Bhubaneswar: Passengers travelling on Purunakatak-Bhubaneswar Intercity Express endured anxious moments on Sunday after the locomotive unexpectedly detached from the coaches and continued ahead on its own, leaving the rest of the train stranded near Balangir railway station in Odisha.
According to sources, the incident occurred shortly after the train departed Balangir railway station towards Bhubaneswar. Near the Sudapada railway level crossing, the engine uncoupled from the passenger coaches. The loco pilot drove the locomotive more than a kilometre before realising the coaches were missing. Passengers inside the detached coaches faced moments of panic as the train unexpectedly halted without the engine attached.
Railway sources confirmed that no injuries occurred and there was no derailment or major damage.
The locomotive crew later reversed the engine back to the stranded coaches. After safety checks, staff reconnected the locomotive, and the Intercity Express resumed its journey towards Bhubaneswar, following a delay of around 30 minutes.
In a press statement, the East Coast Railway said: S”hortly after departing Balangir at around 3 pm, Train No. 12894 experienced a brief uncoupling of its locomotive while moving at low speed. Railway staff immediately attended to the issue and re-coupled the locomotive. After completion of the necessary safety checks, the train resumed its journey safely at around 3.40 pm.”
It added that the situation was promptly handled, and there was no inconvenience to passengers or disruption to other train operations.