Another Bid To Derail Train, Cement Blocks Found On Tracks In Rajasthan

Speaking on the attempt to derail a goods train in freight corridor, an official said that a case has been registered and the matter is under investigation.

Police personnel inspect one of the cement blocks which was allegedly placed Sunday on the tracks of Western Dedicated Freight Corridor, as an attempt to derail a loaded goods train, in Ajmer, Tuesday, Sept 10, 2024. (PTI Photo)

An attempt to derail a goods train was made in Rajasthan's Ajmer district by putting two cement blocks on tracks of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor. Railway officials said on Tuesday that a goods train did hit the blocks, weighing around 70 kg each, but nothing untoward occurred. This is a second such attempt in two days. On Monday, a similar attempt was made in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur.

"Some miscreants put two cement blocks on tracks on the dedicated freight corridor on Sunday. A goods train hit them," a North Western Railway official said, as quoted by news agency PTI.

The incident occurred between Saradhna and Bangad stations of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor on the Phulera-Ahmedabad stretch. Speaking on the derailment attempt, a freight corridor official said that a case has been registered and the matter is under investigation.

Speaking to news agency PTI, Ajmer Rural SP Deepak Kumar said, "The incident happened on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday. We received the information on the next day. The police reached the spot. Prima facie, it appears that somebody had put cement blocks on the track, a goods train was damaged. A case has been registered, the investigation is on. Action will be taken. There might be involvement of more than one person".

VIDEO | "The incident happened on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday. We received the information on the next day. The police reached the spot. Prima facie, it appears that somebody had put cement blocks on the track, a goods train was damaged. A case has been registered,… pic.twitter.com/kUO0QqOq7K

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 10, 2024

The report of the incident comes a day after an attempt to derail the Bhiwani-Prayagraj Kalindi Express was made in Kanpur by placing an LPG cylinder on tracks, along with a bottle of petrol and matchboxes. In Kanpur, the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terror Squad swiftly arrived at the scene to examine the site of the collision. 

Passengers aboard the Prayagraj-Bhiwani Kalindi Express were fortunate to escape unharmed this morning when the train struck a cylinder placed on the tracks at a crossing in Kanpur's Meduri village. Railway tracks were inspected, and all possibilities were considered.

Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) Inspector General Nilabja Chaudhary, accompanied by a police contingent, conducted a thorough inspection of the railway tracks.

However, he declined to provide specifics regarding the suspected plot. He assured that findings from the preliminary investigation would be communicated to the media in due course. The event happened at around 8 AM, and it sparked speculation about a deliberate conspiracy and sabotage. The cylinder was strategically placed near the Munderi village crossing, situated between the Barrajpur and Bilhaur stations on the Kanpur-Kasganj route.

(With PTI Inputs)