Passengers unhurt as engine comes off Duronto

Passengers on the Howrah-Mumbai Duronto Express had a narrow escape on Friday when its engine and generator van got separated from the rest of the train. There was no report of any injury to any passenger. The central buffer coupling (CBC) that attaches the coaches and the engine along with the front generator van snapped about 37 minutes after the non-stop train started from Howrah for Mumbai, South Eastern Railway sources said.

The coaches then travelled for a brief period before automatic brakes were applied and came to a halt at Uluberia station. The trains were manufactured in a way that, if such an incident

occurs, the rest of the coaches would stop gradually due to application of an automatic brake, sources said. The train left Howrah at 0820 hrs and the incident occurred near Uluberia station at about 0857 hrs. As per rules, the driver stopped the engine after some time in order avoid chances of a collision with the coaches. The engine was then moved back to the station and the CBC was repaired, the sources said, adding the train finally left Uluberia for its onward journey at 1027 hrs. An inquiry would be held to ascertain why the problem took place, the sources said.