Railway employee rewarded for avoiding major fire in goods train

A railway employee was Monday rewarded for timely detection of the hot axle in goods train thereby averting a major fire. L S Asokan, a pointsman, detected the brake binding in the train passing through Samalpatti and carrying coal to Mettur dam on May 26 and informed the station superintendent of Samalpatti.

On reaching the next station at Dasampatti, the guard and the loco pilot of the train found the hot axle in the 13th wagon from the engine and immediately detached the wagon for further examination. A hot axle may lead to fire due to friction, a press release from the railways said.

Appreciating the efforts of the pointsman, divisional railway manager U Subba Rao handed over Rs 1,000 in cash along with a certificate of appreciation acknowledging Asokans exemplary dedication, the release said.