Tamil Nadu Train Accident: What Is A Loop Line That Mysuru-Darbhanga Bagmati Express Wrongly Took?

The Mysuru-Darbhanga Bagmati Express train involved in the accident in Tamil Nadu's Kavarapettai took the wrong track minutes before the tragedy, according to initial reports from the railways signalling control room. The Mysuru-Darbhanga Express took the loop line instead of the main line just ahead of Kavaraippettai Railway Station on Friday evening.

According to a statement from the Railways, the incident occurred on the Ponneri-Kavarapettai section of the Madras (Chennai) division around 8:30pm. Also, a fire can be seen in visuals from the site.

"Train no. 12578 passed Ponneri at 20:27 hours. The crew experienced a heavy jerk, and the train entered the loop line and collided with stabbled goods train in the loop line... No casualty and a few injured," the statement read.

What is a Loop Line that Mysuru-Darbhanga Bagmati Express train took?

According to Indian Railways,loop lines are auxiliary tracks built within station areas to manage traffic flow, usually allowing faster trains to pass slower or stationary ones. These tracks are generally around 750 meters long, but Indian Railways is working to extend them to 1,500 meters to handle larger trains more effectively.

The Mysuru-Darbhanga accident mirrors the Coromandel Express tragedy, which also involved a train being diverted onto a loop line, resulting in a deadly collision.

Meanwhile, there's still no clarity on whether the incident was a result of human error or a technical glitch.

Investigation into the cause of the incident is ongoing, and there is no official confirmation yet on whether this mishap was caused by human error or a technical glitch.