Empty freight train collides with stationary wagons at Adityapur railway yard, probe ordered

Jamshedpur: A freight train rammed six stationary railway wagons at the Adityapur railway station on Wednesday. Although no one was hurt in the incident, railway officials said a probe has been initiated.Eyewitnesses said freight train, which consisted 32 empty rakes, was parked on the railway tracks near Sharma Basti. Suddenly, the train started barrelling down the tracks. After rolling downhill for nearly 300 metres, the train rammed six condemned wagons parked at the shunting line. After the collision, the freight train broke through the gate of the wagons repairing centre, which is adjacent to the shunting line and crashed inside.

Due to the collision, several wagons got derailed and climbed over each other. The impact of the collision caused damage to the railways, but no casualty has been reported.“It is quite surprising that despite wheel stops being placed on the track and the front wagon tied to the track with the chains, the rake rolled down,” said a RPF official, an eyewitness to the incident. “Some workers, who were present at the repairing centre, panicked and ran for cover on time on hearing the crash,” said another railway official.

Senior officials at the Chakradharpur railway division of South Eastern Railways (SER) however downplayed the incident and called it a minor mishap. “It was a minor incident. No casualties have been reported. The extent of damage is being assessed, and the cause of the incident is being investigate,” said Aditya Choudhary, senior divisional commercial manager, said.