Three rail tampering attempts reported in 4 days near city
Chennai: Sleuths from the
National Investigation Agency
(
NIA
) are yet to complete inquiries into an attempted sabotage of railway infrasturcture near Chennai last week and two more incidents targeting railway infrastructure have been reported in the past 48 hours, raising concerns about coordinated
attempts
to disrupt
rail
operations. This marks the third such incident in four days.
On Sunday, the loco pilot of the Tirupati-Puducherry Express narrowly averted a potential disaster near Melpakkam, close to Arakkonam. As the fully packed train approached a turnout section, he noticed a signal anomaly and immediately alerted the signal maintenance team. Upon halting the train and inspecting the track, he found stones and iron rods deliberately placed between the rails at five separate locations.
You Can Also Check:
Chennai AQI
|
Weather in Chennai
|
Bank Holidays in Chennai
|
Public Holidays in Chennai
These obstructions were positioned at critical points near turnout zones, where point machines — electromechanical devices that physically shift movable rails (switches) — set the path of trains based on the signalling system. "Once the route setting command is issued through the electronic interlocking (EI) system, the point machine is activated to lock the movable rails into position. However, the presence of foreign objects can prevent the switch rails from closing properly, leading to a point failure. Thanks to the EI's automatic detection and alarm system, the anomaly was flagged, allowing immediate intervention," said a senior Southern Railway official.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Google Brain Co-Founder Andrew Ng, Recommends: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Around
Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List
Undo
A similar sabotage attempt was reported on Saturday at Patravakkam near Ambattur, causing significant delays to several long-distance express trains. Following these incidents, Southern Railway has intensified track patrolling, especially along the Chennai-Arakkonam corridor. In addition to routine early morning patrols, special teams have been deployed to carry out continuous inspections during the day.
While mere placement of stones may not easily derail a train, acts such as the removal of bolts — as seen in the Thiruvalangadu incident last Friday — pose far greater risks.
Railway police said that tampering with vital track components, such as stretcher bars and locking bolts in point machines, typically requires specific technical knowledge and specialised tools. Investigators are probing whether miscreants with online access to railway technical manuals or training materials were involved.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Government school bombed in northwest Pakistan
Unknown miscreants bombed a government high school in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in northwest Pakistan early Friday, local police said. The miscreants blew up the government high school using explosives in Akbari village in the jurisdiction of the Gul Imam police station in Tank district, police sources said, adding, several rooms of the school collapsed due to the explosion. No group has claimed responsibility for the school bombing as yet. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villa For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Villas in Dubai | Search ads Learn More Undo However, splinter groups of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) active in Tank district are against girls' education and usually target their schools. According to data collected by local NGOs, over 450 schools in the province have been destroyed in such attacks over last decade, forcing students to either stop attending schools or attend classes next to ruined buildings or the rubble. Live Events Pakistan witnessed multiple attacks on girls' schools until 2019, especially in the Swat Valley and elsewhere in the northwest where the Pakistani Taliban long controlled the former tribal regions. In 2012, the insurgents attacked Malala Yousafzai , a teenage student and advocate for the education of girls, who later went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Mithi river case: ED raids actor Dino Morea, others
The Enforcement Directorate on Friday conducted searches at the premises of actor Dino Morea and some others in Maharashtra apart from some locations in Kerala as part of a money laundering investigation linked to the Mithi river desilting "scam", official sources said. The fraud is alleged to have caused a Rs 65 crore loss to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The raids are covering more than 15 premises located in Mumbai and Kochi. This includes the premises of Morea, his brother, contractors and some others, the sources said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like El patrimonio de Palito Ortega conmociona al mundo. 33 Bridges Undo The investigation is being conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said. The ED case against certain officials of the BMC and some others stems from a Mumbai Police economic offences wing ( EOW ) FIR filed to probe alleged irregularities in desilting of the Mithi river that is alleged to have caused a Rs 65 crore loss to the civic body. Live Events Morea was questioned by the EOW in this case few days back. The EOW registered a case against 13 persons, including civic officials and contractors, for their alleged involvement in the scam. The river flows through the city and drains into the Arabian Sea. It is alleged that tenders for renting specialised dredging equipment were manipulated to favour certain suppliers.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Pakistan's terror links exposed again: Hafiz Saeed's son claims Pakistan will protect LeT chief, never hand him over to India
In a public event attended by Pakistan state officials and terror commanders, Hafiz Talha Saeed , son of UN-designated terrorist Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, said that Pakistan will never hand over his father to India. He also praised Pakistan Army's Operation Bunyan-al-Marsoos and called for jihad. The event was held on May 28 in Kasur, Punjab, Pakistan. Gathering attended by Punjab Assembly speaker and terror accused Talha Saeed made the comments while addressing a gathering held to mark Youm-e-Takbir, the anniversary of Pakistan's 1998 nuclear tests. The event took place in the presence of Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Saifullah Kasuri—also known as Khalid—and state security personnel. Posters of Pakistan's Army Chief General Asim Munir were also visible at the event. — erbmjha (@erbmjha) In his speech, Talha said, 'My dear brothers, today's May 28, came with Bunyan-al-Marsoos.' Referring to the Quran, he added, 'Truly Allah loves those who fight in his cause in battle array, as if they were a solid cemented structure.' The phrase "Bunyan Marsoos" means 'a structure made of lead.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy Brass Idols - Handmade Brass Statues for Home & Gifting Luxeartisanship Buy Now Undo He thanked the Punjab Speaker and others for attending the event, stating, 'I'm thankful to Malik Ahmad Khan, speaker of the Punjab Assembly, Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan and Saifullah Khalid for their presence here on stage. I also salute the people of Pakistan on behalf of my father, Hafiz Saeed . Allah loves those who do jihad. Allah's blessings and favours are with those who do jihad in his name.' Public declaration of state protection Talha Saeed also said he was confident that Pakistan would never extradite his father, who is wanted in India for multiple terror cases including the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. According to a CNN-News18 report, he claimed that Hafiz Saeed is under state protection and denied any recent terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, calling it 'drama.' Live Events Reaction to use of Quranic verse for military operations Earlier, AIMIM chief and Lok Sabha MP Asaduddin Owaisi criticised Pakistan's use of Quranic references to name military operations. He said, 'Pakistan has named their new attack 'Bunyan-al-Marsoos'. This is from a verse in the Quran Sharif in which Allah says that if you love Allah, then stand like a solid wall. But the Pakistan Army and establishment are such liars. In the same verse before, Allah says Why do you say such things which you don't do?' He added, 'They are such liars that they don't want to grasp the whole purpose of the Quran. Did they forget to stand like a wall when they were firing at Bengali Muslims in East Pakistan?' Visuals and statements go viral Images from the event showing Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan seated in the front row alongside Saifullah Kasuri have been widely shared on social media. The video of Talha Saeed's speech and his open endorsement of jihad, under the presence of political and military symbols, has raised concerns about continued terror support from Pakistan's establishment.
