How trains got back on track in 24 hrs

The Central Railway (CR) managed to restore services within 24 hours of one of the worst rail accidents in Thane.

The Central Railway (CR) managed to restore services within 24 hours of one of the worst rail accidents in Thane.

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Top railway officials in Mumbai and New Delhi monitored the situation until train services were restored on Saturday morning.

“General Manager B.B. Modgil refused to go home until services on three lines were up and running at 9 am,” a railway official said requesting anonymity as he is not authorised to speak to the media.

“With Modgil himself at the site, all the heads of department had to stay back and ensure the job was done.”

The fast tracks were ready by 3 am and the slow tracks were ready by 11.45 am. The railways had deployed a staff of 1,500 men to restore services. The operation cost the railways Rs 30 lakh.

The railways ran 50 per cent of the suburban services on Saturday but had to cancel 400 local services.

TMC officials rushed disaster management teams and the fire brigade to help the railways clear the tracks.

“About 200 Thane civic employees cleared the girder by 6 pm and freed the tracks for railway authorities to continue their work by 9 pm,” Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) spokesperson Sandip Malvi said.

Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee (54) blamed the TMC for the mishap and asked the railways to file a complaint against the contractor building the bridge. The CR filed a complaint against contractor Messrs Ajaipal Mangal and Co for causing death by negligence.