PATIALA: A herd of stray bulls on the tracks caused a coal train derailment near Gurdwara Bhattha Sahib between Ropar and Mianpur shortly after Sunday midnight. One of the bulls was crushed under the wagon wheels.
Railway officials claim that the train was empty, since it had unloaded its cargo of coal at the state-run Guru Gobind Singh Super Thermal Power Plant a few hours before the accident near level crossing 43 on the branch line that connects Una, Nangal dam, and Sirhind. The train was on its way back to the eastern railway for reloading when it derailed. The driver had a narrow escape.
Ambala divisional railway manager Gurinder Mohan Singh said: “Sudden braking after a stray bull came under wheels caused 16 of 58 wagons to separate and derail. All those wagons were empty. There was mild damage to the railway tracks and some poles, while four mail express and four passenger trains were cancelled.” The railways hoped to restore the traffic by Monday evening. A crane was clearing the tracks.
The tracks on some routes have been fenced on both sides, while the task is pending on the other routes to prevent accidents because of cattle and human intrusions.
