Goa-bound Rajdhani Express derails inside tunnel near Ratnagiri; no casualties

Mumbai: The Rajdhani train from Delhi to Goa has reportedly derailed in a tunnel in Maharashtra's Ratnagiri this morning.

"The Madgaon station-bound Rajdhani Express from Delhi's Hazrat Nizamuddin station derailed in Karbude tunnel near Ratnagiri today," an official told news agency Press Trust of India.

No passenger has been injured, the official said, adding the accident spot is 325 km from Mumbai.

It is being said that the front wheel of locomotive derailed at 04:15 am between Ukshi & Bhoke station in Karbude Tunnel in Ratnagiri region of Konkan Railway due to boulder fall.

A KRC official spokesperson said that an accident relief van with re-railing equipment which left from Ratnagiri early on Saturday reached the accident site along with senior officials to ensure early clearance of the blocked coastal rail route route.

"Konkan Railway officials have also rushed to the site to clear the line," he said.

After massive efforts of nearly four hours, the derailed locomotive was re-railed, the tracks certified as fit and the Delhi-Goa Rajdhani Superfast Special cleared the line.

Later, normal train traffic was restored on the route around 10.27 a.m., nearly 6 hours after the mishap, said the spokesperson.

The Konkan Railway operates 756 km-long route between Roha near Mumbai and Thokur near Mangalore. This route, which is spread across three states - Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka - is one of the challenging terrains with many rivers, gorges and mountains.