Pune, Jun 29 (IANS): A major disaster was averted when the engine of the Hazrat Nizamuddin-Pune Duranto Express derailed after it was hit by a falling boulder in the treacherous Western Ghats Friday morning, an official said.

Six wheels of the engine jumped off the tracks on the impact. The boulder had rolled down from the hills between Thakurwadi and Monkey Hill areas on the Kalyan-Lonavala section of the Central Railway.

"There were no casualties. Other train services were not held up as a third alternative line was available and all trains were diverted to it," a Central Railway official said.

Another engine hauled away coaches of the affected train. The train resumed its journey to Pune at 10.35 a.m. while the derailed engine was brought onto the tracks an hour later.

Owing to the incident, the return service - 12263 Pune-Hazrat Nizamuddin Duranto Express - has been delayed by nearly eight hours and will now depart at 7.50 p.m. Friday instead of the scheduled time of 11.10 a.m., officials said.