A 53-wagon loaded diesel goods train travelled for around 80 kilometer from Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir to a village in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur district without a driver on Sunday. The train, that was running without a driver and at 100 kilometres per hour (kmph), was captured in a video that went viral on social media. It was stopped using emergency brakes, averting a major train accident.
#pathankot
बिना ड्राइवर के चल पड़ी मालगाड़ी; रेलवे ने कड़ी में मशक्कत के बाद रोका.
पठानकोट के निकट कठुआ के पास से बगैर ड्राइवर की एक मालगाड़ी अनियंत्रित होकर दौड़ पड़ीरेलवे अधिकारियों द्वारा काफी मशक्कत के बाद आखिरकार होशियारपुर के निकट दसुआ के पास ट्रेन को रोक पाने में कामयाबी. pic.twitter.com/RoXSOuig5d— karan Kapoor (@karankapoor_ani) February 25, 2024
The Railways reported no casualties or property damage following the incident, which occurred between 7:25 am and 9:00 am on February 25. An inquiry has been initiated to investigate the matter further.
The freight train, loaded with chip stones, was en route from Jammu to Punjab.
Preliminary information, as cited by a spokesperson of the Northern Railway, indicates that the goods train halted at the Kathua railway station in Jammu for a scheduled driver change. However, it appears to have begun moving down a slope gradient track on the Jammu-Jalandhar section without the presence of both the loco pilot and assistant loco pilot.
According to the media report, the train gathered momentum along its journey, eventually coming to a stop on a steep gradient near Unchi Bassi railway station in Punjab.
Prateek Srivastava, Divisional Traffic Manager in Jammu, stated, “An inquiry has been initiated to determine the exact cause of the incident. Initially, it appears that the train commenced its descent down the slope gradient towards Punjab without the driver and assistant present.”
The train came to a standstill near Unchi Bassi after travelling more than 70 km, Srivastava added.
Officials from the Ferozepur railway division were dispatched to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.
