In yet another shocking incident concerning railways, a gas cylinder was found on the railway track in Kanpur Dehat district of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday (September 22). The incident took place at 6.09 am on the Delhi-Howrah rail route, close to Maharajpur's Prempur station. A major train accident was averted as the loco pilot of the goods train pulled the brakes after sighting the object placed on the way.
The goods train was en route from Kanpur towards Prayagraj via the loop line when the loco pilot noticed a small gas cylinder placed in the middle of the tracks. Promptly applying the brakes, the train was brought to a halt, preventing any potential derailment or accident.
The local police and railway authorities were informed, who visited the site immediately. A thorough investigation into the incident is underway.
This marks the third such incident in recent times in Kanpur. Just a few days ago, near the Panki industrial area, the engine and 20 coaches of the Sabarmati Express derailed. An FIR was lodged against unknown individuals in that case.
Another such incident yesterday
In another alleged attempt to derail train in the country, a major incident came to light in which fish plates and keys on the railway tracks were removed near Gujarat’s Surat, which could lead to another rail derailment, officials said on Saturday (September 21). The incident took place early morning near Kosamba Junction railway station in Surat when a trackman went to inspect the track around 5 am.
“On September 21, when a trackman went to inspect the track around 5:00 AM, he saw that the fish plates on the track had been removed, and the keys were kept on the railway track,” officials said.
The incident was reported to the station master and RPF (Railway Protection Force), and the track was quickly repaired to ensure that train operations were not disrupted, they informed.
According to the railways, the timely information prevented train movement on the track, averting a major accident.
"Some unknown person opened the fish plate and some keys from the UP line track and put them on the same track near Kim railway station after which the train movement was stopped. Soon the train service started on the line," Western Railway, Vadodara Division said.
Similar incidents elsewhere
On September 18, at 10:18 pm, the loco pilot of train number 12091, traveling from Bilaspur Road towards Rudrapur in Uttarakhand, spotted the iron rod on the tracks between km 43/10-11. Reacting swiftly, the driver applied the emergency brakes, halting the train in time to avoid a potential disaster. After ensuring the area was safe, the crew removed the pole and resumed the journey without further incident.
(With inputs from Anamika Gaur)
