Samastipur/Patna: A serious railway incident was narrowly avoided on Monday night near Rosera Ghat station under the Samastipur railway division, after a technical malfunction affected an oil tanker wagon of a freight train operating on the Samastipur–Khagaria section.
According to railway officials, a “hot axle” — a potentially dangerous condition where an axle overheats due to mechanical failure — was detected in one of the tanker wagons. In line with safety protocol, the train was halted at Rosera Ghat station and the affected wagon detached from the rake.
During subsequent repair work to replace the faulty wheelset, the axle reportedly broke, causing the heavily loaded wagon to tilt slightly to one side. The incident triggered brief panic in the area, given that the wagon was carrying about 64,000 litres of high-speed diesel.
Senior railway officials and technical teams from the control room rushed to the site, deploying a crane to stabilise and straighten the wagon. The situation was brought under control swiftly, with no injuries, fire or fuel leakage reported.
R.K. Singh, media in-charge of the Samastipur railway division, said the railways had acted promptly to secure passenger safety. “A hot axle was detected in an oil tanker wagon at Rosera Ghat. After detaching the wagon, it tilted slightly during repair work. Restoration is underway with the help of a crane, and safety remains our top priority,” he said.
Samastipur Divisional Railway Manager Jyoti Prakash Mishra confirmed that the freight train was travelling from the Northeast Frontier Railway zone to Narayanpur Anant station when the defect was identified. “The train was stopped after one bogie wheel seized. While the Accident Relief Train team was replacing the wheel, the axle broke, leading to the wagon tilting. Our teams acted quickly to prevent any escalation,” he said.
Train services on the Samastipur–Khagaria section were partially affected for a short period, with some operations adjusted to minimise inconvenience to passengers. Railway officials said repair and restoration work was progressing rapidly and normal operations would resume once safety checks were completed.
Given the highly inflammable cargo and the wagon’s proximity to the station area, officials acknowledged that a full overturn could have led to a major fire or environmental hazard. The railways credited timely detection and coordinated response for averting what could have been a serious accident.
