BELAGAVI: A goods train, which was running two hours late, derailed near the Military Mahadev temple here on Tuesday morning. A major disaster was averted as the Rani Chennamma Express was scheduled to run on the same line 20 minutes later.
At least four trains were delayed by about six hours due to the incident. Normal services were restored after the track was cleared. The 42-wagon goods train, carrying iron ore from Belgavi to Hubballi, derailed while changing tracks. Three wagons had derailed about half a kilometre from the Belagavi railway station.
As a result of the derailment, the Bengaluru-Kolhapur Rani Chennamma Express, the Mumbai-Hubballi Dadar Express, Mumbai-Bengaluru Chalukya Express and the Miraj-Goa Passenger trains were delayed by about six hours till the tracks were cleared. The Rani Chennamma Express was stopped at the Desur railway station about 8 km away.
Left with no food, some of the train passengers started cooking by the side of the railway tracks even as the track clearance exercise as going on. The derailed wagons were cleared with the help of cranes and the operation was overseen by railway staff and railway police.
