RAYAGADA:Timely detection of a crack on railway track averted a major train mishap on Rayagada-Titlagarh route during the wee hours on Tuesday. The Visakhapatnam-Korba Express was halted en route and allowed to pass only after the crack was repaired.
Sources said the loco pilot and assistant pilot of a goods train passing through the route spotted the crack on the track, a few hundred metres from Muniguda station.Though the goods train was fortunate enough to cross the broken track, the pilot informed station manager Parshuram Panigrahy about the possible danger. The manager in turn asked Railway personnel to stop the Visakhapatnam-Korba Express.
“The Express was about to cross the spot when a gangman stopped it en route by flashing a red light and managed to avert a major mishap. The track was repaired and train services were normal after a couple of hours,” said a Railway official. On inspection, the technical team found that there was a crack on a joint of the track. The track was immediately mended with the help of iron plates and normalcy restored.
Meanwhile, the Railways has decided to felicitate three personnel who played a crucial role in averting the mishap. Sambalpur Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Jaydeep Gupta said the gangman followed the protocol after being instructed by the station manager.
“There is a protocol to follow in such incidents and the loco pilot, assistant pilot and the gangman adhered to it properly. They will be awarded for their alertness. There is no reason to panic as the crack was minor,” the DRM added.