The New Alipurduar-bound Padatik Express (12377 Up) that had departed from Sealdah on Wednesday night stood at the Raninagar-Jalpaiguri railway station for around three hours on Thursday morning as its electric locomotive stopped working.
With passengers on board having to face the delay, many de-boarded and took buses from Raninagar to reach their respective destinations.
Sources said that the train departed from New Jalpaiguri (NJP) and was heading towards the Jalpaiguri Road station, its next scheduled stop, where it was supposed to reach at 10.03am.
However, soon after it crossed the Belacoba station between NJP and Jalpaiguri Road stations, the engine started malfunctioning. Eventually, the loco pilot stopped the train at Raninagar-Jalpaiguri station around 9.50am.
“The engine stopped working and the train halted at the station. Later, another locomotive was brought from the NJP that hauled the train to New Alipurduar,” said Biplab Dutta, a Railway Protection Force (RPF) inspector at the Jalpaiguri Road station.
As the news spread, railway officials and RPF personnel reached Raninagar-Jalpaiguri station to monitor the situation.
In due course, another loco reached the station from NJP. Finally, at 1.03pm, the train left for New Alipurduar. It reached New Alipurduar at 3.23pm, two hours and 58 minutes late.
“There was an adequate water supply in the coaches. Public announcements were made regularly. RPF personnel were deployed at the station during the entire time,” said K.K. Sharma, the chief public relations officer of the NFR.