PATNA: Alertness of a trackman averted a major accident and saved lives of hundreds of passengers travelling by the Muzaffarpur-Patliputra MEMU train (05353), when he detected a rail fracture between Turki and Ramdayalu Nagar section on Muzaffarpur-Hajipur route in the Sonepur division of the East Central Railway (ECR), on Sunday morning.
The train was detained for more than two hours from 8.25am to 10.30am for repairing of the tracks, and then it carried on its onward journey towards Patliputra junction.
According to railway sources, the trackman on duty acted swiftly and informed the Sonepur railway control room and Ramdayalu Nagar station master about the rail fracture.
The station master soon alerted the loco pilot of the incoming MEMU passenger train, who immediately stopped the train, sensing gravity of the situation and averted a major accident.
"Rail fracture in summer is a common phenomenon which is caused by excessive heat.
Thus, trackman has been assigned the duty to check fitness of the tracks thoroughly prior to passing of any passenger train at the most vulnerable places in the East Central Railway ," a railway official said.
