BHUBANESWAR: Train services on the Howrah-Chennai main line were disrupted for nearly four hours after the New Jalpaiguri-Chennai Central Express got stuck between Soro and Markona stations under Kharagpur division on Saturday.
The train was detained on the Up line due to a snag in the engine. However, there was no derailment nor any passenger was hurt. South Eastern Railway (SER) sources said the engine of the train was hit by an object lying on the track and could not move any further. As a result of the incident, four trains were regulated at separate places.
While Howrah-SMVT Bengaluru Express was detained between Soro-Markona and Balasore-Bhadrak MEMU at Soro, Shalimar-Hyderabad East Coast Express was detained at Balasore and Howrah-Tirupati Express at Rupsa.
“The train was at a high speed when the loco pilot came to know about the trouble and pressed the emergency brake. Lives of all the passengers were saved due to his alertness and presence of mind,” said a railway official. An alternative loco was arranged and the train departed at 6.23 pm. All necessary safety measures were taken by railways and thorough checking of the loco was done before the departure of the train, the sources added.