Deoghar, Jharkhand — A potentially devastating accident was narrowly avoided on Thursday morning when the locomotive pilot of the 13510 Gonda-Asansol Express applied emergency brakes just in time, preventing a full-scale collision with a stationary rice-laden truck at a busy manned level crossing here.
The incident occurred around 9:38 a.m. at the crossing near Jasidih, a congested stretch that sees heavy vehicular traffic daily. According to railway officials, the express train rammed into the truck that had stalled on the tracks, but the driver’s quick reaction limited the damage. The impact crushed two motorcycles waiting at the gate, leaving their riders with minor injuries — cuts and bruises that required only first aid. Both were discharged after treatment at a nearby hospital.
“The pilot spotted the truck and slammed the emergency brakes immediately. It could have been much worse,” a senior Eastern Railway official told reporters at the site. The train’s momentum still carried it forward, derailing the front wheels of the locomotive slightly, but no coaches left the tracks and none of the roughly 800 passengers on board were hurt.
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Rail services on the busy Howrah-Delhi main line were disrupted for nearly two hours as cranes cleared the wreckage and engineers inspected the tracks. Normal operations resumed by late morning, though several trains ran delayed.
Eyewitnesses painted a picture of the usual morning chaos. “Traffic was backed up on both sides, and as soon as the gate lifted a little, vehicles started rushing through,” said local shopkeeper Rajesh Kumar, who watched from across the road. “The truck got stuck right in the middle, and the train was coming fast. People were shouting, running — it was terrifying.”
A four-member committee has been formed by the railways to investigate the episode, focusing on the functioning of the level crossing gate, signalling systems, and any lapses by the gateman or road users. Preliminary reports suggest the gate was partially open when the truck entered the crossing, raising questions about coordination and enforcement.
Incidents at unmanned or poorly managed level crossings remain a stubborn headache for Indian Railways, despite ongoing efforts to eliminate them through overbridges and underpasses. Critics point to persistent issues like impatient drivers ignoring barriers and occasional gatekeeper negligence, while road safety advocates call for stricter penalties.
For now, locals and commuters are counting their blessings. “That driver saved lives today,” one injured biker told reporters from his hospital bed. “A few seconds later, and who knows what would have happened.” The probe’s findings are expected in the coming days, but the close call has once again spotlighted the everyday risks at India’s thousands of level crossings.
