Freight train derails in Kanpur; rail traffic disrupted

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Train movement on the busy Delhi-Howrah route came to a halt for a couple of hours overnight after a freight train derailed near Panki yard, a railway official said on Wednesday.

The derailment disrupted the services for nearly two hours on Tuesday night and delayed more than three dozens trains, including Rajdhani, Garib Rath, Shram Shakti Express, Pushpak and Mahabodhi Express, Amit Kumar Singh, PRO of the Prayagraj Division, told PTI.

"A committee has been constituted to probe the incident, and the exact cause will be known after the inquiry," he added.

The incident occurred when the freight train, returning after unloading goods, was being shunted from the north to the south line, he said.

As the train moved over a crossover (scissor) point, its two wheels slipped off the track, forcing the locomotive to halt abruptly and averting a larger accident, he added.

Within 45 minutes, rescue and technical teams reached the site and began restoration work. By around 12.30 am, movement on the third and fourth lines was resumed to clear stranded passenger trains, another official said.

Senior railway officers from Kanpur and Prayagraj divisions supervised the operations through the night. Train services were restored gradually after 2.30 am, the senior official said.