The Chitteri Railway Station near Arakkonam Junction saw yet another fatal accident on Wednesday when 11 coaches of the Muzaffarpur-Yeswantpur express derailed. One person was killed and 30 passengers injured when 11 compartments of Train no 15228 Muzaffarpur-Yeswantpur Weekly Express derailed near Chitteri, 50 km south of Chennai. The cause of the accident is not known and the Railways have ordered an enquiry.
According to the spokesman of Southern Railways, five air-conditioned and five non air-conditioned compartments and a pantry coach got derailed at 05.50 hours. Traffic via the Arakkonam junction was affected and the Railways fully cancelled eight trains and partially cancelled three trains. According to general manager, Southern Railway, normal services would be restored by Thursday morning.
Chitteri, a small railway station in the Arakkonam-Katpadi stretch was in the news in September 2011 when the Arakkonam-Katpadi passenger train rammed into the Chennai Beach-Vellore passenger train from behind leaving nine passengers dead and 45 other injured.