Timely detection of rail fracture averts mishap in West Bengal

A mishap was averted when a railway track maintainer detected a rail fracture near Jaugram station in Howrah-Bardhaman Chord section last evening and stopped traffic immediately, an Eastern Railway spokesman said here today.

"Track maintainer Shankar Roy timely detected a rail fracture at 4.35 pm near Jaugram on Chord line. He immediately stopped traffic and averted a mishap," ER spokesman R N Mahapatra said.

Reasons for the fracture are under investigation, he said, adding that Roy's name would be proposed for an award.

A number of mail and express trains, including the Howrah-New Delhi Rajdhani Express, move through the route to different destinations in northern part of the country from Howrah station.

The Indian Railway has for the past several months been plagued by accidents in different zones owing to various reasons.

As a result of the rail fracture, train movement on the Up track to Bardhaman was stopped for replacement of the rail, causing delay in the movement of an EMU local.

Normal train service on the track resumed at 6.35 PM, the spokesman said.