Mangled coaches and  wheels scattered across uprooted tracks.  The accident at Dombivili in Thane could have been a disaster of gigantic proportions if the train had been running at full speed.

But the Gandhidham Express was crawling along early on Wednesday morning, because the signal ahead was not clear. "Suddenly there was a sound, a  horrible sound. I was here only in the upper berth. Then suddenly I fell down and hit my head. Then when we learnt that our train is off the track we came out from this door,'' recounts Prakash Patel, a passenger on the train

12 passengers were injured after the train, on its way from Ahemedabad to Bangalore, derailed.  "12 coaches derailed. Three coaches overturned....we have arranged for a relief train to Bangalore," says A. K. Singh, Public Relations Officer, Central Railway

Privately, railway officials say it was a miraculous escape for the passengers on board. The other silver lining: because this is an independent track, the Central Line's local trains that ferry 35 lakh commuters every day  remained unaffected.