Alertness of loco pilots averted a possible major train mishap when a coach of Kanyakumari-Howrah Express derailed near Kavali in Nellore district on Sunday.
Half portion of the second class luggage-cum-brake van, next to the engine, went off the rails at around 2.40 am between Sri Venkateswarapalem and Kavali stations, when the train encountered cattle , which strayed on to the track. On noticing the cattle, loco pilot S Ravindran and his assistant R Velu applied emergency brakes. The train, which was running at a speed of around 72 kmph at that time, was brought to a halt quickly. Some cattle were run over and four wheels of the coach got derailed.
Medical and accident relief trains from Bittragunta were immediately rushed to the spot. There were around 25 passengers in the coach and there were no causalities or injuries to anybody. The passengers were shifted to the adjacent coaches.
The rear portion of the train was brought back to Kavali around 5 pm, and it again proceeded on its onward journey.
Some passenger trains between Gudur and Vijayawada were cancelled due to the derailment. Other trains are likely to be delayed till normalcy is restored on the track. Senior railway officials from Vijayawada rushed to the spot to monitor the restoration work.