Khammam (Telangana): A major accident was averted on Monday when a two-wheeler rider attempted to cross railway tracks when a train was approaching Papatapalli railway station in Khammam district of Telangana, officials said.
Telangana police said the Delhi-bound Kerala Express from Thiruvananthapuram was on the tracks when an unassuming two-wheeler rider attempted to cross, hoping that he would be able to beat the train's speed. While doing so, he realised that he would not be able to cross. This prompted him to abandon his vehicle on the tracks and run for his life. The train hit the vehicle and dragged it on, mangling it beyond recognition. The wreckage of the vehicle was found scattered on the tracks, a few metres away from the incident site.
Despite the intense friction, the petrol in the motorcycle did not ignite, averting what could have been a disastrous accident, they said, adding that the Kerala Express was running at a speed of 100 km/hr.
Dornakallu, the loco pilot of the train, notified the Railway Police about the incident and the railway officials. The Railway Police officials arrived at the scene and inspected the tracks for any damage caused by the collision. The same was checked by the railway gangman team before other trains passed.
An online check revealed the two-wheeler belonged to a man named Dharawat Veeranna. The authorities said they were investigating the matter.
In a related development, the Indian Railways are strategically installing Hot Axle Box Detector (HABD) sensor-based device to monitor train wheels, axles and brakes to identify any flaws due to overheating. A senior Indian Railways official told ETV Bharat that the device will monitor the train’s wheels, axles and brakes to identify any flaws during the rail operation, which will help to avoid train derailment and fire incidents due to suddenly applying brakes or overheating
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