THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: There are persistent attempts in Kerala to derail trains by putting concrete slabs, trees, iron pipes, and stones on the tracks. Two dozen coup attempts were reported in a year. Yet, the police and RPF have not been able to nab the culprits.

There have been more than 100 coup attempts to derail the trains in the last ten years. Attempts were made to derail the trains even by cutting and placing a coconut tree on the rail. The latest such incident was when an attempt was made to derail the Thiruvananthapuram-bound Maveli Express by laying stones on the track at Pazhayangadi in Kannur. A terrorist link is also suspected behind these coup attempts.

Attempts to derail trains are rampant in northern districts of Kerala. Stones had been laid on the railway lines in Valapattanam, Papinassery, Kannur and Thottada in Kannur district. However, no accused have been arrested yet. In most places, the police are suspicious of migrant workers. In August, an attempt was made to derail the Coimbatore-Mangaluru Intercity Express by placing a closet piece and stones on the tracks near the Kasaragod-Kalanattu railway tunnel. In Kochi, 13 grills on the footpath across the Kumbalam backwater were removed and placed on the rails. If the grills were made of iron, the train would have derailed and plunged into the backwaters. In July 2010, an attempt was made to derail the Shoranur-Nilambur passenger by cutting the brake and feeder pipes of the engine and 7 coaches at 30 places.

Whenever a coup attempt is reported, a case is filed under the Railways Act. However, no serious investigation took place after that. As most of these incidents happen in deserted areas along the track, CCTV footage is not available.

• There was an attempt to cut the railway track by making 34 holes using drillers in Feroke in Kozhikode. The police were not able to arrest the culprits. Six months later, a six-foot-long iron pipe was laid across the track at the same place.
• In Kayamkulam and Kannur, rocks were inserted between the junction points where the tracks approached.
• A concrete slab was laid across the track at Eravipuram. In Manjeswaram, an iron rod was laid across the track. Coconut trees were cut and placed on the tracks in Aloor and Kaapil.