How Darbhanga Bound Express Train Ended Up On Loop Line Near Chennai? NIA Probing Sabotage Angle

A high-level investigation is underway, with the NIA probing possible sabotage after the Mysuru-Darbhanga Bagmati Express derailed following a collision with a stationary goods train.

Late Friday night, the Mysuru-Darbhanga Bagmati Express collided with a stationary goods train, causing 12 coaches to derail and injuring 19 passengers. The incident has prompted a high-level investigation, with the NIA now probing a possible sabotage angle. Initial reports indicate that the train was following the correct signals until it shifted from the main line to the loop line at a speed of 75 kmph. 

How The Express Train Veered Off Main Line 

Officials are looking into how the express train ended up on a loop line, where the speed limit is only 30 kmph, even though it had a green signal to stay on the main line. Southern Railway general manager RN Singh said the driver followed the signals correctly after leaving Chennai. However, what conspired just 40 km off the Chennai station has raised concerns. 

According to a report by the Times of India, a railway source said, “The reason for the accident could be many. A worn-out signal operating panel in the station master’s room or ongoing signal modification work in the area. But sabotage cannot be ruled out and needs to be investigated.”  

One more angle that is coming up prominently is the possiblity of tampering with the outdoor signalling gear andswitch points at Kavarapettai station. The TOI report further suggested that bolts and brackets at the switch point were discovered loosened, with several missing nuts, sparking suspicions of sabotage. 

The accident follows a similar tampering incident reported in September at the nearby Ponneri station. 

Locomotive Safety Experts’ POV 

Experts are drawing parallels between the incident and the Balasore train tragedy, wherein the Howrah-bound Coromandel Express got a green signal for the main line, but because of a track error, it ended up on a loop line and crashed into a parked goods train. 

Safety experts explain that in an automatic-signaling system, the signal depends on how the tracks are set. So, if the signal is green for the main line, the tracks should automatically adjust to keep the train on the main line. 

K P Arya, a retired chief signal and telecom engineer/information technology in the Northern Railway told PTI, it's a well-known issue, though never officially admitted, that a flaw in the track design and interlocking mechanisms can lead to derailments like this. 

Experts stated that a clear understanding will only come after a detailed investigation, which is already underway. 

(With inputs from PTI)