Did sabotaged switch points derail the Bagmati Express?

On 12 October, the Mysore–Darbhanga Bagmati express derailed at Kavaraipettai near Gummidipundi, Tamil Nadu. The Government Railway Police (GRP), investigating the derailment, now suspects external tampering with the switch points, according to a New Indian Express report.

A team of three senior railway officials found nuts and bolts ‘missing’ from a crucial point on the railway line, suggesting possible sabotage.

The Bagmati Express passed the green signal set for the main line at a speed of 90 kmph, but ended up in the loop line, hitting an (empty) goods train stabled there. The accident resulted in the derailment of 12 coaches and injury to 20 passengers. A parcel-cum-power car went up in flames on impact.

At the time of the accident, around 1,800 passengers were on board the train.

Due to the collision, more than 50 other trains had to be cancelled or diverted over the next two days.

While there was fortunately no loss of life in this incident, the 'switch failure' and mis-signalling immediately recalled the devastating train accident of 2023 in Balasore, Odisha.

The initial enquiry revealed that the signalling gears and switch point connecting rods were tampered with, and bolts, rails, tongue rail, and nuts were found loosened. The signal should've turned red due to the infrastructural failure but did not.

A retired senior railway officer quoted by the New Indian Express, “The interlocking signalling system should not have allowed the signal to stay green when the tongue rail got detached from [the] main line and connected to the loop line."

Another official has said that other than at the Korukkupet railway bridge and the Ponneri segment of the lines, there are neither CCTV cameras along the route nor fencing along the tracks to prevent unauthorised entry.

Another report from a seven-member committee suggested the train derailed at an intersection point. However, a railway spokesperson said the joint report could not reach a conclusion on the reason for the accident.

The report does, however, offer inputs for the commissioner for railway safety, to be used towards the final investigation report.

In 2024 alone, there had already been 19 reports of similar derailments by August, including:

Mumbai–Howrah Express: 18 coaches derailed in Jharkhand

Chandigarh–Dibrugarh Express: 21 coaches derailed in Uttar Pradesh

Sabarmati Express: Engine derailed in Kanpur.