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Railway ensures more safety on tracks near Ambaturai

November 24, 2020 09:55 pm | Updated 09:55 pm IST

Train crew that averted accident rewarded

Divisional Railway Manager V.R. Lenin handing over a certificate of appreciation to loco-pilot J. Suresh.

Madurai

The loco-pilot J. Suresh and Assistant Loco-pilot B. Suresh Babu, who averted a rail accident by applying the emergency brake on finding two boulders on the railway track near Ambaturai recently, were honoured with cash rewards.

Divisional Railway Manager V.R. Lenin handed over a cash of ₹ 3,000 to each of the alert railway crew of a Chennai-bound special train.

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Upon seen the huge boulders on the track in Ambaturai rock cutting area on November 17, they brought the train to a screeching halt that stopped just a few metres ahead of the boulders.

Senior Divisional Safety Officer S. Manoharan was present.

A railway official said that incessant rain reported around the area in Dindigul district causes seepage of water through the crevices and cleavages of the rock and caused the disintegration followed by the slippage.

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Round-the-clock patrolling on the three-km stretch of track in the rock cutting area has been ensured. The division had carried out a major rock cutting exercise in 2019-20 when small boulders and earth for around 45,000 cubic metres were removed from the rocky terrain on both sides of the track. Besides, the cut-off wall constructed over the top of the cutting that was damaged was reconstructed for nearly 350 metres. The cut-off wall would prevent flow of water.

Water drainage on the top of the cutting has been provided as an additional safety measure.

Engineering officials have been instructed to keep a close monitoring on the patrolling gangmen during the monsoon season.

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