New Delhi, March 4: The 12876 Nandan Kanan Express, travelling from Anand Vihar to Puri, suffered a mishap, shortly after departing from Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya (DDU) Junction.
The train split into two due to a coupling failure in the S4 sleeper coach, creating chaos among the passengers. The incident occurred on Monday night, shortly after the train left platform Number 1 of DDU Junction around 9:30 pm.
The train that was over three hours late continued its journey, but just about 6 kms beyond DDU Junction, two of its coaches got detached due to a coupling issue and the train was split into two parts while approaching the yard.
The separated portions of the train were brought back to DDU Junction, with one part arriving at platform Number 7 and the other at platform Number 8. Passengers from the S4 coach, which got detached from the train due to the coupling failure, were relocated to another coach.
Following the incident, the train was rejoined and, after necessary checks, was sent on its way again around 1:00 a.m. Despite the technical fault, no major injuries were reported, but the passengers were understandably shaken by the experience. Railway officials promptly addressed the situation by returning the detached coach sections to platforms 7 and 8 at DDU Junction.
The authorities successfully rerouted both sections back to DDU Junction and parked them on platforms 7 and 8. Engineers inspected the damaged S4 coach, deemed it unfit for use, and relocated the passengers to other compartments.
Passengers expressed their frustration and anger over the incident, holding the Indian Railways responsible for the scary experience. The failure of the coupling, which led to the train splitting, raised concerns about the maintenance and safety protocols of the rail network.
Railway officials have assured that an enquiry will be conducted into the cause of the coupling failure. Meanwhile, the passengers are demanding accountability for the disruption and inconvenience caused, which included the extended delay and the panic that ensued during the incident.
IANS