A major accident was narrowly averted when a speeding dumper truck broke through the railing of an overbridge and plunged nearly 25 feet onto a railway track near Budhwal Railway Station on the Barabanki–Gonda route in Uttar Pradesh. At the same time, the Amritsar–Saharsa Garib Rath Superfast Express (12204) was passing on the adjacent track.
A large stone from the bridge fell along with the dumper and struck the roof of coach G2, shattering its windows and causing significant damage to the roof. The loud impact triggered panic among passengers, many of whom rushed out after the emergency halt, police said on Thursday.
According to officials, the dumper, carrying plywood, was en route from Sitapur to Bihar via the Ramnagar–Fatehpur road when the driver lost control around 9:30 pm on Wednesday. The vehicle broke through the bridge barrier and crashed onto the railway track below, damaging overhead electric lines and bending electric poles.
The loco pilot, alerted by the massive noise and impact, applied emergency brakes and stopped the train. Fortunately, no passengers were injured.
The dumper’s driver, Pankaj Kumar of Gonda, was trapped inside the crushed cabin. After nearly two hours of rescue efforts, emergency teams cut open the vehicle to pull him out. He was rushed to the district hospital in serious condition.
Railway Safety Officer Shilpi Kanaujia, police teams, firefighters, and local residents reached the site and began rescue and restoration operations immediately.
The damaged windows of the G2 coach were replaced, the dumper was removed from the tracks, and the electric system was repaired.
Rail traffic remained disrupted for almost six hours, affecting 24 trains. After replacing the locomotive and ensuring safety checks, the Garib Rath Express resumed its journey toward Bihar at around 3:30 am on Thursday.
Passengers described moments of fear and confusion. One Abhishek Chaudhary said the entire coach shook violently when the stone hit, causing children to scream in panic. Another passenger, Manohar Singh, said the train had just crossed Barabanki when a blast-like noise came from the overbridge. A third passenger, Ajay Prakash Gupta, recalled that he initially feared a derailment due to the strong jolt.
SP Barabanki Arpit Vijayvargiya confirmed that the truck’s fall caused the stone to land on the train’s roof, but reiterated that no passengers were harmed. Railway teams continue to clear residual debris from the track.
Authorities said train operations on the affected section have now been restored.