Two drivers of the Okha- Nathdwara Express were seriously injured as a fire erupted in its locomotive following a collision with a truck loaded with LPG cylinders at an unmanned crossing on the Ratlam-Ajmer line.
"The locomotive hit the truck loaded with LPG cylinders at an unmanned crossing between Dhodar and Kachnara stations last night, leading to a fire that caused injuries to its two drivers," Ratlam Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Manoj Sharma said today.
The two engine drivers, Dinesh Chaturvedi (56) and Rajendra Sharma (36), were seriously hurt in the incident and were admitted to a hospital in Mandsaur, he said, adding that there were no reports of any other injuries.
Fire-tenders were rushed to the spot and the blaze in the locomotive was brought under control, he said.
A number of LPG cylinders rolled off the truck while a few of them also slid beneath the engine, which was damaged in the mishap, he said.
The DRM said another engine was brought from Mandsaur for taking the train on the onward journey.
The track was cleared for traffic at around 3:30 AM, he said.
Trains from Mandsaur to Udaipur, Indore, Jaipur and Bhopal were delayed due to the mishap, Railway's Public Relation Inspector Mukesh Kumar said.
Travelling by the Kangra Valley Train, one goes past the
famous Banganga Bridge, the Devi temple at Jwala Road, the Reond Nullah and the Deer Park Institute among others. One also meets wandering sadhus and even tantriks who follow Guru Gorakhnath, the founder of the Nath tradition.
"The journey from Jwalamukhi to Kangra has its dramatic moments as the train traverses two tunnels - the 15-ft Dhundni and the 1,075-ft Daulatpur - that cut through the heat of the mountain.
...When we emerge into the sunlight after the darkness of the tunnel, we see a picture perfect landscape that continues till Kangra, where the Banganga plunges deeper into the gorge and is crosses over via a four-storeyed bridge," Ghose writes.
The steepest section in the entire route is from Baijnath-Paprola to Ahju and, since 1976, the powerful ZDM3 locomotive, specially designed for hilly regions, has been used.
According to the author, the last lap of the journey to Joginder Nagar is perhaps the most beautiful, as the train "glides through verdant landscapes with terraced rice fields and slate-roofed, half-timbered, and double-storeyed villages. The final sweep is across a shallow ravine, and then one enters Joginder Nagar.
