A local train derailed at the Beach station here on Sunday but there was no casualty, Railway sources said.
The empty Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) was being moved from the yard to the platform and was likely to be proceeding on the busy Beach-Tambaram route, Southern Railway sources said.
"While placing an empty EMU rake from shed line to Platform 1, the rake had overshot the buffer end of the platform and damaged Platform 1. The rake was fully empty and (there were) no passengers on board. No injury to any passengers (was reported) on the platform. Shunter jumped out of the rake and no injury sustained," S Guganesan, Chief PRO, Southern Railway, said.
The platform shelter was damaged in the process and an "enquiry at the appropriate level will be conducted to assess the cause of the incident," he added.
A brake failure is suspected to be the reason for the incident.
TV visuals showed the rake badly damaged as it jutted out of the platform and crashed into the station wall.
Shocked passengers were being regulated by the police even as many of them were seen clicking pictures of the damaged train on their mobile phones.