The Southern Railway has restored train traffic in the main rail line at Kavaraipettai, where the Bagmati Express train derailed on Friday. Restoration works are progressing in war footing in the area Railway targets to complete repair works on Sunday.
Train traffic was restored in the main up line on Saturday night. In a release, Southern Railway said MGR Chennai Central Rajdhani Express passed through the restored accident spot at Kavaraipettai Railway Station UP Mainline at 9.05pm on Saturday. Railway added the overhead power lines were restored within 24 hours and track restoration works are progressing at war footing at the accident site.
“Train Traffic is now restored in one line in the section and will be gradually normalised in due course when the other line is also restored by Sunday morning,” it said. Several trains have been rescheduled and diverted owing to restoration works.
As many as 19 people suffered injuries after 12 coaches of the 12578 Mysuru Darbhanga Bagmati Express derailed after it hit a stationary goods train near the Kavarapettai station in Tamil Nadu on Friday night. No casualties were reported and one of the coaches caught fire.
According to Railway officials, The express train, travelling at 75kmph, entered the loop line instead of getting into the main line and slammed into the goods train in the Ponneri-Kavarapettai section under Chennai Rail Division.
A.M. Chowdhary, Commissioner of Railway Safety, Southern Circle, Bengaluru inspected the accident site along with senior Southern Railway officials on Saturday. The Railway has formed a five-member expert team including Railway Protection Force officials to probe the reason behind the accident.