Palghar: A locomotive attached to the tail end of a long-distance train decoupled when it departed after halting at the Vaitarna station on Saturday. A mishap was averted as the train hadn't attained speed, but the episode resulted in one-hour delay.
The incident took place at around 2.15 pm when the 19417 Borivali-Ahmedabad Express stopped at the Western Railway's (WR) Vaitarna station. As it started to pull out, the locomotive detached and skidded 20 metres away from the train.
The passengers experienced a strong jerk and heard a loud noise due to decoupling, said Jitu Mehta who was onboard at the time of incident. The shocked travellers converged at the tracks and platform. Talking to FPJ, passenger activist Shilpa Jain said, “Although most passenger trains have been upgraded to express category, the standard of coaches and locomotives remains the same. Despite paying extra fares, passengers are deprived of express train facilities. The condition is same with the Valsad Express which is a lifeline for thousands of daily passengers commuting from Gujarat to Mumbai.”
However, WR chief spokesperson was unavailable for comments.
