Hoshiarpur, Oct 10: An alert station master in Punjab prevented a potential train accident early Friday by noticing smoke and sparks on a passing freight train and taking immediate action.
Vijay Kumar, the station master at Bhangala station in Hoshiarpur, observed smoke and sparks emanating from an empty freight train while exchanging “All Right” signals in the pre-dawn hours. Officials from the Jammu Rail Division, which oversees the station, said his swift response was crucial in averting disaster.
“He immediately acted with great presence of mind and showed a red signal to the train manager. The train was stopped after partially passing the Advanced Starter Signal at KM 81/2 between Bangala and Mukerian at 3.23 a.m.,” a railway official noted.
Upon inspection, train manager Rajender Pal, stationed in the Jammu Division, and the on-duty gateman at the nearby level crossing discovered that one of the wagons had technical issues. The sparks were promptly extinguished, and the block section was cleared by 3.51 a.m.
Vivek Kumar, Divisional Railway Manager of the Jammu Rail Division, praised Kumar and Pal for their alertness. “Due to the vigilance of Vijay Kumar and the train manager, a potentially serious accident was successfully averted,” he said.
Railway officials said that such timely interventions underline the importance of on-ground vigilance in ensuring passenger and cargo safety across the network.
