The Indian Railways on February 25 ordered a probe after a freight train travelled more than 70 kilometres from Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua to Punjab’s Hoshiarpur district without its drivers.
An official said the 53-wagon diesel locomotive freight drove away from J&K’s Kathua station without a driver. “An inquiry has been ordered into the incident that took place between 7.25 a.m. and 9 a.m.,” the Divisional Traffic Manager said in a statement.
The freight train caused a scare on the tracks. Officials said no casualty or damage to property was reported in the incident.
Preliminary reports suggested that the freight train was at a halt at the Kathua Station and started running towards Pathankot due to a slope. The train was later stopped near Ucchi Bassi in Punjab’s Mukerian.
Official sources suggested that the driver may have forgotten to pull the handbrake before deboarding from it.
The train, loaded with stone material, managed to cross about five stations before it was stopped.
The train was halted by the railway staff by placing wooden blocks on the tracks, which managed to reduced its speed.
