Samparkranti Express escapes derailment at Ennore

Chennai: Carelessness of a few casual labourers nearly caused the derailment of Nizamuddin bound Sampark Kranti Express at Ennore near here on Tuesday. It was around 10 am, when several contract labourers, who were removing worn out iron rails among other scrap between Kathivakkam and Ennore (behind Ashok Leyland), saw an express train approaching them.

Panicked labourers dropped the massive iron rail on the main express line and rushed a safe distance away from the track. The train reached the spot even before the railway employees who were monitoring the scrap removal work along the main express line or the labourers could do much to stop Sampark Kranti Express. The train hit the rail and damaged the signal posts along the track. The impact was so heavy that the loco (engine) also suffered considerable damage, leaving the train stranded there.

Arriving there after a while, railway authorities moved the express train to Ennore and commenced repair of the disrupted signal system, which was restored over an hour later.