It was a providential escape for passengers of Chennai-Kolkata Shalimar Superfast Express as a major mishap was averted at Srikakulam Railway Station junction, 10 km from here.
The train which was moving on Platform Number 3 at around 9 a.m. came to a halt suddenly following damage to the fish-plates.
The train which did not have a stop here was halted for more than half an hour.
Chaos prevailed among passengers for some time after the train came to a halt making a heavy noise. Many passengers got down the train and alerted the railway officials and staff about the damage to the fish-plates. The railway staff repaired it on war footing.
The joint metal bars got damaged, and the train would have derailed if had they not been adjusted properly, local railway officials said.
Senior Railway officials, including Station Manager Y. Demudu, East Coast Railway Engineers Devid Raju, Satyamurthy and others, visited the spot and said the damage to the fish-plates was owing to extreme cold conditions in the last few days.
They said that damage to track and sensitive parts was a common phenomenon during summer and winter season.
“We ensured replacement of fish-plates quickly. All the passengers are safe. They did not have much inconvenience as the train stopped at a major railway station,” said a senior official.
