A landslide near Parassala station derailed the locomotive of the Bilaspur–Tirunelveli Express early Thursday, disrupting rail services between Thiruvananthapuram and Nagercoil for nearly six hours and affecting thousands of passengers travelling along the southern Kerala route. No injuries were reported.
The incident occurred at about 2.20am on the Neyyattinkara–Parassala section. Railway staff removed the derailed locomotive, cleared slushy soil and stones from the track and completed safety checks before services resumed around 8.10am. The Parasuram Express, travelling towards Mangaluru, passed through the section at 9.14am.
The disruption affected the peak morning commute, with six trains cancelled, some services short-terminated and several others delayed. Passengers travelling from Thiruvananthapuram towards Nagercoil, Kollam, Kottayam and Ernakulam for work faced significant inconvenience, particularly on the first working day after the puja holidays.
After railway authorities received information about the derailment, the affected train was moved to Neyyattinkara station with the assistance of a relief locomotive. Its journey was terminated there, and buses were arranged to transport passengers to their destinations. An accident relief train carrying personnel and equipment reached the site to rerail the locomotive and restore the track.
The disruption also affected services operating from Tamil Nadu. The Tambaram–Thiruvananthapuram Central Special was held at Eraniel, while the Madurai–Punalur Express was held at North Panakudi. The Tambaram–Thiruvananthapuram Central Amrit Bharat Express was short-terminated at Nagercoil Town, while the Thiruvananthapuram Central–Tambaram service began from Nagercoil Town instead of its scheduled origin. The service was partially cancelled between Thiruvananthapuram Central and Nagercoil Town.
The cancelled services included passenger trains between Thiruvananthapuram North and Nagercoil Junction, as well as services between Nagercoil Junction and Kollam Junction. Railway officials said long-distance trains, including the Guruvayur–Chennai Egmore Express and Pune–Kanyakumari Express, would also be delayed.
Liyons J of Friends of Rail said the disruption prevented many commuters from reaching workplaces in Kollam, Kottayam and other towns along the route. The Parasuram Express and Madurai–Punalur Express, both used by daily commuters, were delayed, while the Sabari Express became overcrowded. Railway operations on the affected section resumed after track clearance and safety inspections were completed.
