Yeshwantpur Express Derails Near Sakleshpur - Trains Cancelled

Daijiworld Media Network - Sakleshpur

Update: January 5

Sakleshpur, Jan 4: Mangalore-Bangalore trains have been stopped due to breaking of the rail track between Sakeleshpur and Subramanya, which caused Yeshwanthpur Express to Kannur (train no 16517) under Mysore division to derail at a forest area near Kadagarahalli on Friday January 4 early morning.

As reported earlier, the railway department has cancelled Yeswantpur-Kannur Express (16517) of January 4 between Sakleshpur and Kannur (partially), Mangalore Central-Karwar Express (16523) of January 4, Karwar-Mangalore Central Express (16524), Kannur-Yeswantpur Express (16518) of January 4, Yeswantpur-Karwar Express (16515) of January 4 and Karwar-Yeswantpur Express (16516) of January 5.

Mangalore CPI (M) leader K R Sriyan, one of the passengers in the stranded train, said the incident took place inside the tunnel. "There was no light for four hours. We spent those four hours in darkness. We could not get in touch with our families either, as there was no mobile network," he said.

"The accident occured at around 5 am, and until 9 am we were stranded in the same spot. An engine then arrived from Arsikere and pulled back our bogies. We reached Sakleshpur and travelled by bus from Sakleshpur to Mangalore. We were supposed to reach our destination by 8.30 am by train, but the incident delayed us by several hours and we finally reached Mangalore at 3 pm," he said.

Another CPM leader B Madhava who was also in the train missed his flight to Hyderabad, while Saiprasad Shetty and Devika missed a marriage function.

Driver's presence of mind

Sriyan said that the passengers were lucky to escape a major tragedy, as the train would have fallen into a gorge if it had moved a little further.

It is the the engine driver's presence of mind that saved the lives of thousands, as, sensing danger ahead, he brought the train to a halt at the right moment.

There is a railway bridge soon after the tunnel. If not for the driver's timely action, the train may have fallen into the 200-metre deep gorge under the bridge. The engine which derailed moved a little ahead and stopped at the end of the bridge, and the bogies, except one, remained safe.

The passengers were later provided bus transport to reach their destinations. However, some complained that there were no arrangements made to take them to the bus stand from Sakleshpur railway station where they were taken first. Many passengers had to walk with their luggages to the bus stand, or take lifts from vehicles passing by.

As a result of the derailment, the following trains have been cancelled:

Train number 16517 Yeswantpur – Kannur Express of January 4 has been partially cancelled between Sakleshpur and Kannur.

Train number16523 Mangalore Central – Karwar Express of January 4 has been cancelled.

Train number16524 Karwar – Mangalore Central Express and Train number16518 Kannur – Yeswantpur Express of January 4 have been cancelled for want of rakes.

Train number16515 Yeswantpur – Karwar Express of January 4 and Train number16516 Karwar – Yeswantpur Express of 5th January 2013 have been cancelled for want of rakes.