Thrissur: The timely detection of a crack on the railway track near Mullurkkara on the Shoranur-Ernakulam route just before the Kannur-Alleppey Executive train was to cross the stretch averted an accident on Sunday.
According to officials, a one-inch-long crack was detected by the gangman during a routine inspection around 9 a.m. and he immediately stopped the approaching train some 40 metres from the spot by waving a red flag.
Following this, the workers spread the red flag across the track while the movement of trains was disrupted for nearly an hour.
The railway authorities carried out emergency repairs and the train was allowed to travel at a slow speed over the damaged portion.
Railway officials attributed the crack to seasonal factors and said that fissure in rail joints was a common phenomenon during winter as the heat during day time would cause expansion of the metal while it would contract at night.
