One killed as goods train derails in Korukkupet

CHENNAI: In a freak mishap, a railway pointsman fell under the wheels of a goods wagon, which derailed at Korukkupet in North Chennai on Wednesday, killing him on the spot. The victim, who was piloting the train to the shed, was identified as Ravikumara Pillai hailing from Mavelikara near Alapuzha in southern Kerala.According to sources, 18 wagons loaded with steel plates were headed towards the Korrukupet Goods Shed from Tondiarpet railway station for unloading. The wagons were attached to locos on both ends, driven by two Loco Pilots, besides being assisted by two pointsmen.The pointsmen would alight near the points to manually fix the right track for the trains between Tondiarpet and Korrukupet. When the goods train was moving towards the Goods Shed at 3pm, the loco crossed over the point leading to the wrong track and derailed. Ravikumara Pillai jumped from the loco to escape, but came under the wheels of the same train, and was killed on the spot.“Overloading of wagons and exceeding the capacity of the loco could be the prime reason for the derailment,” a pointsman, under the condition of anonymity, claimed. He said, “A loco can only pull five wagons at a given time. To move more rakes, another loco with similar capacity was attached to the tail end to push the wagons. In such a scenario, though the train moves at a snail’s pace, its movement cannot be arrested immediately despite applying the brakes due to the pressure exerted from the loco on the other end. “ Another possibility that could have led to the derailment is the split in the point. “Many children playing at the vacant plots in the vicinity imitate the pointsman to change the lever, which goes unnoticed on several occasions. This could have also caused derailment,” sources underlined.When contacted, S Anantharaman, Divisional Railway Manager, Chennai Division, Southern Railway, said an inquiry had been ordered into the derailment. “The inquiry committee, consisting of four senior officers, will submit its report in a week. Different aspects regarding the derailment would be probed,” he added.