Punjab News Alert driver averts train mishap

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Prime VIP
Bathinda, June 27

A train mishap was averted and hundreds of passengers had a miraculous escape because of the alertness of the driver of the
Railway officials carrying out repair work of tracks near Karamgarh Chatra on Sunday morning.

According to sources in the railway, around 6.20 am when the Sriganganagar-bound, 4712 Haridwar-Sriganganagar Express, was passing the area near Karamgarh Chatra, which falls between Balluana and Gidderbaha, the driver of the train, Neel Kanth, felt an “unusual jerk” in the engine. Sensing something odd, he immediately applied the brake.

When the train halted, he started inspecting the tracks to find out the reason of the jerk only to see a fracture in the track.

However, between the application of the brake and the complete halt of the train, as many as 11 coaches of the train passed over the fracture. The driver informed senior railway officials about the incident.

Soon, the rail staff of the department concerned and the nearby stations reached the site and tied the fish plates as a stop-gap arrangement to avoid disruption of the rail movement. The train was allowed to run at a speed of 10 kmph.

Later, the damaged part of the track was replaced and sent to the railway lab for testing to ascertain the reason behind the fracture.

Railway sources said rail fracture was common during summer, particularly at the time of drastic fluctuations in temperature.

Rail officials, including Bathinda ATM Sher Singh, AE MP Singh, RPF commander MK Panwar and others reached the site and conducted the repair work.

The Haridwar-Sriganganagar resumed journey after an hour, the sources said.
 
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