Driverless Goods Train Ran For 84 km

A major accident was averted after a goods train ran on the tracks driverless for about 84 kilometres in Punjab today. Officials said the driver forgot to pull the hand break before getting off the train - that was on a halt at Kathua station in Jammu and Kashmir - because of which it started moving on a sloppy track. 

The goods train - carrying stones - crossed about five stations at a speed of 100 km per hour before it was stopped in Uchi Bassi. "The train was stopped after a Railway official placed wood blocks on the tracks to stop the train," officials said.

"No causalty was reported in the incident," officials said. The 53-wagon train was on its way to Punjab from Jammu.  A video of the train, which has gone viral on social media, shows the train passing by a station at a very high speed.

Officials said they are trying to identify any potential safety lapses to avoid such incidents in the future. "The exact reason of the incident is yet to be ascertained," they said.