A major rail disaster was narrowly averted near Bhubaneswar on Thursday after two incoming trains reportedly ended up on the same track near the Jharpada bridge area.
The near-miss triggered widespread panic among passengers and nearby residents, as per railway officials. According to preliminary reports highlighted by The Times of India quoting The East Coast Railway (ECoR), one train was bound for Mancheswar from Bhubaneswar, while the second was heading in the opposite direction on a collision course before the error was detected.
A catastrophic mishap was narrowly avoided thanks to the rapid response and coordination of railway staff on site. The close call occurred on the heavily congested Jharpada bridge section, triggering panic among onlookers and passengers before both trains were brought to a safe halt.
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No injuries were reported. Railway authorities have since launched a high-level inquiry to determine how both trains ended up on the same track, focusing on potential signalling, communication, or operational lapses. Train operations on the main line and passenger services remain unaffected.
The incident has prompted a full investigation currently underway to establish the exact sequence of events and fix accountability for the lapse.
As per local media reports, officials responded in a press note, "An incident at Bhubaneswar during a shunting operation involving a train with an empty rake that was being moved for scheduled maintenance activities. During the slow-speed shunting movement, the empty rake came into close proximity with another stationary empty rake. Both rakes were empty at the time of the incident."
"No casualties, injuries or disruption to train services have been reported. Railway officials and technical staff promptly attended the site and took necessary measures to secure the rolling stock and assess the situation. Train operations on the main line and passenger services remain unaffected," he added.
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