Patna/Ara: Passengers of the Alipurduar-New Delhi Mahananda Express (15483) had a narrow escape after two coaches of the train derailed near Ara railway station under Danapur division of the East Central Railway (ECR) around 4am on Sunday. No passenger or railway staff was injured in the incident.According to ECR chief public relations officer Saraswati Chandra, a preliminary investigation found the loco pilot had allegedly overshot a signal. After realising the signal was not meant for the train, the loco pilot moved it backwards towards the loop line, following which two wheels of the coaches went off the track.Chandra said Ara railway station manager N K Rai was suspended due to administrative lapses. “The suspension was not directly related to the derailment. He was suspended for administrative lapses,” the CPRO added.Earlier, Rai told mediapersons that the train, which had arrived on platform 2, moved towards the Sasaram line instead of the main line. “As the point was not made for it, the loco pilot moved the train backwards, causing the two coaches to derail. Passengers of the affected coaches were shifted safely and restoration work began promptly,” he added.Passengers, however, alleged negligence on the part of railway officials. One passenger, a student travelling from Patna to New Delhi in the B-1 coach, said, “As soon as the train left Ara junction, we felt a sudden jerk and the train stopped abruptly. I, along with other passengers, got anxious fearing derailment. Then I saw the passengers of the AC first class coach being shifted to other coaches. We later came to know that two coaches had got derailed. It is sheer negligence of the railways. Thankfully, the train at the time of derailment was at a slow speed. Had the train been at its usual high speed, it could have caused a major accident.”Railway officials cleared the affected track on priority and normal movement was restored. The train resumed its onward journey towards New Delhi around 7.23am after necessary procedures. Railway authorities have ordered a detailed inquiry to ascertain the exact cause of the derailment.
