Railfracture caused accident

Rail fracture might have caused accident, suspect CR motormen

Mumbai :  The motormen of the Central Railway are of the view that a rail fracture might have caused the derailment of the 12-car CST-bound local between Titwala and the Ambivali on Thursday. The motormen were also critical of the Railways for the shoddy maintenance with regard to tracks, as they feel it is the result of outsourcing of such works.

The derailment between Titwala and Ambivali on Thursday claimed the life of 19-year-old Dhaval Lodhya and injured 14 others. A motorman from CR, on condition of anonymity, said, “The point of derailment was a 8 degree curve passing through which lead to a sudden pull in the train. The tracks then gave out which resulted in the derailment that caused a jerk, breaking the couplers of the train.”

The Railway officials have also maintained that no work is being outsourced. “Several odd jobs have been outsourced. Private contractors have been deployed for laying the ballast on the tracks,” added another motorman, who did not wish to be named.

The Railway officials however look at buckling as a cause for the derailment and want to ignore all other theories related to technical problems. The maintenance works are always avoided during the day as there are possibilities of expansion of tracks due to heat, termed as ‘Buckling.’

A senior Railway official said, “As there was a considerable increase in temperature during last couple of days it might have happened in the afternoon, it might as well be the reason. However, several aspects come into play which should be considered before reaching a conclusion. An inquiry will be conducted by the Commissioner of Railway Safety.”

The CR will be felicitating the motorman S K Mishra along with guard R N Dubey for their work, which averted further casualties in connection with the accident.