Pointsman Blamed for Near Train Collision
COIMBATORE:Quick action by two locomotive pilots averted a head-on collision of two major trains after they came on the same track due to an error by a pointsman at Uthukuli station near Tirupur on Sunday. The trains stopped just metres away from each other.
The automatic signals at Uthukuli were down since morning due to a technical problem. Pointsman Dilip Kumar was asked to clamp the tracks manually to align train movement. However, he clamped the track in the wrong direction. It was because of this that the Intercity Express leaving Uthukuli and the Sabari Express arriving at the station came on the same track.
“Loco pilots give warning signals intermittently to inform other pilots and staff at stations of the trains’ positions. Here, the signals enabled the pilots to realise that both the trains were on the same track. They were able to decelerate the trains and stop them metres away from each other, averting a collision,” said Salem Division PRO.
Several trains were delayed by 75 to 90 minutes because of the problem.
Also Read: 'Error of 1 Can't Cause Accident'