9 trains decouple in 11 days: Authorities probe after sabotage suspected

Kochi: In a major security breach, a total of nine incidents of parting of goods trains, including a loaded military special train, were reported in Thiruvananthapuram division over 11 days, forcing authorities to probe the sabotage angle among others.

“Such incidents are rare and usually happen once or twice in a year. However, in this case, nine decoupling incidents happened within a short span of 11 days from August 25 to September four. A majority of the incidents happened in the Ernakulam-Thrissur section and the affected wagons were maintained at Ernakulam Marshalling yard,” sources said.

The repeated instances have also resulted in substantial delay of passenger and Express trains running through the division during the said period, they said.
Among the affected trains include a loaded military special train with 34 bogies. The decoupling occurred at 1.20 am on September 1 when the train was passing through Parassala-Kuzhithura West section.

The Centre Buffer Coupler of the rake, carrying military vehicles, fell down from the tracks, damaging 30 concrete sleepers besides affecting the schedule of passenger trains on the route.

The issue was viewed “seriously” by security agencies including the Railway Protection Force which suggested a thorough inquiry “in every angle” including sabotage attempt.

The other decoupling incidents happened twice on August 25 (at Kalamassery and Angamaly-Karukutty section), August 28 (Chalakudi-Irinjalakuda), August 29 (Vallathol Nagar-Wadakkancherry), August 29 (Edapally-Ernakulam North), August 30 (Karukutti-Angamaly) and September 4 (twice at Karukutty-Chalakudy).

Since eight of the nine incidents happened in rakes maintained at Ernakulam Marshalling yard, the Mechanical wing has started an internal probe.

When contacted, the divisional Senior Mechanical Engineer said “due procedures, including a probe, will be initiated into the incidents as decoupling is a rare instance”.