Coimbatore : A traffic staff in Samalpatti in Salem railway division was on Monday rewarded for timely detection at a hot axle in a freight train and thus averting a major fire.

S Asokan, a points man, informed the station superindent of Samalpatti about the brake binding in the freight train passing through Samalpatti, carrying coal to Mettur dam on May 26,

The train on reaching the next station Dasampatti was checked by guard and the loco pilot. They detached the 13th wagon found to have the hot axle whose friction could lead to fire.

Appreciating the timely efforts of the points man who saved railway assets, Divisional Railway Manager U Subba Rao handed over a reward of Rs 1,000 along with a certificate of appreciation.