Panchavati coaches decouple as train leaves Kasara station

Nashik: The CSMT-bound Panchavati Express from Manmad split into two after the coupling affixed between coaches 4 and 5 of the train came apart on Saturday. A major accident was averted as the train was moving at a low speed, and the separated coaches decelerated to a standstill.The incident took place at 8.36 am, just moments after the train had left the Kasara station, where it had halted after descending the Kasara ghat between Kasara and Igatpuri railway stations.Several passengers travelling in the 5th coach, which is a ladies’ compartment, said the train had just started its journey from Kasara station and was just beginning to pick pace when they saw the preceding coach get disconnected from their coach.“Some passengers she shocked and feared that there would be a major accident. However, regular commuters, acquainted with such incidents in the past, calmed them down. The remaining 18-coach segment of the train ground to a halt after it covered a few hundred metres,” recounted Ujjwala Kolhe, a passenger who was siting in the ladies’ coach. Sanjay Patil, another passenger onboard the train, said people were relieved that the incident did not take place during the train’s descent through the ghat section.Swapnil Nila, the chief public relations officer of the Central Railway, said the locomotive pilot was alerted by the pressure sensors, which indicated an anomaly. He halted the engine at a secure distance from the trailing coaches. “The engine, along with the four coaches, came back and reconnected with the remaining section of the train. The entire train then resumed its journey towards CSMT at 9.15 am, following a delay of about 40 minutes,” the officer said.This is not the first time that coaches of this intercity express have decoupled. On March 7, 2018, the engine and three coaches detached from the other section of the train after the Mumbai-bound Panchavati Express had left the Kalyan junction for Thakurli. The officer said the presence of an integrated mechanism, which not only alerts the driver about coach decoupling but also automatically applies brakes to the independent coaches, ensures gradual deceleration.Railway officials said an inquiry has been initiated to ascertain the cause of the incident. They said measures will be implemented to prevent such occurrences in the future. According to a senior officer from Bhusawal, “The affected coach is being removed from service in Mumbai. A detailed investigation is being carried out. The actual reasons can be concluded after the investigation.”Following the incident, Nashik MP Rajabhau Waje said he would meet the railway officials at Bhusawal next week and take steps to resolve issues related to the Panchavati Express. “After Saturday’s incident, I spoke to some of the officials. As far as the Panchavati Express is concerned, I will conduct a meeting to understand and also resolve all the issues.”
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