Eleven coaches of the 22121 Lokmanya Tilak Superfast Express derailed at Unnao railway station in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday afternoon. The panic-stricken passengers started jumping off the train as the bogies began to derail. A few passengers were injured in this mishap but there were no reports of casualties. This is the second most preferred express train for the passenger between Lucknow and Mumbai after Pushpak Express. The AC special train was coming from Mumbai to Lucknow and the incident happened at around 1:45 pm.
According to railway ministry spokesperson Anil Saxena, the eleven coaches which have derailed near Unnao railway station included a pantry car and all coaches from B2 to B11. The engine and first two coaches remained unaffected but the next eleven bogies are derailed. Although, at the time of the incident the speed of the train was much slower, which averted a major mishap. The derailed bogies rested by the side of the platform and damaged it. Unnao’s superintendent of police Neta Pandey said that arrangements have been made to take passenger home and the Government Railway Police (GRP) and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) have been sending to the spot.
The accident of the Lokmanya Tilak Express is just another addition to the recent train mishap.A few days ago, Meerut-Lucknow Rajya Rani Express got derailed on April 15, near Rampur in Uttar Pradesh. 13 persons were left injured in this incident. Though, there also no casualties were reported either. The state government and the Railway Ministry announced compensation for the injured passenger in the train accident. The GRP (Government Railway Police) registered a FIR against unknown railway officials for negligence of duty in connection with the incident. The reason behinds these accidents are due to poor infrastructure and human error but the terror angle could also not be ignored.
A relief train has been sending from Lucknow to Unnao station to carry the stranded passenger. An Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) team has also been rushed to the accident site to check any terror angle behind the derailment. Additional SP of ATS said that they will soon submit a report after inspected the spot to find out the cause of the derailment. The railway is expected to explore the possibility of acquiring an advanced technology system for rail fracture detection and track monitoring to enhance safety in the wake of frequent derailments.
Aiming at augmenting the pace of latest technological adaptations, the research and Development Standards Organization (RDSO), the research wing of the railway, held a two-day global technology conference on May 3-4.
A team of senior railway and police forces carried out an inspection of the site and collected vital evidences leading to the derailment. The inspection was led by ADG Railways Jai Narayan Singh and IG Railways Abhay Prasad. The team said that it may take some time to clear the down route. Several down trains were allowed to pass through from the Up track. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has ordered a probe.
