Have you heard of a train running in the opposite direction? Well, a strange incident of an express train moving in the reverse direction has come to the fore in Kerala.
As per sources, the loco pilots of a Shoranur-bound train inadvertently jumped Cheriyanad, a small station in Alappuzha of Kerala leaving the waiting passengers baffled. However, the loco pilots realised their mistake soon after and decided to move backwards.
The train reportedly moved reverse for nearly one km and picked up the passengers who were waiting at the station. The incident occurred at 7.45 am on Sunday at the Cheriyanad station which is categorised as a 'D-grade station' falling between the bigger Mavelikara and Chengannur stations.
As per reports, the train reached its destination on time and no complaint was filed by any passenger. However, the railway authorities have reportedly sought an explanation from the loco pilots on the lapse as part of norms.
"There is no signal at Cheriyanad as it is only a halt station. Signals are available only at block (bigger) stations. There might have been an error by the locopilots (drivers). They noticed it when the train had crossed some metres," The Times of India quoted a railway official as saying.
"Venad Express came to a halt only after running a few hundred metres and that's why it had to roll back around 700 metres to the station. There was a lapse of around eight minutes in the schedule but the drivers made it up later," the official added.
This is not the first time a train moved in the reverse direction. In March 2021, Purnagiri Jan Shatabdi express train ran in the reverse direction for about 20 km in Uttarakhand. It was reported that there was a cattle runover incident between Khatima and Tanakpur section following which the train started running in the reverse direction sparking panic among the passengers.