📷 Image Credits: The Hindu
In the early hours of Sunday, May 26, a possible train mishap was averted on the Mumbai-Mangaluru Konkan Railway Corporation network between Innanje and Padubidri in Udupi district, thanks to the alertness of track maintainer Pradeep Shetty. While patrolling the track, Shetty noticed a weld failure at around 2:25 a.m. and promptly notified higher officials. The incident occurred just before Train No. 16345 Mumbai LTT-Thiruvananthapuram Central Netravathi Express was scheduled to depart from Udupi at 3 a.m. towards Mangaluru Junction, with Train No. 16595 KSR Bengaluru-Karwar Panchaganga Express also expected to pass through the area around 4 a.m.
Senior officials from Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd. (KRCL) recognized Shetty’s vigilance and awarded him a ₹25,000 cash prize for his timely detection of the weld failure. Restoration work commenced immediately at the defective rail section located at km 706/0-1, and by 5:58 a.m., the track was deemed fit for operation, albeit with a speed restriction of 20 kmph. KRCL Chairman and Managing Director Santos Kumar Jha praised Shetty’s quick action and announced the cash award would be presented to him at the restored track site later in the day.
Vishal Shenoy, a passenger on the Netravathi Express, recounted his experience when the train came to a halt just before Padubidri around 3:55 a.m. The train was then reversed back to Innanje, approximately 7 km away, while the Panchaganga Express bound for Karwar was held at Nandikur Station, 9 km south of Padubidri. Following the necessary repairs and restoration efforts, train operations resumed smoothly after the track was declared safe for travel, ensuring the safety of all passengers and maintaining the efficiency of the railway network.
