Trains get on same track, disaster averted

Coimbatore: A major train mishap was averted as loco pilots acted swiftly and stopped trains that got on to the same track and were facing each other at Uthukuli near Tirupur early Sunday morning. Thousands of anxious passengers got down from the trains, heaving a sigh of relief as a major disaster was averted due to the presence of mind of the loco pilots.

 

At around 7.30 am, the two trains — the Coimbatore Chennai Intercity Express and the Hyderabad-Trivandrum Sabari Express —  came on to the same track due to wrong clamping of the tracks following a failure of signals.  

 

“Pointsman Dilipkumar had set the clamping of the tracks wrongly in the reverse direction. Following this, Coimbatore Chennai Intercity Express leaving Uthukuli and Hyderabad-Trivandrum Sabari Express, which was bound to Uthukuli, were in the same track,” said a railway official.

 

The loco pilots of both the trains sensed the problem and stopped their respective trains at a safe distance, thus averting a possible head on collision. 

Passengers were left to fume as several trains were delayed by upto one and a half hours.

 

Trains including Mangalore Chennai West Coast Express (train no 22638), Coimbatore Mayiladuthurai Jan Shatabdi Express (train no 12084), Mangalore Santragachi Vivek Express (train no 22852), Hyderabad Trivandrum Sabari Express (train no. 17230), Erode Coimbatore (MEMU) Passenger Train (train No. 66601) were delayed.  

 

Later, the signal was set right and the trains began to run normally. Following the incident, Uthukuli station master Mukesh Kumar and pointsman Dilip Kumar were placed under suspension and a department enquiry initiated against them, said GV Venkatesan, PRO, Salem division, Southern Railway.