Rail fracture suspected to be behind train derailing --- Kanpur Train Accident

Poor track maintenance and ballast on the railway lines cause fractures on the tracks.

                                                                                                                                                              

New Delhi, November 20

A fracture in tracks is likely to have caused the derailment of the Indore-Patna express near Kanpur that left nearly 100 people dead on Sunday, sources in the railways said.

Although the cause will be confirmed only in an inquiry, investigations appear to point to a rupture in tracks, sources said. Not using Linke Holfmann Bush (LHB) coaches — stainless steel carriages that are believed to absorb impact of a derailment and would not topple as easily — also added to casualties, the sources claimed.

Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has ordered the Commissioner Railway Safety (Northern region) to conduct investigations into the incident.

Poor track maintenance and ballast on the railway lines cause fractures on the tracks.

Although a small crack on the track is not cause of much concern, a big fracture causes tracks to separate.

The incident comes at a time when the Indian Railways is considering major overhaul to boost a loss-making enterprise and to make journeys more pleasant for passengers.

This the second incident reported in two days: four coaches of Bhatinda-Jodhpur passenger train derailed in the small hours of Saturday in Rajasthan's Sriganganagar district, leaving a dozen passengers injured.   ---TOP