Passenger train loses track and ends up at wrong station in Delhi, probe ordered

New Delhi: A New Delhi-bound train on Tuesday ended up at the wrong station in the Capital, prompting the Railways to suspend an employee and launch an inquiry.

Passenger train 64464 from Panipat was due to arrive at the New Delhi station at 7.30 am. Instead, it took a different course and reached the Old Delhi Railway Station at 7.50 am.

"On realising the mistake, the train was immediately sent back to the New Delhi station," a Northern Railway statement said. "The Log (panel) operator has been suspended and an inquiry has been initiated to find and fix responsibility of other erring staff," the statement added, PTI reported.

The Railways attributed the incident to a "miscommunication by the log operator". A Northern Railways spokesperson said the staffer mistook the train, which was running late, for another passenger train which was headed for the Old Delhi Railway Station from Sonipat.

Earlier, in November 2017, a train engine had travelled for about 13 kilometres, without a pilot, from Wadi station in Maharashtra before it was brought to a halt by a staff member. 

The railway staff who had stopped the train, had chased it on a motorbike for several kilometres. He had jumped on the engine and stopped it. By then, the engine had run for about 13 kilometres.

After the Chennai-Mumbai train had arrived at Wadi junction in Kalaburagi district, its electric engine was swapped for a diesel one. The diesel engine was attached to the Mumbai train which continued its journey to Solapur. In the meantime, due to what was described as a slip-up, the disengaged electric engine had started moving on its own after the loco pilot stepped out.

(With Agency inputs)