Bengaluru: More than 2,000 passengers who were travelling to Mysuru from the city to witness Dasara celebrations had a narrow escape on Friday morning when the front wheel of diesel locomotive engine of Arasikere- Mysuru passenger train derailed near Nayandanahalli just a few yards away from Hampinagar railway station of the city on Friday around 9.25 AM.
Even though Railway officials are tight lipped about the cause of the accident, sources informed this news paper that mechanical fault on the track led to the engine derailment.
Following the accident, thousands of tourists who were rushing to Mysuru to witness the world famous Mysuru Dasara procession missed the event as all the trains were delayed till 11.45 am. Adding to the confusion, Mr. Sathish Kumar Mittal, Commissioner of Railway Safety, Southern Circle, Bengaluru informed that he was not aware of the accident.
What happened: According to a railway crew who was travelling in the train, the train left the city railway station around 9.30 am. "The train was abruptly stopped near Nayandanahalli train followed by a loud noise. We suspected some breakdown. But later we were informed that one wheel of the diesel automotive engine had derailed after hitting a cement slab. There were few stones near the track which broke due to the wheel derailment," he explained.
“The loco pilot applied brakes immediately. So there were no casualties,” informed an officer who rushed to the spot.
Passengers disappointed: Meanwhile more than 2,000 passengers who were travelling in the train were disappointed as they could not reach Mysore in time to witness the Dasara procession. “We thought train had stopped due to some technical reason. We heard a loud noise. When we were informed that train had stopped due to the engine wheel derailment, a few passengers left their compartments in fear,” explained Mr. Vasudev Shenoy, a passenger. “As other trains were running to full capacity, this train was also over crowded,” he added.
According to the eye witnesses and the locals, one front wheel of the locomotive engine of the passenger train derailed after hitting a cement slab. A rescue and relief team of the South Western Railway (SWR) repaired the track around 11.30 am and the train continued its onward journey.
Even though SWR did not gave any official reason for the engine wheel derailment, an officer who spoke to this news paper attributed the accident to mechanical fault. “It is an old track and there were a few cracks. It led to the wheel derailment,' he explained.
“There is an internal inquiry on. Even the railway police are also probing all the angles. This area is vulnerable to stone pelting on the compartments. So, all the angles will be investigated,” he added.
False information
SWR officials maintained that there was no delay in any trains due to the engine wheel derailment. “It is a double track route and all the trains were diverted through another track. Even though we slowed down the speed of the few trains, overall there was no delay in any train,” said officials. But passengers who were rushing from city to Mysuru to witness Dasara processing countered the argument of the Railway officials.
“The Shatabdi train which supposed to reach Mysuru by 12.50 pm reached one and hours later. Several other Express trains also reached more than one hour later,” said a passenger who was travelling in thee Shatabdi train from Chennai to Mysuru.
“I came all the way from Chennai to Mysuru just to have a glimpse of the Dasara procession,” he said. No information: When contacted Mr. Sathish Kumar Mittal, Commissioner of Railway Safety, Southern Circle, Bengaluru informed that he was not aware of the accident. “No one informed about this accident. So, I neither visited the accident spot nor am I holding any inquiry,” he said.
