Goods train derails, traffic hit for 11 hours on Delhi-Ambala stretch

Parveen Arora

Taraori (Karnal), July 2

The rail traffic on the busiest Delhi-Ambala route came to a halt on Tuesday after nine containers of a goods train overturned in Taraori, Karnal. The accident was so severe that the empty containers landed far away from the tracks. Fortunately, no casualty or injury was reported, but the incident resulted in significant losses to the Railways as the majority of trains had to be cancelled or diverted.

The accident occurred at around 4:15 am when a goods train traveling from Chandigarh to Chennai derailed in Taraori, damaging the tracks, poles and overhead wires. There were fractures in the tracks at several places and wires were broken at different points, thus prompting the authorities to deploy manpower to restore services.

Divisional Railway Manager Sukhwinder Singh, along with senior officials of the division and headquarters, inspected the site and ordered an inquiry.

According to sources, an inquiry has been initiated to ascertain the reasons behind the incident. The Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Railways officials are also investigating the cause of the accident to prevent any future occurrence.

An official said the Railways was yet to ascertain the exact cause behind it, but a “broken axle” was believed to be a possible reason behind the derailment of the train. It took nearly 11 hours to restore services.

In the meantime, hundreds of passengers faced difficulties as many remained stranded at the Karnal railway station and other locations. Authorities claim that the traffic on one line was restored at around 10:50 am and both up and down lines were operational by around 3 pm. A freight train was dispatched after the restoration of a railway track to check its integrity.

Nearly 70 trains operate daily on this route. The incident has severely impacted around 40 trains. “The Railways and RPF officials had started the restoration operation. Nearly three-km-long track has been damaged,” said RPF Inspector Dinesh Kumar.

Karnal railway station in-charge Sanjay Saxena said trains, including Unchahar, Dadar, Malwa, and Amarpalim, were diverted while Shan-e-Punjab and Pathankot Express, along with three passenger trains, were cancelled.