HASSAN: A train heading from Mangaluru to Bengaluru hit a boulder that had rolled down on the track after a landslide and suffered a minor derailment early on Monday morning near Sakleshpur.
Train services were affected for a few hours, railway officials said. No casualties were reported. The incident occurred around 2.10 am between Shirivagilu and Yedakumari, about 35 km from Sakleshpur.
The train (No. 16518) hit the boulder and two wheels of its engine went off the track. “The train driver noticed the boulder and applied brakes, but could not avoid the accident,” railway officials said.
“We detached the locomotive, fitted the train with another engine from the rear and continued the journey to reach Bengaluru through Palaghat,” the official said. 385 passengers cancelled their tickets and got their refund, while others continued with the journey. The train reached Bengaluru two to three hours late, an official said.
Ms Surekha Abraham, a resident of Mangaluru who was traveling in the train, said that the authorities informed them about the accident around 2 am. "All of us were in deep sleep, and the train had stopped. We did not pay attention as it is common on the Shiradi Ghat stretch. The passengers were brought back to the Nettana station. Railway authorities first said that the buses would take the Shiradi Ghat route, but later told us that they will go through Charmadi Ghat. As that route is longer and as it was already late, we protested,” she said.
The other train coming from Bengaluru reached Sakleshpur in the morning and its service was terminated. The 1,385 passengers were ferried in 26 KSRTC buses to Puttur, Mangaluru, Karwar and other destinations. Railway personnel from Sakleshpur, Arasikere and Mangaluru reached the accident spot and cleared the track of boulder and mud by 10 am.
