Katihar: A major rail accident was averted on Tuesday in Bihar's Katihar district when a key man spotted the fractured rail track and alerted the loco pilot just before the New Delhi-Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express was to pass.

According to East Central Railway spokesperson Rajesh Kumar, key man Shivnandan spotted a damaged track around 8 a.m. between Mansi-Maheshkhunt in Katihar district.

"After detecting the rail fracture he placed a detonator on the track and ran with banner flag to stop the train," Kumar told IANS.

The alert pilot of the New Delhi-Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express, upon seeing the red banner flag, stopped the train much before the point where the track was damaged.

The ECR official said the train proceeded after the fractured rail was repaired by the engineering staff of the railways.

"An enquiry committee of officers has been nominated," he added.