Chennai: Baghmati Express travelling from Mysore, Karnataka to Darbanga, Bihar via Perrampur, Tamilnadu, collided with a goods train at Kavarappettai near Kummidipoondi, Tiruvallur district at 8.30 pm Friday.
How did the accident happen?
According to a spokesperson of the Southern Railway, "The Bagmati Express train passed Ponneri railway station on the main line at 8.27 pm last night. Passengers felt the movement of the coaches while passing through Kavarapatte railway station from Ponneri."
"The train was travelling at 75 kmph when the signal was given on the main line, but the train entered Kavarappettai railway station on the loop line. As a result, it collided with the goods train standing on the loop line," he said.
Balasore Accident
On the night of 2nd June 2023, the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express train on the main line, though given a signal on the main line, but the train driver diverted the train to the loop line and collided with a goods train that had already stopped there in Balasore, Odisha.
The driver of the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express ignored the green signal for the mainline at Pahanaka Bazar railway station and took the loop line. As a result, the train travelling at 130 kmph collided with the goods train parked there. 290 people lost their lives when the train overturned. More than 900 people were injured. It is considered to be the worst train accident in Indian history.
Are there similarities between the two incidents?
Since both incidents involved a change of lines without intimation, railway officials say that it is clear that the two train accidents were similar.
Though both accidents are similar, the damages caused are entirely different. 290 people died in the Balasore train accident. But only a few people were injured in the Kawarpet train accident. It seems that the speed of the train may be responsible for it. The Shalimar-Coromandel Express was travelling at a speed of 130 kmph when the accident occurred. According to officials, Bagmati Express was traveling at a speed of 75 kmph so the nature of the damage was minimal.
