According to the minister, the government views the incident with utmost seriousness.
Cyclone Ditwah is moving towards the Tamil Nadu coast, bringing the threat of heavy rainfall. The state government is reviewing preparedness measures, and a red alert has been issued for southern and delta districts.
Cyclone Ditwah exits Sri Lanka after causing widespread destruction and over 120 deaths, heading towards the Indian coast. Heavy rains and high winds are expected to continue.
Due to the impact, the vehicle carrying students was flung a distance away from the level crossing after it hit the running train. The loco pilot managed to stop the train after traversing some distance, police said.
The Commissioner of Railway Safety has determined that the Mysuru-Darbhanga Bagmati Express accident was caused by sabotage, prompting increased security measures and investigations.
A moving goods train carrying diesel caught fire on Sunday at Tiruvallur in northern Tamil Nadu severely affecting train services on the arterial Chennai-Arakkonam rail route, which also links Chennai with Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, officials said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Pamban sea bridge, providing rail link between Rameswaram island and the mainland and flagged off the new Rameswaram-Tambaram (Chennai) train service. The bridge is India's first vertical sea-lift bridge, spanning 2.08 kilometers, and includes a 72.5-meter-long vertical lift span that can be raised up to 17 meters, allowing the smooth passage of large ships while ensuring seamless train operations. Built at a cost of over Rs 550 crore, the bridge features stainless steel reinforcement, high-grade paint, and fully welded joints, enhancing durability while reducing maintenance requirements. The bridge is a remarkable blend of tradition and technology.
Passengers of the Darbhanga Bagmati express that met with an accident at Kavaraipettai near Chennai on Friday night have left for Dharbanga by a special train on Saturday, the southern railway said.
The newly inaugurated Pamban Bridge in Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu, is designed to withstand cyclones of greater intensity than the 1964 disaster that significantly damaged the old bridge. The new bridge features a vertical lift spanner and is built to withstand wind speeds of 230 kmph and considerable seismic loading, according to a senior official from the Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL). The bridge's construction incorporated several safety protocols, including a seated lift spanner and girders positioned well above sea level, ensuring minimal risk from high tides and cyclones.
The 36-year-old victim sustained fractures on her hand and leg.
The system to be supplied by two firms based in Italy and France will fulfil the need for an aid to the driver in observing signal aspects and in acting upon it correctly.
Six coaches derailed and there were no casualties and a few passengers were injured.
Villpuram district in north Tamil Nadu continued to reel under unprecedented flooding on Monday following extremely heavy rainfall, virtually blocking access to villages and residential colonies as bridges and roads overflowed, inundating huge acreage of standing crops and leaving passengers stranded as rail and road traffic was hit.
According to Kumar, medical and railway assistance teams are at the site to provide help to passengers.
The Mysuru-Darbhanga Express train was given a green signal to pass through the main line, however, it entered a loop line already occupied by the freight train.
Intermittent, widespread rains lashed Chennai and other regions of Tamil Nadu on Tuesday and the India meteorological department said the low pressure area over the Bay of Bengal has turned into a well-marked low pressure area and it is likely to become a depression.
Highlighting the plight of train drivers, the note said loco pilots, especially those who drive goods trains, work 14 to 16 hours a day and get to go home after three or four days.
At least 10 persons were 'reported dead' in a fire that broke out inside a stationary train compartment in Madurai railway station in the wee hours of Saturday, the Southern Railway said, adding a 'gas cylinder illegally' taken in led to the blaze.
Residents grappled with stagnant water and power disruption in parts of Chennai and its suburbs on Wednesday, two days after Cyclone Michuang wreaked havoc in the metropolis and neighbouring districts, even as civic agency personnel stepped up relief and rehabilitation efforts.
Four southern districts in Tamil Nadu are experiencing severe flooding after record-breaking rainfall, prompting Chief Minister MK Stalin to schedule a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi for immediate relief measures.
According to the latest data released by the two zones, the South Eastern Railway cancelled trains such as the Chennai-Howrah Mail, the Darbhanga-Kanniyakumari Express and the Kamakhya-LTT Express journey commencing on June 3.
In moving scenes at the spot, women were seen wailing, possibly over the loss of a dear one, while a child recalled the tense moments before fleeing to safety.
Several areas of Tamil Nadu remain inundated after hours of heavy to moderate rainfall in the region. Water entered houses and markets in the low-lying residential areas of Erode district due to heavy rainfall throughout the night.
ome of the features including seat declining angle, better cushion for seats, better accessibility to mobile charging points than before, extended foot-rest in the Executive Chair cars among others, an official release said.
While the TN Government Railway Police sleuths are questioning five passengers, the commissioner of railway safety commenced inquiry over the mishap in Madurai.
While there was a brief respite from the incessant downpour on Tuesday, collaborative efforts from the defence, national, and state disaster response forces took the lead in executing rescue and relief operations.
A dozen people lost their lives in various rain-related incidents in and around Chennai while personnel on fishing boats and farm tractors were engaged in rescuing stranded people on Tuesday.
Five-time World chess champion Viswanathan Anand's father, K Viswanathan, died in Chennai on Thursday following brief illness.
Heavy rains continued to pound Chennai and nearby districts on Monday under the impact of a cyclonic storm, which is likely to cross the coast in Andhra Pradesh on December 5.
Southern Railway however clarified that the issue was the result of a particular user selecting Hindi as the preferred language while registering in the IRCTC website. 'Language is an option in e-ticketing,' a Southern Railway release said.
Seven coaches of a Bengaluru-bound train derailed near Dharmapuri in Tamil Nadu on Friday after boulders fell on it but all the 2,000-odd passengers were safe and nobody was injured in the incident, the Southern Railway said in Bengaluru.
The Railways cancelled 234 trains while 340 trains have been affected so far due to protests against the Agnipath scheme for recruitment in the defence services, the Railways said on Friday.
The amount is from a total of Rs 19,000 crore (Rs 190 billion) granted by the Railway ministry to Southern Railway for various works like gauge conversion and construction of railway stations.
The Southern Railway has temporarily cancelled about 10 trains passing through Arakkonam-Katpadi section following Tuesdayday night's train mishap at Sitheri near Arakkonam.
With water receding in most parts of this rain-battered city and its suburbs, the focus is now on clearing the various areas of the waste and muck left behind.
The 92-year-old passed away on Saturday and his last rites were performed on Sunday evening.
The Southern Railway said "miscreants" were behind Wednesday's accident involving a suburban Electric Multiple Unit and a goods train at Vyasarpadi near Chennai that left four persons dead.
A maximum of over 2,200 infections were reported by the South Central Railway, followed by 1,323 cases in the Central Railway, 1,307 in the Northern Railway, 1,145 in the Southern Railway and 1,013 cases in the East Central Railway.
The state government claimed that 66.49 per cent of buses belonging to state transport undertakings were plying since Saturday night across the state.
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