After engine fire,Deccan Queen back on track

In its 80-year history,the Deccan Queen does not have a track record of mishaps. There have been very few occasions when the train ran into trouble. It is considered as the fastest and safe mode of travel by frequent travellers. “The Queen is everybody’s favourite,” says Harsha Shah,president of the Pune Pravasi Sangh.

Though it has a history of quickly returning to the track,the blue-coloured train is not without its share of hiccups. It witnessed a mishap on July 13,1991 when 10 compartments jumped tracks in tunnel No 27 in Khandala ghat. There were no casualties,but several passengers suffered minor injuries. But the train remained off the tracks for nine consecutive days. “Luckily,the mishap occured in the tunnel. Had it occured outside the tunnel,the train would have fallen in the deep valley. The compartments had fallen on side of the tracks,” said Shah. It was after this incident,the white-coloured Deccan Queen was coated blue.

About four years back,the train was set on fire during a protest by some Dalit organisations. “Several compartments were burnt. The train was off tracks for five days. But it was quickly back on its feet,” says Shah. In 1996,the Queen retraced its steps from Thane after a violent protest there. In 1980-81,some smokers caused a fire at the trains couplings in Kurla. “Due to presence of mind shown by passengers,a major fire was averted,” Shah said. Earlier this year,due to a mega block,the Deccan Queen took a breather for two days.