Ujjain Express coaches derail near Rishikesh during maintenance
Three coaches of the bi-weekly Ujjain Express derailed near the Yog Nagari railway station in Uttarakhand late Monday evening, prompting the railway administration to order a high-level technical inquiry. The incident occurred around 9:30 PM in the Khand Village area while the train was undergoing routine upkeep. Fortunately, no passengers were on board at the time of the accident, preventing any injuries or loss of life.
Mechanical Flaw Suspected
Preliminary findings by mechanical engineers suggest that the empty rake suffered a critical brake failure during its scheduled handling. This failure compromised the movement of the entire train, leading to the off-tracking of three compartments. Local residents rushed to the tracks immediately after the loud impact, drawing a large crowd before Government Railway Police personnel arrived to secure the site and clear the tracks for restoration work.
Local authorities face questions regarding operational protocols as reports emerge that senior railway officials reached the accident site nearly two and a half hours after the event. This incident highlights ongoing safety challenges within the hilly rail corridors of northern India, where terminating stations like Yog Nagari handle complex shunting maneuvers for long-distance trains. Technical teams from the Northern Railway zone have launched a detailed probe to identify structural or human lapses during the maintenance shift. Investigators are evaluating tracking telemetry and braking logs to establish the exact chain of events that triggered the mechanical failure.
With Inputs from Agency threads and Image Courtesy: ANI
