Tirunelveli-Mettupalayam special train fails to halt at Kallidaikurichi, leaving passengers stranded

Failure to stop at Kallidaikurichi station led to 80-minute delay for Tirunelveli-Mettupalayam train, passengers stranded, inquiry ongoing.

Failure on the part of the engine crew to stop the Tirunelveli-Mettupalayam special train for one minute at Kallidaikurichi railway station, led to its detention for 80 minutes at the Tenkasi railway station on Sunday (July 7, 2024) night.

According to railway sources, Train No. 06030, Tirunelveli-Mettupalayam special, left Tirunelveli at 7 p.m. The train had stoppages at Cheranmahadevi, Kallidaikurichi, Ambasamudram, Kilakadayam and Pavurchathiram before reaching Tenkasi. Though the train had stopped at Cheranmahadevi, the loco crew had failed to stop at the Kallidaikurichi halt station, where the train was supposed stop for a minute, before leaving at 7.32 p.m.

As the train skipped this halt, some 10 passengers, including five passengers with reserved tickets, were left stranded at the station platform. The train, which reached Tenkasi railway station at 8.40 p.m. was scheduled to leave again at 9 p.m., but as information about the stranded passengers was passed on to officials, the Madurai Railway Division ordered the train’s detention at Tenkasi.

The stranded passengers were later allowed to travel on Train No. 16845, Erode-Sengottai, in the unreserved compartment, up to Tenkasi. They then boarded the Tirunelveli-Mettupalayam train, which was waiting for their arrival. The express train finally left Tenkasi at 10.20 p.m. with a delay of 1.2 hours.

However, a railway official said that the train made up for lost time on its way to Mettupalayam.

A railway source said Locopilot, A.S. Vishnu had claimed that he was unaware about the stoppage of the express train at Kallidaikurichi as he was operating the train for the first time. Besides, he had claimed that the working timetable for the train did not mention the stoppage.

However, a senior railway official said that working time table was only for regular trains and not special trains. An inquiry into the incident is underway.