Two railway employees were given a cash award of Rs. 5,000 each for their timely alert about a train track that was washed away for about 20 metres. Their alertness saved over 600 passengers of Yeshwantpur-Salem Fast Passenger (train No. 56242) on Tuesday night.
A release issued by Anil Kumar Agarwal, Divisional Railway Manager of South Western Railway, said that M. Velu, trolleyman, and S. Murugan, gangmate of Gang No. 5, had saved the lives of over 600 passengers.
Though their duty was over by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, they decided to inspect the condition of the bridges between Shivadi and Thoppur Ghat Section.
They found that the track to a stretch of 20 metres had been washed away in the flash floods.
Immediately, they ran for over two km to stop the train at Muthampatti at 8 p.m.
The breached track was set right around 3.30 a.m. on Wednesday morning.
Praising the exemplary act of the duo, A. K. Mittal, General Manager, South Western Railway, gave them the cash award, the release said.
