Balagarh (Hooghly)(July-2011): Less than 48 hours after the Kalka Mail mishap, a crowded local and an express train came within seconds of crashing head-on at Balagarh station in Hooghly, some 66km from Kolkata, on Tuesday. It brought back memories of the horrific accident at Birbhum’s Sainthia station in July last year when two express trains collided, killing 66 passengers.
On Tuesday, the Up Bandel-Katwa EMU was standing at Balagarh station when the Hate Bazare Express from Saharsa in Bihar turned into the same track around 6.15am. There was panic all around. Vendors and commuters on the platform started screaming for the express driver to stop but the train chugged on. Dipankar Mukherjee, the motorman of the local, switched on the headlight...
more... and started blowing his horn on the warning note. Commuters scurried off the local in terror. The commotion finally got to the Hate Bazare driver, R Prasad, who pulled the brakes and the express stopped barely 600 yards from the local.
Prasad was suspended for running a red light but he insists the signal was green when he entered the loop.
Stationmaster Sarfaraz Nawaz seemed oblivious to the near-disaster. A woman commuter got off the local train and rushed into his office to find him ‘relaxing’ with the earphones of his mobile plugged into his ears, say sources. She dragged Nawaz to the platform where other commuters began to heckle him. Fearing an attack, Nawaz pulled himself away and sought shelter elsewhere. Meanwhile, another mob rushed to the Hate Bazare driver. When Prasad said he was cleared to cross the loop, the mob then moved to the cabin and wanted to know why the signal
was green.
Railway officials rushed to the spot and initiated an inquiry. Prima facie, Prasad seems to have jumped the red signal, said an official. The near-miss exposed a potential procedural flaw that was first noticed in the Sainthia accident. Some officials wondered why the ‘points’ — where a train crosses over to another track — were set towards the loop line. According to them, even if the signal is red, it is normal procedure to set the ‘points’ towards a line that has no traffic. Had this procedure been followed at Sainthia, the Uttar Banga Express would not have slammed into the rear of Vananchal Express.
A head-on collision between the Hate Bazare Express and a local was averted with only seconds to spare when the two trains came on the same track at Balagarh station in Hooghly early on Tuesday. Terrified passengers screamed and the local driver switched on its headlights and blared the horn repeatedly as the express chugged on. It stopped barely 600 yards from disaster, reviving memories of the Sainthia accident last year when two trains collided, killing 68 people. The express driver was suspended for running a red light but he insists the signal was green.
Courtesy: skyscrapercity
please wait...Translate to EnglishBalagarh (Hooghly)(July-2011): Bro, less than 48 hours after the Kalka Mail mess, a packed local and an express train almost smashed into each other at Balagarh station in Hooghly, like 66km from Kolkata, on Tuesday. It reminded everyone of that horror crash at Birbhum's Sainthia station last July, where two express trains clashed, taking out 66 peeps. On Tuesday, the Up Bandel-Katwa EMU was chilling at Balagarh station when the Hate Bazare Express from Saharsa in Bihar rolled onto the same track around 6.15 am. Shit got hectic. Vendors and commuters on the platform were yelling at the express driver to stop but the train kept rolling. Dipankar Mukherjee, the guy driving the local, flicked on the headlights and blasted his horn loud. People panicked and got off the local in fear. The commotion finally got to the Hate Bazare driver, R Prasad, who hit the brakes, and the express barely stopped 600 yards from the local. Prasad got suspended for running a red light, but he says the signal was green when he entered the loop. Stationmaster Sarfaraz Nawaz seemed clueless to the close call. A lady commuter hopped off the local train, found him chilling with earphones in, and dragged him to the platform, where peeps started giving him shit. Scared of getting attacked, Nawaz dipped and bounced to some other spot. Meanwhile, another crew mobbed the Hate Bazare driver. When Prasad said he had the all-clear to cross the loop, the crew moved to the control room and demanded to know why the signal was green. Railway peeps rushed in and started investigating. Looks like Prasad messed up by not following the rules, said an official. Almost crashing brought up a procedural flaw noticed in the Sainthia accident. Some peeps were thinking why the 'points' - where a train switches tracks - were set towards the loop line. They thought that even if the signal was red, the 'points' should've been set for a line with no traffic. If they had followed this at Sainthia, the Uttar Banga Express wouldn't have rear-ended Vananchal Express. The Hate Bazare Express almost crashed head-on with a local, but luckily, disaster was avoided with just a few seconds to spare when they both rolled onto the same track at Balagarh station in Hooghly early on Tuesday. Scared peeps were screaming, and the local driver flicked on the headlights and kept honking as the express kept chugging. It barely stopped 600 yards from disaster, bringing back memories of last year's Sainthia crash where 68 souls were lost. The express driver got suspended for not following the signals, but he's standing by his story that the light was green. Courtesy: skyscrapercity
please wait...Translate to HindiBalagarh (Hooghly)(July-2011): Kalka Mail accident ke bas 48 ghante baad, ek crowded local aur ek express train lagbhag takkar ho gayi Balagarh station, Hooghly mein, Kolkata se 66km door, Tuesday ko. Isne Birbhum ke Sainthia station mein hui horrific hadse ki yaad dilayi jab do express train takra gayi thi, jisme 66 passengers ki maut ho gayi thi.
Tuesday ko, Up Bandel-Katwa EMU Balagarh station par khadi thi jab Saharsa, Bihar se aane wali Hate Bazare Express wahi track mein ghoom gayi 6.15am ke aas-pass. Chahe chilla rahe the platform par khade vendors aur commuters express driver se rokne ke liye par train chalti gayi. Dipankar Mukherjee, local train ke motorman, ne headlight jalayi aur horn baja diya warning dene ke liye. Commuters bhagte huye local train se utar gaye dar ke mare. Uproar ne akhir mein Hassar Bazare driver, R Prasad, tak pahuncha, jinhone brake lagi aur express train local train se keval 600 yards door ruk gayi.
Prasad ko red light ke liye suspend kiya gaya lekin unka kehna hai ki jab woh loop mein ghus gaye tab signal green tha.
Stationmaster Sarfaraz Nawaz lagta hai bilkul andha tha hone wale badi aapda ko lekar. Ek woman commuter utri local train se jiska dil bahut baar gaya uske office mein jahan par use "relaxing" dekha gaya tha - uske mobile ke earphones uske kaanon mein the, sources ke mutabik. Usne Nawaz ko platform par khichi jahan par dusre commuters ne use heckle karne shuru kar diya. Attack ka dar hote huye, Nawaz usse bachne chale gaye aur kahi aur saran chhupa. Tab tak, aur bhi log Hate Bazare driver ke pass pahunch gaye. Jab Prasad ne kaha ki usse loop cross karne ke liye permission mili thi, tab mob cabin ki taraf badhi aur jana chahti thi ki signal
green kyun tha.
Railway officials spot par pahunch gaye aur inquiry shuru ki. Prima facie, Prasad lagta hai red signal chhod diya tha, ek official ka kehna hai. Yeh near-miss ek possible procedural flaw ko darshata hai jo pehli baar Sainthia hadse mein notice kiya gaya tha. Kuch officials hairan the ki 'points' - jahan ek train doosre track mein cross karti hai - loop line ki taraf set the. Unke mutabik, agar signal red hota bhi, 'points' ko ek aise line ki taraf set karna chahiye jo traffic nahi hoti. Agar Sainthia mein yeh process follow ki gayi hoti, tab Uttar Banga Express Vananchal Express ke peeche thokne se bach jaati.
Ek head-on takkar Hate Bazare Express aur local train ke beech hi ek lamba samay ke baad roka gaya jab dono trains Balagarh station par takkar ane wale track par early Tuesday morning mein. Terrified passengers chilla rahe the aur local train driver ne apne headlights jala diye aur horn baar-baar baja rahe the jab express train chalti gayi. Disaster se keval 600 yards door ruki, Sainthia hadse ki yaad taaza kar di, jisme do trains takra gayi thi, 68 logon ki maut ho gayi thi. Express driver ko red light ke liye suspend kiya gaya lekin unka kehna hai ki signal green tha.
Courtesy: skyscrapercity