Locals spot crack on rail track, avert possible accident

Kolkata: A major tragedy has been averted after some locals spotted a crack on the railway track near Samsi railway station.

A senior railway official, however, said that a track patrolling team noticed a missing rail of about 1 feet in length and informed the matter to the station master at Samsi station. The NJP-bound Up Padatik Express was scheduled to pass through the area within a few minutes, an official said.

As the Sealdah-New Alipurduar Up Padatik Express was heading towards North Bengal after leaving the Malda Town station, the guards of the trains received information that a crack was spotted near the Samsi station. The train was stopped at Kumargunge railway station. The Eastern Railway officials from Katihar rushed to the spot. They found that an iron rail of about 1ft length had been missing despite routine checkup of the tracks.

Some of the local people told the visiting railway officials that the crack could have developed after a speeding goods train passed on the track. The locals claimed that they heard a loud thud.

The railway officials have started a probe in this regard. The railway officials did not rule out the theory of sabotage. They began a spot investigation to find out the nature of the crack. According to the railway source, the crack was spotted at around 5 am on Sunday. After being stranded for a few hours, the UP Padatik Express was later diverted through the Down line. Many trains from Katihar and Malda on the Up line, including Hatey-Bazare, were delayed for a few hours before the crack was repaired

on a war footing.

Meanwhile, another train mishap was averted on Sunday when a line checking team detected a crack on the rail track and facilitated immediate halt of an Express train rushing towards it in the Malda district, a rail official said.

Normalcy was restored at about 9 am after the track was repaired. A probe has been ordered. Passengers travelling in Padatik Express and other long distance trains plying through the area faced inconveniences as they were stranded.