Days after the triple-train accident at Bahanaga Bazar in Odisha, the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express resumed its services on Wednesday.
A video shared by news agency PTI showed the train departing for Chennai from Shalimar railway station in West Bengal. The down train from Chennai had crossed the accident site at 30kmph on Tuesday.
The Coromandel Express, which was travelling at full speed, crashed into a stationary goods train around 7 PM, derailing most of its coaches on Friday near Balasore district. A few coaches then toppled over the coaches of the Bengaluru-Howrah Express which was passing by from the opposite direction at the same time in Balasore district, about 250 km south of Kolkata and 170 km north of Bhubaneswar, prompting the Railway Ministry to order a probe. The triple train accident claimed 278 live leaving over 1,000 people injured.
Advertisement
However, both the up and down lines were restored on Sunday night following which, more than 70 trains including the Vande Bharat crossed the tracks here, according to a report by Hindustan Times. According to railway officials, normal traffic movement has resumed on both lines.
Meanwhile, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw ordered a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the triple train accident after due consideration of the administration information. However, amid a growing demand of the resignation of Vaishnaw, the opposition parties have alleged that the BJP-led Centre was shifting its responsibility by initiating a CBI probe to avoid giving answers about the tragedy.
