12 bogies derail; 21 trains in Madurai, Salem line cancelled

The accident happened at 2.30 am, on Sunday, when the train after crossing Aluva derailed and 12 coaches of the train went off the track. Fortunately, there were no casualties. A possible major collision was also averted as the Chennai-Trivandrum train coming towards Ernakulam was stopped around 300 metres from the accident spot following a timely alert, a railway official said. According to railway officials in Thiruvananthapuram, the derailed coaches had not detached or toppled, which is one of the reasons for passengers escaping unhurt. Railway officials from the state capital and elsewhere are overseeing the relief and rescue operations. Officials will also investigate if the accident happened due to a fault in the track or in the coaches. 

However, following the accident both the tracks were affected, forcing authorities to cancel, divert and reschedule a number of trains in the Salem, Erode and Madurai sector. The running of 21 trains were completely cancelled Ernakulam-Shoranur Passenger train, Ernakulam-Alapuzha Passenger train, Alapuzha-Ernakulam Passenger train, Ernakulam-Guruvayoor Passenger train, Thrissur-Kozhikode Passenger train, Ernakulam-Guruvayoor Guruvayoor- Thrissur Passenger train, Guruvayoor- Ernakulam Passenger train, Guruvayoor- Thrissur Passenger train, Thrissur- Guruvayoor Passenger train, Ernakulam-Kannur Inter City Express and Guruvayoor-Thiruvananthapuram Express were cancelled on Sunday. Authorities cancelled Monday’s Kannur-Alapuzha Inter City Express and Kannur-Ernakulam Inter City Express on Tuesday. 

Many of the other trains were diverted, cancelled, partly cancelled or short- terminated. 

Among these, five trains running to Thiruvananthapuram, Kanniyakumari and Alapuzha were diverted, via Tirunelveli. All the trains going via Dindigul, Karur and Erode were diverted, via Tirunelveli, Madurai and Dindigul. Trains diverted via Tirunelveli include Thiruvananthapuram-Gorakhpur Rapthisagar tri-weekly Express, Thiruvananthapuram-Hyderabad Sabari Express and Kanyakumari-Mumbai CST Express.