In another rail scare in Odisha, goods train travels for 2 km without 5 bogies

A separate locomotive had to haul the five bogies which had uncoupled before they were reattached to the train.

Almost a week after 22 bogies of a passenger train rolled backwards for over 15 km in the western Odisha districts of Bolangir and Kalahandi, a goods train travelled for two kilometres leaving five of its wagons behind in Balasore district Saturday night.

The goods train travelled for two kilometres leaving five of its wagons behind in Balasore district.(HT Photo)

Officials of south eastern railway said a goods train with 60 wagons was on its way from Dhamra port to Tatanagar when five wagons got detached at Panapana station. By the time the staff at Panapana discovered the glitch, the train had approached Khantapara station, two km away where it was stopped until another engine pulled the five wagons and re-attached them.

Rabi Narayan Behera, station manager of Bahanaga which is a larger station than Panapana abd Khantapara said the incident happened due to a break in coupling of the train. “We have asked the carriage and wagon department of south eastern railways to initiate a probe,” said Behera.

On the night of April 6 night, 22 bogies of the Ahmedabad-Puri Express with more than 1,500 passengers trundled backwards for about 15km on sloping tracks without an engine. Eight railway employees were suspended over dereliction of their duties.

The incident prompted Railway Board Chairman Ashwini Kumar Lohani to order a month-long joint drive by operating and electrical departments regarding shunting at all stations.