Experts baffled by goods train derailment in Telangana

Wagons of the goods train which derailed between Raghavapur and Ramagundam in Peddapalli district on the Kazipet-Balharshah section of the South Central Railway (SCR) late on Tuesday (November 12, 2024).
| Photo Credit: ARRANGEMENT

For the second time in less than two months, the railways Grand Trunk route connecting Delhi to Chennai got cut off disrupting scores of trains’ movement when a goods train derailed between Raghavapuram and Ramagundam stations in Peddapalli district on the super busy triple line Kazipet-Balharshah section on Tuesday (November 12, 2024) night.

While the South Central Railway (SCR) has cancelled about 50 trains and diverted or cancelled more than 60 other trains, the mode of derailment has left the top brass scratching their heads with all the three lines suffering damage when 12 wagons from (10th to 21st ) crashed on both sides bringing the rail traffic traffic to a grinding halt, informed senior officials on Wednesday.

The goods trains with 43 freight wagons plus a guard wagon travelling from Bellary to Ghaziabad near New Delhi with iron products like TMT bars, coils and others was not even travelling at considerable speed when the incident happened. But the impact was such that the wagon’s wheels gave away getting smashed while the overhead electric line too crashed, which is considered unusual in these kind of mishaps. Five wagons fell on the up line while seven wagons fell on both up and the down line in the section when luckily no other train was not travelling at the same time at the spot about 8.48 p.m., they disclosed

“The derailment scene has been baffling even to the accident and rehabilitation experts. With all the three lines damaged, it has become difficult to get heavy cranes quickly to the site and there are no proper approach roads. It is such a busy route that even if one of the wagons derailed on passenger trains moving on up or down lines during that time, it could have been catastrophic,” informed officials, pleading anonymity since they are unauthorised to speak.

SCR General Manager Arun Kumar Jain and his top officers rushed to the site to oversee the relief works including quick restoration of tracks. While the derailed wagons have been shifted from the rail lines, one line has been restored by 7.30 p.m. while the other lines too are to likely to be back in action by Thursday, when reports last came in.

About 600 railway personnel including officials and labour are working at the site for the restoration of lines. About 400 passengers in the Sirpur-Kagazanagar train and another 100 passengers in a Lucknow bound train which was stopped from moving due to the incident were later transported by 10 RTC buses to their respective destinations. Short-distance trains within SCR jurisdiction have been cancelled and long-distance trains were diverted, said officials.

Railway authorities stated that due to the incident, trains like the Dakshin Express between Hazrat Nizamuddin and Hyderabad (12722/12721) and Hyderabad to Hazrat Nizamuddin are skipping the stoppages between Balharshah/Bhongir. Few other trains heading towards Patna, Danapur, Gorakhpur, Raipur and so on, are skipping stoppages between Nagpur and Secunderabad and also between Balharshah and Kazipet.

Following are the helpline numbers provided: Secunderabad : 040-27786140, 27786170; Kazipet: 0870- 2576430, Warangal: 9063324898 and Khammam: 7815955306. Earlier on August 31, the Delhi-Chennai railway link was disrupted when tracks between Intekanne – Kesamudram and Tadla Pusapalli – Mahbubabad section were damaged at 15 locations due to heavy rains and flooding.