Kerala: Loco pilot's swift action averts Vande Bharat train's collision with concrete mixer in Payyannur

A potentially disastrous incident was averted when the loco pilot of the Vande Bharat Express applied emergency brakes after spotting a concrete mixing machine on the tracks near Payyannur station.

Kannur: A potentially serious incident was narrowly avoided on Saturday when the loco pilot of the Thiruvananthapuram-Kasaragod Vande Bharat Express intervened just in time as a concrete mixing machine was stationed on the tracks near Payyannur station, where the train does not stop. 

The incident occurred around 1 PM when a worker involved in renovation work carelessly moved the concrete mixing machine onto the tracks, failing to notice the approaching train. The loco pilot’s quick thinking came to the rescue, as he applied the emergency brakes, significantly reducing the train's speed and allowing it to pass safely mere seconds after the machine had cleared the track.

The concrete mixing machine, which was brought to the station for maintenance work under the ongoing Amrit Bharat scheme renovations, was being relocated to an adjacent platform when the incident occurred. Following this, railway police detained the worker responsible and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) seized the machine. 

An investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident is currently underway, and the railway authorities have indicated that a case will be filed against the driver of the vehicle that moved the concrete mixing machine.