Bhubaneswar: A train mishap was narrowly avoided near the Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya (DDU) Junction in Uttar Pradesh when Odisha-bound 12876 Nandan Kanan Express split into two due to a coupling failure. The incident, which occurred late Monday night, caused panic among passengers.

Train Splits Shortly After Departure

The express train, running from Anand Vihar in Delhi to Puri in Odisha, had just departed from platform number one of DDU Junction at around 9:30 pm when the coupling of the S4 sleeper coach broke. As a result, the train detached into two sections about six kilometres ahead of the station, leaving passengers in shock.

Quick Response by Railway Authorities

Railway staff acted swiftly to manage the situation, preventing any major mishap. The detached sections were carefully brought back to platforms 7 and 8 of DDU Junction, and passengers from the affected coach were shifted to other compartments. After necessary repairs and safety inspections, the train resumed its journey at around 1:00 am.

Investigation Underway to Determine Cause

The train was already running over three hours late when just about 6 km beyond DDU Junction, two of its coaches got detached due to a coupling issue and the train was split into two parts while approaching the yard. Despite the technical fault, no major injuries were reported, but the passengers were understandably shaken by the experience. Passengers expressed their frustration and anger over the incident, holding the Indian Railways responsible for the scary experience. The failure of the coupling, which led to the train splitting, raised concerns about the maintenance and safety protocols of the rail network. 

Authorities have now launched an investigation to ascertain the cause of the coupling failure, ensuring such incidents do not repeat in the future.

Meanwhile, the passengers are demanding accountability for the disruption and inconvenience caused, which included the extended delay and the panic that ensued during the incident.