Hazara Express train escapes disaster

HARIPUR: The Hazara Express train escaped a major accident when its engine stopped short of derailment near Haripur Railway station here on Wednesday, eyewitnesses and Railway officials said.

Official sources said that the Hazara Express Down 12 was on the way to Karachi from Havelian when it left the Haripur Railway station at around 3pm and was moving to exit from the southern side last signal of the Railway station, the front wheels of the engine started drifting with unusual noise on the tongue rail (a small length of track that connects two tracks), forcing the driver to apply emergency brakes.

“Had it moved for another couple of feet on the tongue rail the engine would have derailed completely,” said Ashiq Hussain, a resident of neighbouring locality, who was sitting a few yards from the track right at that time. He said the driver’s astuteness helped save over 200 passengers and the train from a fatal accident.

Nazakat Sher Khan, station master Haripur, while commenting on the partial derailment of the train’s engine, said that some technical fault caused the slight derailment of the front wheels of the engine but it escaped a major accident and the engine and all the bogies remained safe from any damage. Meanwhile, the train service was restored on Havelian-Taxila track after an effort of two hours by the staff of Haripur Railway station, and the Hazara Express 12 Down continued its movement after suspension of two hours.