaving Thiruvananthapuram Central were hit and the spin-off effect was felt along the en route railway corridor from Ernakulam.
