Poor Maintenance Causes Train Derailment Near Vrindavan

An initial probe into a recent train derailment near Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, indicates poor maintenance of the freight train as the cause. The North Central Railway says final findings might differ. No injuries occurred, but substantial damage was done to rail properties. Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw inspected the site.

An initial joint probe into the recent derailment of a coal-loaded train near Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh revealed that poor maintenance of the freight train caused the accident, railway sources said.

However, the North Central Railway, under whose jurisdiction the accident site falls, said that it is a supervisory remark of officials which might change at the time of final report.

"We have ordered a thorough enquiry by a committee of railway officials who are looking at all the aspects of the derailment. The initial joint probe was only an opinion of experts based on the immediate observation of the accident site," Shashi Kant Tripathi, CPRO, NCR said.

He added, "Sometimes the final investigation report reverses the initial joint probe also so it is premature for us to make any comment on the basis of the initial report." Railway sources said that the joint probe report, an internal document signed by six senior railway officials, said, "The accident was caused due to poor maintenance of under gears of wagons" as various parts were found broken away from wagons." "The joint probe held that the Carriage and Wagon (C&W) mechanical department responsible for the accident in which 26 coal-loaded wagons derailed near Vrindavan Road Station on September 18, 2024, and blocked three lines causing cancellation and diversion of dozens of Express, Mail and Vande Bharat trains on Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Chennai route," a railway official said.

He added, "Fortunately, a fourth line was available on that route from which several trains stuck on the route in UP and DOWN directions were released slowly taking into account all safety precautions." The official also informed that one of the officers representing the C&W department in the joint probe team gave a dissenting note and placed the blame on the signal dept, alleging that the joint probe flouted the performa of the Railway Board regarding the investigation." "None of the officials have found any trace of foul play by any outside element or miscreants activities for the derailment," he added.

According to sources, the probe showed that the freight train departed from Mathura at 7:36 pm and the moment it crossed Vrindavan Yard at 7:54, its speed started reducing from 59 kmph due to a sudden drop in brake pipe pressure and became zero in 47 seconds as the train came to a halt because of derailment.

According to NCR, around 500 workers were deployed to clear the tracks soon after the accident.

"Though no one was injured in the accident, it caused extensive damage to the rail properties such as wagons, interlocking points and rails along with other mechanical parts," another railway official said.

He added, "Though the train services have been normalised on that route, there is speed caution on that particular site as rail repair work is still going on and derailed wagons are yet to be removed from the sideline along the route." On September 24, 2024, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also travelled in a special train on the same route late at night while returning to Delhi from reviewing a Kavach trial in Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan.

(With inputs from agencies.)