Close shave for Rajdhani passengers

Passengers of a Howrah-bound Rajdhani Express (12306 New Delhi-Howrah Rajdhani Express), had a narrow escape when the premium train moved ahead with two bogies leaving behind the remaining compartments stationary on the Patna-Mughalsarai section.

The incident took place on Saturday at Karisath station between Buxar and Ara in Bihar. According to sources in the East Central Railway, as soon as the train began moving, the coupling broke. The speed of the train was not much then. But, because of uncoupling, the engine along with two bogies attached to it moved ahead leaving behind the remaining compartments. Although no casualty was reported in the incident, the uncoupling paralysed railway traffic on the Mughalsarai-Patna route. More than a dozen trains remained stranded till the fault was rectified.

Earlier too, passengers travelling by Rajdhani Express have experienced close shave on this particular section on numerous occasions.

A few years ago, passengers of a New Delhi-Patna Rajdhani Express escaped fatality when the wheels of an AC-3 tier coach caught fire. The fire was said to have been caused by sparks from axle-wheel friction. This caused brake binding, forcing the train to stop with a jerk. The train remained stranded near Neora station, till mechanical staff rushed from Danapur to set things aright.

However, the train again came to a grinding halt on the outskirts of Patna when thick smoke started billowing out from one of its wheels. This time, the wheels of the repaired bogie were completely blocked. Though, mercifully, no one was injured in the two mishaps, movement of trains on the route remained completely paralysed for three hours.

In 2009, the generator van of Patna-Delhi Rajdhani Express was engulfed in fire and it took four fire tenders to bring the situation under control.

The incident was followed by another mishap when the pantry car of a Rajdhani Express caught fire after the train left Mughalsarai station for Patna. However, an alert railway staff saved the day.

And again in the same year, passengers of a Patna-Delhi Rajdhani Express had a miraculous escape when the engine of the running train got uncoupled near Bihta station. Fortunately, no one was injured even though the engine, after getting detached, had left all bogies more than one km behind.
DH News Service