Mumbai:
Railway officials and staffers were thrown into a tizzy after the ghost engine of the Devagiri Express rolled out of the main line platforms at CST around 10.30 am on Wednesday, where its driver had left it unattended earlier. It trundled on for about 200 mt in the northern direction.
A worker who witnessed the incident said it was "bizarre and scary". "I was left wondering what was going on," admitted another.
It took a while for the onlookers to gather their wits and, soon, efforts began to halt the train before it could cause any damage.
"The crossover point, where the train changes tracks, was a short distance away. It was locked to stop the train," a railway official said. "The engine ground to a halt at this crossover point, which got a bit damaged in the bargain."
"The entire drama was caused by the diesel train driver of the Devagiri Express," said a railway source.
"After the train pulled into CST, the rakes were detached and sent to the yard for cleaning but the driver forgot to block the engine with a wooden stopper, as is usually done to prevent it from moving."
Besides, the engine was kept on and the driver had left it unattended, the source said. Railway officials said an inquiry has been ordered into the incident.
Four long-distance trains, which were supposed to terminate at CST, had to be terminated at Dadar instead. Services were disrupted between 9.30 am and 1.20 pm on platforms 14 to 17.