from our special correspondent
reporting from Puttur
Mangalore, Jan 16: In what is perceived as a possible setback to early resumption of Bangalore-Mangalore passenger train service, one of the engines of a goods train derailed near Siribagilu station between Sakleshpur and Subrahmanya and rolled into a deep gorge below the bridge on Sunday.
As a result movement of trains on the track was suspended, but the railway officials have asserted that the tracks have been set right and railway traffic restored by Monday.
File pic of railway track between Subrahmanya and Sakleshpur
Goods-laden trains are driven up the ghat roads from Mangalore up to Sakleshpur and it is customary to drive only the three engines in two back to Mangalore. During one of such operations on Sunday, the last of the three engines driven from Sakleshpur to Mangalore on Sunday rolled off the bridge into a gorge about 60 feet deep. They are said to have left Sakleshpur around 7 am and the mishap is said to have occurred around 10-00 am on Sunday.
Until the last reports came, there was no information if there was any driver or other personnel in the said engine.
As luck would have it, the mishap occurred after the stopover at Siribagilu where all the workers had alighted. Otherwise, there could have been some casualties, said a railway official.
It is said to be the third mishap at the spot in the past few months. Four months ago, three iron ore-laden bogeys had derailed. On last Saturday guard room of a goods train had derailed.
It has baffled the public as to how, in spite of regular safety measure enforcements, such mishaps have been taking place often. One of the regular travellers between Mangalore and Puttur went to the extent of cynically arguing that some railway personnel, under the influence of the private bus lobby, may be intentionally creating safety fears in the minds of the higher authorities as well as the public, so that resumption of passenger trains could be postponed as late a date as possible. Given the circumstances, the public have every reason to believe this argument.
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