The locomotive pilot spotted the gas cylinder when he was asked to stop to let the other express train pass the section and immediately informed the control room
Multiple detonators were found on a railway track in an attempt to blow up the train carrying army personnel in Nepanagar of Madhya Pradesh’s Burhanpur district, officials said on Monday. The incident took place near the Sagphata railway station when the army’s special train was travelling from Jammu and Kashmir to Karnataka on September 18.
These were railway detonators typically used to produce sound during the foggy season. When a special army train passed over them, the locomotive pilot applied emergency brakes after hearing the sound and alerted the control.
The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), National Investigation Agency (NIA), railways, and local police are investigating the case.
Notably, these were expired detonators. The railways have procedures for disposing of expired detonators, so it is unclear how these detonators ended up on the tracks.
Third Train Derailment Attempt In Kanpur
In the third train derailment attempt near Kanpur this month, a gas cylinder was found on the rail tracks in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday. The incident occurred near Prempur railway station on the Delhi-Howrah rail line. The Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) promptly arrived at the scene, and an investigation is underway.
A freight train was running on the loop line from Kanpur towards Prayagraj when the incident took place. The locomotive pilot spotted the gas cylinder when he was asked to stop to let the other express train pass the section and immediately informed the control room.
“A goods train going from Kanpur towards Prayagraj was stopped using the emergency brakes after the driver spotted a gas cylinder lying on the tracks, at Prempur Station at 5:50 am today (September 22). Railway IOW (Inspector of work), security and other teams examined the cylinder and removed it from the tracks. Upon inspection, it was found that the 5-litre cylinder was empty. Directions have been given to investigate the matter,” CPRO North Central Railway said in a statement.
On September 9, the Kalindi Express, travelling from Prayagraj to Bhiwani in Haryana, hit a gas cylinder placed on the track near Kanpur. However, an accident was averted.
Another attempt at train derailment was thwarted on Saturday after the railway officials found and removed fish plates and keys from a railway track near Kim Railway Station in Surat, Gujarat.
Jan Shatabdi driver spots iron pole on tracks in Uttarakhand
On September 18, a potential train accident was averted in Uttarakhand after the loco pilot of the Naini Jan Shatabdi Express spotted an telephone pole on the tracks and applied emergency brakes. Officials alleged that it could be an act of sabotage.
According to the police, two drug addicts for allegedly placing the pole on the tracks. They were identified as Sandeep Chauhan alias Sunny and Vijender alias Tinku.
Police said they were both trying to steal the telephone pole, but left it on the tracks when they saw the train coming and fled. Both the accused are addicted to drugs and alcohol, they said.
They further said 16 criminal cases are registered against Chauhan, who is a resident of Bilaspur Road police station area in Rampur. There are two criminal cases against Vijender.
“On 18.09.24 at 22.18hrs, Loco Pilot of train number 12091 reported to Station Master/Rudrapur City that he found one 6 metre long iron pole on track between Bilaspur Road and Rudrapur City,” said a railway spokesperson, suggesting an act of sabotage to safe train operation. “The driver stopped the train to clear the track. He started the train safely afterwards.”
The spokesperson said a major tragedy was averted due to the alertness of the loco pilot.
(With PTI inputs)
