Amid the ongoing investigation into an attempted sabotage that led to the derailment of 20 coaches of the Sabarmati Express near Govindpuri station in Kanpur on August 17, followed by another alarming case of a deliberate train derailment attempt involving a Jodhpur-bound Vande Bharat train, a fresh case of a train derailment attempt has been reported from Rajasthan.
According to officials, the incident occurred on the night of August 29 when an unidentified person placed bike scrap on the railway track near Chachauda village in the Chhabra area on the Kota-Bina railway line in Rajasthan, leading to a collision with a goods train passing through the track. Officials said that while the incident could have led to a major accident, it was due to the attentiveness of the goods train pilot, Vinod Meena, that disaster was averted. The officials said that the goods train pilot stopped the train by applying emergency brakes, thereby preventing a major accident.
Investigation underway
Significantly, the Rajasthan Police, along with Indian Railways, are looking for information on who placed the bike scrap on the railway track, that could lead to the damage of life and property.
Moreover, in connection with the case, efforts are also being made to trace the owner based on the chassis number written on the bike scrap. However, it is speculated that this scrap was picked up from junk that had been dumped on the railway track, or that it was the scrap of a bike lying near the railway track after an old accident. Further details are being investigated.
Vande Bharat train narrowly escapes derailment after cement block placed on track
Earlier, on the night of August 23, a Jodhpur-bound Vande Bharat train struck a cement block deliberately placed on the railway track near Pali district. Although a major accident was narrowly avoided, the cement block caused damage to the Vande Bharat train, endangering the lives of around 375 passengers on board at the time.
Significantly, the train was halted briefly after the collision, but it continued to its destination after the driver and guard inspected the engine and train and confirmed it was functioning normally.
While no serious injuries were reported, the authorities took the incident seriously and registered a case against an unknown person. Sumerpur police station SHO Bharat Singh Rawat stated that a report was submitted on August 24 by Senior Section Engineer Falna Pawan Kumar, which indicated that an unidentified individual had placed a concrete block on the down line with the intent to cause an accident, potentially resulting in loss of life and damage to railway property.
The report further stated that on August 23, the station master of Jawai Dam railway station reported that an unknown person had placed a cement block between Jawai Dam and Biroliya (OHI Most 513/10-8). The Vande Bharat train passing through the junction immediately collided with it, causing damage to the train's rail guard. Upon investigation, a cement block was found on the tracks.
(With inputs from Anamika)
READ MORE | Vande Bharat train narrowly escapes derailment after cement block placed on track in Rajasthan's Pali
