CHENNAI: Two coaches of Bangalore-Chennai Mail (Train No. 12658) derailed near Basin Bridge railway station here on Wednesday morning. Passengers were not injured in the accident.

A first AC coach and a second AC coach derailed at 4.35am after the train crossed the Basin Bridge station, said Chennai divisional railway manager Anupam Sharma.

"The third and fourth coaches from the rear got derailed. Railway officials reached the spot and started restoration work immediately,” he said.

Passengers of the two derailed coaches and other two coaches behind them were moved to other coaches of the train. The affected coaches were detached and the rest of the train reached Central railway station with passengers at 5.30am.

Workers and technical staff re-railed the two coaches, which jumped the track, by 7am. It took some time to tow away the coaches because the shunting engine could not be attached to the rear of the coaches because they were standing on a track crossing.

Workers fastened steel chain to the engine and the stranded coaches to pull them away.

The accident affected train services. Departures from Central station were restored at 7am. Arriving trains were detained at different stations and were brought in after 7.30am. Suburban trains were also delayed.

Musaffarpur-Yeshwantpur Express from Central was one the first trains to cross the accident spot after services were restored. This was followed by Chennai-Erode Express at 7.30am, Chennai-Coimbatore Shatabdi Express at 7.40am and Chennai-Bengaluru Double Decker Express at 7.45am.

Suburban trains scheduled to be operated from Moore Market Complex suburban station to Gummidipoondi were run from Beach station.

