Rail disaster averted as farmer alerts RPF about crack in track
Times of India | 13 May 2025
Jalpaiguri: A potential railway disaster was averted on Monday when a farmer discovered a crack in the railway track between Jalpaiguri and Haldibari stations in Bengal. Dipu Roy spotted the crack and alerted authorities through his nephew Abhijit Roy, who contacted the Railway Protection Force(RPF) at Kashiyabari.RPF personnel from Jalpaiguri Town Station confirmed a crack near pillar 25. Emergency repairs were completed before the arrival of the Sealdah-Haldibari Darjeeling Mail."We rushed to the scene after receiving information and found the crack in the Kashiyabari area. The Darjeeling Mail narrowly avoided an accident," said RPF inspector Sohan Pal of Jalpaiguri Town Station.Following the incident, three trains — Darjeeling Mail, New Jalpaiguri-Haldibari Passenger, and Haldibari-New Jalpaiguri Passenger — operated at reduced speeds.Pal and ASI Biswajit Ghosh presented Roy with a reward for his vigilance. "We continuously encourage residents near railway tracks to report irregularities. This cooperation helped prevent a possible accident today," Pal said.Railway authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the crack.