UP: Alert Trackmen Spot Cracks on Railway Track, Accident Averted

Bareilly: A major accident was averted due to the alertness of trackmen who spotted a crack in the track between Izatnagar and Bhojipura junctions here and halted the Ramnagar-Agra Fort Express before the train could pass over it, officials said on Tuesday.

After the track was repaired, the train was allowed to proceed at a speed of 20 kmph, they said.

Railway officials explained that such fractures can occur due to a drop in temperatures, causing the tracks to contract.

The train, which operates thrice weekly, departed from Agra Fort at 8.53 pm on Sunday and reached Izatnagar at 4.04 am on Monday where it was halted after the crack was spotted.

Public Relations Officer of North Eastern Railway, Izatnagar, Rajendra Singh said the one-inch crack was spotted at crossing number 236B by trackmen Prempal and Haribabu during patrolling.

The duo immediately informed the gateman, who alerted the control room. The Agra Fort-Ramnagar Express was about to leave Izatnagar but it was stopped promptly, preventing a potential derailment, the official said.

An engineering team fixed the crack within 45 minutes and the train resumed its journey at a restricted speed, he said, adding no other trains were affected.

As a precautionary measure, patrolling across all railway sections has been intensified to prevent similar incidents, they said.