At 3.16 am on Sunday, near Madhopur Chowki in the Fatehgarh Sahib region of Punjab. A goods train ran a signal, colliding with another train. The engine of a freight train overturned in the accident and collided Jammu Tawi Express. The accident was thankfully without fatalities.
The pilots were injured in both trains and were transported to Fatehgarh government hospital, where they were then referred to Rajindra Hospital, Patiala. The accident in Balasore Odisha brought to mind the recent accident. In that accident, more than 290 died. This accident was fortunate in that no one died
A freight train accident occurred near Sirhind in Punjab on Sunday, thankfully causing no casualties. However, two goods train pilots were injured and hospitalized.
Accident Details:
- Date & Time: Sunday, 3:16 am
- Location: New Sirhind Station, Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) track
- Cause: Signal breach by one goods train, colliding with another
- Goods trains collided with each other, then one hit Jammu Tawi Express (no passenger injuries)
- Injured loco pilots: Vikas Kumar (37) and Himanshu Kumar (31)
Disruptions:
- Ambala-Ludhiana railway section severely affected
- 70 trains impacted:
- 54 trains rerouted
- 2 trains cancelled mid-route
- 1 train rerouted and restarted
- 12 trains entirely cancelled
- Passengers on Jammu Tawi Express safe, but 2 coaches detached due to accident
Response:
- Emergency sirens sounded at nearby stations (Ambala, Rajpura, Ludhiana)
- Trains stopped on the main line
- Trains rerouted via Sahnewal-Chandigarh and Ludhiana-Dhuri
- Accident Relief Train (ART) dispatched to the scene
- Officials directed to assist those affected
Important Note:
While this incident echoes a past tragedy near Jammu Tawi, this time thankfully there was no loss of life.