Major train accident averted in Udham Singh Nagar as heavy cable fragments found on tracks
Tuesday, 15 October 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
A major railway accident was narrowly averted in Udham Singh Nagar district when large fragments of a heavy cable were discovered on the railway tracks in Khatima that posed a grave threat to the Dehradun-Tanakpur Weekly Express. The alert locomotive pilot spotted the cable about 3:15 AM on Monday and managed to halt the train before reaching it and prevented a potential derailment. The incident has put authorities on high alert, just two days after an LPG cylinder was discovered on a railway track in Roorkee on Saturday.
Katyal told The Pioneer that the incident occurred in the Khatima region, where unidentified miscreants had placed large fragments of cable on the railway tracks. “On Monday about 3:15 AM, the Dehradun-Tanakpur Express, en route to Tanakpur, was speeding along the tracks when the locomotive pilot spotted the suspicious cable fragments lying directly in the train’s path. Acting promptly, the pilot halted the train and informed railway officials, successfully preventing what could have been a disastrous accident,” he said. He stated that an FIR has been registered in the matter and the civil police along with Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) has started the investigation. “A team including myself, RPF and GRP officials visited the site in the morning to conduct a thorough investigation. We are currently analysing CCTV footage from nearby locations of the site to identify the perpetrators,” he said.
The SP informed that such cables, which consist of multiple thick metal wires, are typically used in hydel projects rather than railways. “It is possible that some miscreants stole the cable and left it there after they observed the approaching train. Maybe they deliberately left it there hoping that the train will break them in multiple pieces which will make it easier to carry them or they probably just placed them there to do serious harm. We cannot say yet. The probe is ongoing,” the SP said. This incident has raised concerns as similar acts of sabotage have been reported recently in Roorkee of Haridwar district and Rampur district in Uttar Pradesh. Katyal said that the local police are coordinating with their counterparts in these areas to aid the ongoing investigation. “We recognise the gravity of the situation and are leaving no stone unturned to ensure the culprits are apprehended soon,” Katyal added.
