Last Updated: October 06, 2023, 22:08 IST
Pune (Poona) [Poona], India
Guard Sandeep Bhalerao of down Lonavala-Pune local train no. 01561 running on the parallel tracks spotted the boulders first and informed the Chinchwad station master Mathew George. (Image/X)
Upon getting information about boulders placed on the train tracks, Chinchwad station master swiftly alerted the Loco pilot of 16352 UP Nagarcoil-CSMT Express, MV Pavalkar and the guard of 16352 DK Verma and gave instructions to move with caution
Another train accident was averted after railway officials spotted boulders on rail tracks between Akurdi and Chinchwad stations in time to alert the driver of a Mumbai-bound express train coming on the line on Friday. This is the second such incident in a matter of four days.
The railway staff of the Civil engineering department found the boulders during their routine track maintenance weld testing work at around 4:00 pm.
Guard Sandeep Bhalerao of down Lonavala-Pune local train no. 01561 running on the parallel tracks spotted the boulders first and informed the Chinchwad station master Mathew George.
The station master swiftly alerted the Loco pilot of 16352 UP Nagarcoil-CSMT Express, MV Pavalkar and the guard of 16352 DK Verma and gave instructions to move with caution. The train passed safely after removal of boulders.
“Guard Sandip Bhalerao on a Lonavala-Pune suburban train spotted the boulders on the adjacent UP tracks and informed the station master of Chinchwad. The station master immediately contacted the loco pilot of UP Nagarcoil-Mumbai CSMT Express, and the train was halted till the time the boulders were removed,” a senior Railway official was quoted by PTI as saying.
An investigation into the incident is underway by RPF and GRP.
A similar incident took place earlier this week in Rajasthan’s Bhilwara where a major accident was averted as train operators of Udaipur-Jaipur Vande Bharat Express had spotted stones and iron rods on the railway track and stopped the train immediately using emergency brakes on Monday.
The stones were spotted on the Gangarar-Soniyana section at around 10 am, the Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of North Western Railway, Capt. Shashi Kiran had told News18. The location comes under the jurisdiction of SHO/Gangarar in Chittaurgarh district.
“Train No 20979 Vande Bharat Udaipur-Jaipur stopped at KM no 158/18, 158/19 in Gangarar-Soniyana section. The stoppage was due to placing of some ballast on the track and of two rods, of one feet each, in the joggle plate on the said Km. The incident occurred at around 09:55 hrs in the jurisdiction of RPF/post/Bhilwara. The location comes under the jurisdiction of SHO/Gangarar in Chittaurgarh district,” the official said.
