Five coaches of a goods train carrying new cars derailed a few metres before Rampura Phul railway station in Punjab’s Bathinda district on Friday, disrupting rail traffic on the Bathinda-Rajpura section. No casualties have been reported.
 

The incident occurred at around 11 am, when railway employees were present on the platform. Assistant Sub-Inspector Gurjant Singh, in-charge of the Government Railway Police (GRP) at Rampura Phul and an eyewitness to the incident, said the train’s engine became detached from the coaches as it was travelling from Bathinda towards Rajpura.
 

A senior police officer said the train was travelling from Gujarat to Ahmedgarh in Malerkotla district.
 

Three Railway Tracks Affected
 

Gurjant Singh said the railway section has four tracks, three of which were affected by the derailment. He added that a crane would occupy one track during restoration work, potentially affecting the movement of other trains.
 

He also said the detachment of the engine from the coaches had helped avert a major accident.
 

Restoration Work Underway
 

A technical team from the Railways reached the site to begin restoration work and investigate the cause of the derailment. However, the crane had not arrived by around 1 pm on Friday.
 

The cause of the derailment remains unknown.
 

A railway official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said around 60 trains normally arrive at the railway station each day. However, only about 15 trains had arrived by Friday afternoon, reflecting the disruption caused by the incident.