Goods train jumps off track but gets back on track later

Govt ups rail freight on iron ore exports further

Thanjavur: An empty-wagon goods train from Tiruchirappalli jumped off the rails near Aadhanur Railway gate-cross, 20 km from here in the wee hours today, but miraculously got on to the track later,railway officials said.

It ran about 300 metres upto Needamangalam Koraiyaru bridge on the ground and got rerailed through a junction of a two-track meet point and reached Karaikal, officials said.

There was no casualty nor injuries to anyone,they said.

The Orathur Railway Gate-Keeper said the train had jumped the rails near Aadhnoor. He said he later came to know that the train had reached Karaikal.

The Gate Keeper, however, alerted the Needamangalam Station Master, but before any action was initiated, the train again got onto the rails.

The train was proceeding to Karaikal to take coal.

On getting the information, Tiruchirappalli Divisional Manager P.V.Vaidyalingam with 80 persons including several engineers and labourers reached Needamangalam and found that several cracks had developed in some area and fish-plates made of cement slabs were broken. Repair works were immediately started, Vaidyalingam said.

As a precautionary move and due to the maintenance work to be carried out, Ernakulam-Nagore Express and Chennai-Nagore Kamban Express trains were made to halt at the Thanjavur Junction , railway sources said.

Nagore-Trichy Passenger and Trichy-Nagore Passenger were cancelled.

The maintenance work on the track in Needamangalam and its surrounding area was carried out till late evening, according to a Railway Official.