Hundreds of passengers on board the Shiv Ganga Express had a providential escape on Friday when its coaches decoupled from the engine thrice over a stretch of 44 km. The train was going from New Delhi to Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's parliamentary constituency.
The decoupling took place between Ramnathpur and Gopiganj in Allahabad. Officials said the first time decoupling happened at Ramnathpur, second time at Gopiganj and the third some 60 metres from Gopiganj.
No one was injured in the incident as the train was running at a normal speed of 80-100 km per hour.
"The loco driver showed alertness and did not apply emergency brakes or the consequences could have been devastating," a railway official said.
The incident comes a day after seven coaches of the Shaktipunj Express derailed near Sonebhadra, derailment of Kalindi Express was averted in Farrukhabad after a crack in the rail tracks was detected in time, and the engine and power coach of the Rajdhani Express coming from Ranchi in Jharkhand to Delhi derailed near Shivaji Bridge Railway Station while approaching the New Delhi Railway Station.
In addition, Thursday also saw derailment of two wagons of a goods train near Khandala in Maharashtra.
Officials said many parts of the coupling that connects coaches had worn away and needed replacement, something which obviously was not carried out.
A goods wagon engine was later attached to the train and it was sent to Manduadeeh Railway Station. By then, however, the train had been delayed by more than seven hours.