RailEnquiry

A trivial fight between two passengers over a seat brought the Kovai Express to a screeching halt on the Cauvery Railway Bridge near Erode shortly before noon on Wednesday causing anxious moments to those on board and railway staff.Railway staff had a tough time as mechanics stood precariously on thin pipelines on the bridge to put the bogie lever, which was released when the alarm chain was pulled, back to its position. The train was detained for over 45 minutes.Ardhanari, a middle-aged man, who later identified himself as a manager of a private bank in Coimbatore, pulled the alarm chain around 11.45 a.m. after a co-passenger on a second class Coach (D 14) refused to allow him to occupy a vacant seat which the latter had booked. Railway staff said Ardhanari was travelling with his wife and daughter on a waitlisted ticket from Chennai to Coimbatore. The co-passenger, who was travelling with his wife and three children, insisted on retaining all seats in the berth saying he had paid for six tickets.Irked over this, Ardhanari pulled the alarm chain. An unperturbed Ardhanari defended himself saying he wanted to draw the attention of the TTE.Moments after he pulled the chain, the “air brake” was activated bringing the train to a halt on the Cauvery Railway Bridge. Railway staff and Railway Protection Force personnel, who reached the coach were furious saying there was every possibility of the train derailing on the bridge due to the sudden brake.“The river is in flow and the lives of passengers could have been in peril,” said a staff.