Major rail accident averted in Bihar’s Katihar as train passes over a broken track

Patna: A major rail accident was narrowly averted at Semapur railway station in Bihar’s Katihar district on Friday after the Dibrugarh-Chandigarh Express passed over a broken section of track.

The alertness of the train’s loco pilot is believed to have prevented a potentially serious accident involving hundreds of passengers.

Train No. 15904, the Dibrugarh-Chandigarh Express, was entering the yard area of Semapur station on the Katihar-Barauni section of the East Central Railway’s Sonpur division when it encountered a severe rail fracture at around 9 a.m.

The engine and the coach immediately behind it passed over the damaged section before the loco pilot heard an unusual and loud clattering sound from beneath the train.

Sensing a possible danger, the pilot immediately applied the emergency brakes and brought the train to a halt.

The loco pilot then informed the train guard and the Semapur station master about the incident.

A key factor that helped avert a major accident was the train’s low speed at the time.

The Dibrugarh Express was scheduled to be diverted onto a loop or shunting line at Semapur to allow a Rajdhani Express approaching from behind to overtake it.

As a result, the train was already moving slowly while entering the station.

Railway officials indicated that had the train been travelling at its normal speed, the broken track could have posed a significant risk of derailment.

The discovery of the damaged track triggered an immediate response from railway officials and technical personnel.

CWCI Prem Prakash, USD Amrit Sagar, and Manoj Kumar Singh, in charge of the Bihpur-Semapur RPF Outpost, reached the site along with a technical team and security personnel.

Railway engineers initially secured the damaged portion by installing clamps and fishplates as a temporary measure.

The Dibrugarh-Chandigarh Express remained stationary at the location for nearly two hours while the track was being made safe.

After the temporary repairs were completed and the track was declared fit for movement, the train was allowed to proceed at a restricted speed.

Once the train had safely crossed the affected section, the engineering team carried out permanent repairs by welding the broken portion of the rail.

Confirming the incident, RPF Outpost In-charge Manoj Kumar Singh said the loco pilot had promptly stopped the train after noticing a crack or break in the rail.

He added that the railway administration acted swiftly to restore the track and that train operations on the section had subsequently returned to normal.

IANS