Seven empty wagons roll 6 km without engine from Jolarpettai yard, derail in Tirupattur

Seven empty railway coaches suddenly left the yard and derailed in Tamil Nadu's Tirupattur district. The coaches ran without an engine for about six km from the yard of Jolarpettai railway junction. They finally derailed on the Bengaluru-Chennai main line near Thamaleri Muthur. Rail traffic was disrupted, but a major accident was narrowly averted.

According to information received, the seven empty coaches had been kept at the coach maintenance yard in Jolarpettai for repairs. They had been pushed forward with the help of an engine. The preliminary assessment is that railway staff did not secure them properly afterwards, and the coaches began moving forward on their own. They crossed the yard boundary, reached the main line and covered about six km.

When the coaches derailed near Thamaleri Muthur, the gatekeeper on duty heard an unusual noise from them and immediately informed railway officials. On receiving the information, the railway administration issued the necessary instructions to stop trains coming towards Jolarpettai from the Bengaluru side. This averted a possible collision and a major rail accident.

Railway staff reached the spot soon after. Work to clear the coaches from the main line tracks began on a war footing. Gas cutting equipment was used to separate the coupled coaches, and JCB machines were also used to move the coaches off the tracks. Several trains on the Bengaluru-Chennai route were affected and passengers faced delays.

Jolarpettai railway junction is an important railway centre in South India. It has 16 rail tracks and is reported to be known as the second-largest railway yard in Asia. After the incident, serious questions have been raised about security at the yard, the procedure for securing coaches kept for repair, and the responsibility of staff.

The question is whether the necessary safety measures to stop the coaches from moving had been taken, and whether railway staff were negligent. Passengers and members of the public are demanding a thorough inquiry. They also want appropriate action against those responsible if negligence is found.