Collision Inside Pipalkoti Tunnel: Indian Railways Says ‘Not Our Trains’ — So Who’s to Blame?

At least 86 people were injured when two loco trains collided inside the Pipalkoti tunnel of the Vishnugad-Pipalkoti Hydro Electric Project in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district late Tuesday evening, officials said.

Most of those on board were workers involved in the ongoing 444-megawatt hydroelectric project being constructed by THDC India.

Chamoli District Magistrate Gaurav Kumar confirmed that there were 109 people on the train at the time of the accident. “The train was immediately evacuated, and the condition of all injured is stable,” he said.

Collision in Tunnel During Work Operations

According to officials, one train was carrying workers while the other carried construction materials inside the tunnel when the collision occurred. SP Chamoli Surjit Singh Panwar provided further details:

“A 440 MW project is underway in Peepalkoti, and its subsidiary, Hindustan Construction Company, is working there. Employees were constructing a tunnel, and to transport workers outside the tunnel, two tracks had been laid. During the 8 am shift change, around 109 workers were travelling on a trolley system with six compartments, slightly beyond the 2.5 km mark. From the opposite side, an empty train arrived, and the two locomotives collided head-on. As a result, several workers were injured when the train compartments overturned. Immediately after the incident, the injured were shifted using company vehicles to the Hospital in Peepalkoti.”

Clarification: Not Indian Railways Trains

The Railways issued a statement clarifying that the trains involved were part of a local arrangement by the tunnel project team and not Indian Railway trains.

“It is clarified that during construction of a hydro power project tunnel, an unfortunate event occurred due to local trolley transportation arrangement in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand. This event has nothing to do with Indian Railways. The trains mentioned in news are not Indian Railway trains. This is a local arrangement done by the Tunnel Project team for transportation,” the statement said.

Injuries and Medical Care

State Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman said:

“The information received is that the tunnel work for THDC in Pipalkoti was being carried out. They use two locomotives for transporting workers inside the tunnel. A collision occurred between these two trains. 86 people were injured in total. Of these, 68 people were admitted to the district hospital in Chamoli, and 18 people were admitted to the hospital in Pipalkoti. Four people sustained minor fractures, while the rest were discharged after treatment. They are all out of danger.”

The Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Chamoli added that 10 of the injured were sent to the district hospital in Gopeshwar for treatment.

Project Details

The 444-megawatt hydroelectric project is being built on the Alaknanda River between Helang and Pipalkoti in Chamoli district. It is expected to generate 111 megawatts of electricity through four turbines and is targeted for completion by next year.

Inquiry Ordered

The District Magistrate has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident. The Disaster Management Department is also issuing notices and instructions to prevent such incidents in the future.

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