Heritage steam loco 'Akbar' derails

A heritage steam locomotive of the Railways, Akbar, jumped the rails during maintenance work at the Rewari steam shed.

The locomotive was undergoing maintenance and repair works in the shed, said Nitin Chowdhury, Northern Railway spokesperson.

"During maintenance and repairs, testing of the brakes was also done as per routine practice. When it moved, the staff on the loco applied the brakes, but as said earlier, it was being repaired, so the brakes did not take full effect and the engine derailed. No staff was injured and there was no damage to railway property," Chowdhury said.

The spokesperson said that an inquiry has been ordered by the Divisional Railway Manager.

"The loco was not being used for hauling any train when the incident occurred. Officers and staff were immediately rushed to carry out re-railing operations," Chowdhury added.

The engine, named after Mughal emperor Akbar, is one of the oldest steam locomotives of the Railways.

It was built by the Chittaranjan Locomotive Works and was inducted into service in 1965.