TN train escapes Rajdhani fate, cracks found on time

A major train tragedy was averted on Wednesday when timely detection of a fracture along a railway track about 20 km from here saved the New...

A major train tragedy was averted on Wednesday when timely detection of a fracture along a railway track about 20 km from here saved the New Delhi-Chennai Tamil Nadu Express from derailment.

The train would have run into trouble had it been running on time. It was on the damaged part of the track at 2.20 pm when its arrival time at Nagpur station is 2 pm.

Alert linesman stops train, averts mishap

Surat: A possible accident involving the Mumbai-bound Karnavati Express was averted after an alert linesman detected a minor rail fracture near Vapi today.
Linesman Navsar Ratan found rails fractured between Vapi and Karambela stations in South Gujarat. He ran towards the train for nearly one-and-half kilometres, waving a red flag, to alert the driver.
The superfast train was then allowed to pass the Damanganga bridge at a speed of only 10 km per hour. —ENS

The fracture was discovered after the guard of a goods train, which passed over the spot, experienced a big jerk. He then informed the railway authorities at Nagpur.

‘‘Since the driver didn’t know the exact spot, the engine and two bogies passed over the fractured part before the train could stop,’’ Assistant Engineer, Central Railways, S.L. Kaware said.

Passengers had another story to tell. One of them said the driver brought the train to a screeching halt after a loud sound was heard while the train passed over the spot. ‘‘The driver’s presence of mind saved us,’’ he said. Another passenger said: “There was a gap of about 5 inches between two parts. I haven’t seen anything of this kind before.”