Three coaches of an empty Chennai suburban train derailed at the Avadi railway station Tuesday morning, affecting both local and long-distance train services. No injuries or casualties were reported.
The derailment occurred when the empty electric multiple unit (EMU) train was being shunted from the depot at around 5.40 am.
According to officials, the suburban upline towards Chennai Central was affected. There were also minor disruptions on the express minor line owing to an overhead equipment (OHE) cable glitch.
Five EMU trains heading towards Chennai Central and three express trains from Chennai Central, including Vande Bharat and Shatabdi (Chennai–Mysore) and Kovai Express (Chennai–Coimbatore), were regulated near Ambattur railway station. Three express trains from Chennai Central (Saptagiri Express, Brindavan Express and Double Decker Express) were rescheduled.
Upon receiving the information, the divisional railway manager (DRM) and his team of senior officials reached the spot and carried out an inquiry.
“There were no passengers in the rake. As per the initial inquiry, the incident happened when the loco pilot attempted to switch track,” an official noted.
According to a statement issued by the railways, restoration work is taking place in full swing and the main line has been restored for traffic. Express trains delayed or regulated en route have commenced journeys, it said
“EMU services are also diverted to run on the fast line. The suburban line restoration works are in progress, and the traffic will be restored in a few hours,” the statement added.
