Heavy Rain Triggers Train Derailment And Delays In Keralam

Heavy rain caused earth to slide onto the railway tracks near Parassala in Keralam, derailing the engine of the Bilaspur-Tirunelveli Superfast Express early Thursday morning. The accident happened at 2:19 a.m. when four wheels of the locomotive jumped the tracks after mud and rock slipped down. No injuries were reported among passengers or railway staff. A relief engine brought all the stranded coaches back to Neyyattinkara, and passengers continued their journeys by road.

Train Disruptions

Railway workers finished fixing the damaged track and cleared the derailed engine. Train services resumed after safety checks, with the Parasuram Express safely crossing the cleared section. Several other trains faced delays or cancellations. The Tambaram-Thiruvananthapuram Central Special was held up at Eraniel, while the Madurai-Punalur Express stopped at North Panakudi. The Tambaram-Thiruvananthapuram Central Amrit Bharat Express waited at Nanguneri. Multiple passenger and express trains running between Nagercoil, Thiruvananthapuram, and Punalur faced schedule delays. The Bilaspur-Tirunelveli Express ended its trip early at Neyyattinkara and did not run its final stretch to Tirunelveli.

Context

Heavy monsoon rains in southern India frequently trigger landslips along hilly and coastal rail routes, forcing temporary disruptions as safety checks are carried out. Railway networks maintain specialized accident relief trains and engineering crews to clear debris and inspect tracks before normal operations can safely resume.