Attempt to derail goods train foiled near Surat’s Udhna station

A huge accident was averted near Surat’s Dindoli Fish Market, on the Western Railway up-line, after an attempt was made to derail a train by placing an iron C-type channel across the track on September 29. 

However, as a goods train heading towards Mumbai struck the channel with its front wheels, the loco pilot immediately stopped the train. 

The goods train (No LGH/KTYM 60008) of Western Railway was travelling from Vadodara to New Makarpura towards Mumbai. Around 8.45 pm, when the train was passing between New Udhna (pole no. 2815th to 2917), loco pilot R K Meena and train manager Saurabh Panthi heard a loud noise of something colliding with the train’s wheels. 

Taking precautionary action, they stopped the train near pole no. 295/37, at Dindoli Fish Market, and upon inspection, noticed that a roughly 7-foot-long iron C-type channel was lodged in the train’s wheels.

As the train halted suddenly, local residents rushed to the spot and helped the loco pilot and train manager remove the iron channel stuck in the front wheels. 

Later, the train was halted at New Bhestan Railway Station. After being informed by loco pilot Meena, the control room alerted DFCCIL (Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited) civil engineer Somen Roy, along with RPF Inspector and Railway Traffic Inspector Mahesh Sharma, who reached the site promptly. 

The 7-foot-long iron C-type channel was seized from the spot, and necessary checks were conducted on the goods train halted at New Bhestan station.