Safety hazard: Metal rods found on CR tracks yet again

A potential derailment was averted on Monday when a quick-thinking motorman spotted three metal roads lying on the tracks and hit the brakes immediately.

This is the second such case this year on Central Railway wherein metal rods were found on the tracks, allowing safety to take a beating.

At around 7.45 am, three huge metal rods – with a quadrangular base – were found lying on the rail tracks, across the sleepers, between Masjid station and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT). The incident came to light when motorman MB Naik who was maneuvering a CSMT-Panvel local saw the three metal rods lying right on the middle of the tracks — a clear-cut obstruction for the train.

The iron rods, around two to three meters in length, were near the road-overbridge towards CSMT. One of them was right on the rail track while the other two were found on the sleepers that connect two rail tracks.

Motorman Anurag Shukla, who was driving the Panvel-CSMT local train, picked up the three rods and took them to CSMT.

Sources in the CR said that the rods didn't seem to be used by railwaymen during mega blocks or carrying out work. They believe the rods could belong to the cemented buildings and other structures next to the rail lines on the route. The section is also infamous for trespassing drug addicts. The railway police is investigating the matter.