Patna: A weekly Amrit Bharat Express service travelling from Banaras to Sealdah was delayed for several hours on Saturday after its engine developed a technical fault at Athmalgola railway station in Bihar’s Patna district.
The incident occurred in the early hours, between around 5am and 6am, when the locomotive hauling train number 22588 reportedly suffered a sudden malfunction. According to railway officials, attempts by the loco pilot to rectify the problem at the site were unsuccessful.
The train remained stationary at Athmalgola station for more than two hours, leading to growing frustration among passengers. Some travellers later approached the station’s panel room and entered into an argument with railway staff over the delay.
Railway personnel subsequently alerted the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and the Government Railway Police (GRP) as tensions escalated. A team led by Inspector-in-Charge Jawahar Lal of the Bakhtiyarpur RPF was deployed to the spot and managed to calm the passengers through discussion.
In the meantime, permission was obtained from the Danapur control centre to detach the faulty engine. A freight train locomotive, which was stationed on a nearby line, was then coupled to the passenger rake to restore movement.
The train eventually resumed its journey after a delay of around two to three hours at the station and reached its onward destination approximately five hours behind schedule. Railway officials said the situation was brought under control quickly following the intervention of security personnel.
