LUDHIANA: A potential disaster was averted as the pilot of the Amritsar Shatabdi express successfully stopped the train upon spotting a truck on the railway track near Giaspura area on Friday night.
The truck's driver allegedly drove onto the railway track under mysterious circumstances before abandoning the vehicle.
Around 8:30 pm, the truck driver entered the Ludhiana-Delhi main railway track from the wrong side at Giaspura gate. After driving for over a kilometer, he parked the truck near Ranjit Nagar and left the scene. Upon receiving information, officials alerted the pilot of the approaching Golden Temple Express en route from Delhi to Amritsar.
Despite the pilot of the Amritsar Shatabdi Express applying emergency brakes, the train made contact with the truck. Fortunately, the quick actions prevented a major mishap. The pilot of the Golden Temple Express, upon being informed, acted promptly to avert further danger.
GRP officials and local authorities reached the site, and after about one and a half hours of concerted efforts using a hydra machine and crane, the truck was successfully removed from the railway track, restoring normal traffic.
The truck's driver, identified as Suresh Kumar from Jhind, Haryana, was subsequently arrested and booked under sections 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way) and 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) of the IPC, along with relevant sections of the Railway Act.
