Turbulence erupted in Punjab and a potentially catastrophic disaster was averted after an unattended goods train travelled driverless for around 70 kilometres at 100 kmph. A Railway official averted a disaster by strategically placing wooden blocks and sandbags on the tracks to halt the train, an official said. The incident triggered widespread concern as authorities worked to investigate the incident.
The train had halted at Jammu’s Kathua railway station for a driver change. Officials stated that the train’s operator failed to apply the handbrake before departing the parked train while he stepped down the train to get some tea. This error caused the train to gather pace along the tracks, raising serious concerns among authorities.
The goods train, loaded with crushed stones, travelled past about five stations at a whopping speed of 100 kilometres per hour before coming to a rest at Uchi Bassi.
Sanjay Sahoo, Ferozepur’s Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), who was present in Jalandhar for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remote inauguration of the rebuilt Jalandhar City station on Monday, revealed that the railway board has created a high-level committee to rectify the almost catastrophic event.
“The committee members are in Kathua. On the basis of a preliminary probe, six railway employees, including the Kathua station master, loco pilot (driver), assistant loco pilot (ALP), Kathua’s point man, local inspector and traffic inspector concerned have been suspended with immediate effect,” the DRM said.
The committee will submit a detailed report after looking into the reasons behind the negligence. “On the basis of the report, further action will be taken,” he added.
He claimed that the preliminary inquiry found that both the locomotive pilot and assistant locomotive pilot left the train unattended due to a scheduled crew change at Kathua station.“It was a diesel locomotive but even the engine was not operational before the train started moving. The train began moving because of the steep slope at the station due to which it gained enough momentum to travel several kilometres. The inquiry committee will look into the reasons behind how the train kept moving at such a high speed even as the engines were not operational,” he said.
“The Railway personnel from Dasuya got in command by utilising wooden blocks to halt the train at Uchi Bassi, thereby mitigating the risk of a significant accident,” the officials said. They further stated that no damage was detected as a result of the occurrence and verified that the Railways had launched an investigation into the matter.
The internet is now flooded with memes reflecting how Indian rail wants a head-on with Tesla however India would have been mourning if the catastrophe hadn’t been averted!
