Trichy: A potentially disastrous incident was narrowly averted when the loco pilots of the Kanyakumari-Chennai Egmore Express observed two truck tyres deliberately placed on the railway track near Samayapuram, approximately 21 km from Trichy. Acting promptly, the pilots gradually slowed down the train during the early hours of Saturday, minimizing the impact as the locomotive collided with the tyres. Thankfully, no passengers were injured.

The incident unfolded after midnight when the superfast train, under the operation of loco pilot Raghuraman and assistant loco pilot Vinod, arrived at Trichy on its journey towards Chennai. After passing Valadi station around 1:05 am, the vigilant loco pilot spotted an obstruction on the track and immediately applied the brakes. It was then discovered that two large tyres had been intentionally placed on top of each other. The locomotive collided with the tyres but came to a stop at a short distance. One of the tyres became stuck with the locomotive, causing a disruption in power supply to the train.

The loco pilot promptly notified officials at the nearby Valadi station. Following necessary repairs, the train resumed its journey approximately an hour later.

Upon receiving the report, Deputy Superintendent of Police Prabhakaran, Vrudhachalam Inspector Rathinakumar, and the Railway Security Force, led by Assistant Security Commissioner Chinnathurai, swiftly arrived at the scene and initiated an investigation. Preliminary findings indicate that miscreants deliberately placed the truck tyres on the tracks as an act of sabotage.

A case has been registered by the Railway Police, who have formed special teams to apprehend the culprits involved in this dangerous incident.