Runaway freight train: Station master, 3 others terminated
Four Indian Railways employees were fired on Monday concerning an incident wherein a 53-wagon freight train traveled unattended for 84 km from Jammu to Punjab on February 25. The incident caused traffic disruptions and posed a potential threat to lives and property. Those terminated include Kathua Railway Station's Station Master, Triveni Lal Gupta, engineers Sandeep Kumar (loco pilot), Pradeep Kumar (assistant loco pilot), and Pointman Sh. Mohd Sami. The terminated employees have been asked to vacate their quarters.
Why does this story matter?
On February 25, a goods train traveled without a driver, reaching speeds of up to 100 kilometers per hour from Jammu's Kathua to Punjab's Hoshiyarpur between 7:25am and 9:00am. Multiple videos of the train were captured by people and shared on social media. The incident had all railway officers on their toes, creating massive scares in anticipation of any potential accident. Immediately after the incident, an inquiry was launched by railway officials.
Runaway train caused massive traffic jam
The preliminary inquiry report attributed the incident to inadequate "stabling" the rake as per protocol by loco pilots and pointsman. Station Master Gupta was also held accountable for the incident. Investigating officials also noted that the incident caused a traffic jam, delaying eight "up" trains and four "down" trains. The termination notice stated that despite repeated counseling, shortcuts were taken at Kathua, which should not go unpunished.
Train moved unattended after engineers forgot to engage brakes
The runaway train incident happened when the engineers failed to engage the brakes while stopping at Kathua station. Railway officials quickly sounded an alarm, cleared the tracks and closed all rail crossings during the two-hour ordeal. The train was finally stopped at Uchi Bassi station in Hoshiyarpur district after railway staff placed sandbags and other obstacles on the tracks.
Locopilots left train unattended to have tea
The train had stopped at Kathua railway station reportedly for a driver change. However, both the loco pilots had left the engine to have tea, as reported by Hindustan Times. A railway spokesperson said the train apparently rolled down a slope gradient track on the Jammu-Jalandhar section. The train came to a halt at Unchi Bassi due to a steep incline.
