Jharsuguda : A Bulker truck that broke down on a railway level crossing near Dhutra railway station in Odisha’s Jharsuguda district on Friday afternoon disrupted both rail and road traffic, forcing the Vande Bharat Express to remain stranded for nearly 45 mins.
According to officials and local sources, the trailer (registration number MP-19-ZG-5077) developed a mechanical fault while crossing Railway Level Crossing No. 254 at around 2.55 pm. The vehicle came to a halt in the middle of the tracks, affecting train movement on the busy Howrah-Mumbai main line.
The Vande Bharat Express, which was approaching the crossing, was halted until the truck was removed from the tracks. Rail traffic resumed only after the obstruction was cleared, with the train continuing its journey at around 3.55 pm.
The incident also brought road traffic to a complete standstill, with hundreds of vehicles queued up on both sides of the level crossing for nearly an hour.
The level crossing serves as a crucial link for residents of Dhutra, Arda, Champapada, Khalingipada, Majhapada, Sarasmal, Gudigaon, Sialrama and Kelda villages, providing connectivity to Jharsuguda town for education, healthcare, agriculture and daily commuting.
Senior Divisional Commercial Manager (DCM), CKP Division (South Eastern Railway), Aditya Kumar Choudhary said, “A truck got stuck at a level crossing near Dhutra Railway Station. As per railway safety norms, train movement is stopped until the obstruction is cleared. Accordingly, the Vande Bharat Express was safely halted before the level crossing. The stranded truck was subsequently removed from the crossing, following which the railway gates were closed. Whenever a vehicle is stuck at a level crossing and the gates cannot be closed, the railway signalling system automatically turns the signal red to prevent trains from moving. After the truck was removed and the crossing was secured, train services resumed in accordance with the prescribed safety procedures. The Vande Bharat Express was detained for around 45 minutes.”
