Railways have initiated steps to keep a tab on locations prone to landslips along railway tracks in view of the recent landslip near Eranial railway station during heavy rain.
An 8-metre stretch of the concrete wall at Thengumkuzhi cutting between Eranial and Kuzhithurai railway stations on the 82.5-km long Thiruvananthapuram-Nagercoil section had caved in blocking the traffic for over seven hours on Friday.
The locomotive of the Dibrugarh Express derailed after hitting the concrete block and earth that dropped off the embankment in the torrential rains. A major accident was averted as the train came to a halt. Around 24 cm of rainfall had been recorded in Eranial on Thursday night and early on Friday.
The 16-km stretch between Eranial and Kuzhithurai railway stations is the ‘most landslip-prone’ of the single electrified line that was cleared for doubling recently. Railways have posted nightwatchmen in six vulnerable locations on the Thiruvananthapruam-Nagercoil section.
Vulnerable spots
Balaramapuram, Kuzhithurai West, Palliyadi, two places in the Palliyadi-Kuzhithurai section, Thengumkuzhi cutting and one place between Eranial and Nagercoil are the six locations prone to landslip. Kunjalumood, near Karamana, is also prone to landslip.
In case of landslip, the nightwatchman will alert the railway officials who in turn will pass on the information to the locopilot and guard. The watchman will be on these locations from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.
Foot patrol
The step is in addition to the men on foot patrol on the tracks during night.
Normally, Railways do not take precautionary measures in these landslip-prone areas during the southwest monsoon as the section does not receive heavy rainfall.
16-km stretch from Eranial to Kuzhithurai ‘most landslip-prone’
Train locomotive derailed recently following landslip
