Udaipur-Ahmedabad railway track blast UPDATE: First train passes through repaired line

Udaipur-Ahmedabad railway track blast UPDATE: First train (goods train) passes through the repaired line at 9:20am, reports ANI.

Image Source: Twitter

A heart-wrenching incident took place on November 13, when an explosion took place on the Udaipur-Ahmedabad railway track. Following the incident, the train services on the route were disrupted temporarily. However, today, the first train (a goods train) ran on the Udaipur-Ahmedabad rail route at 9:20 am this morning after the explosion on the broad gauge line track that occurred on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday. Train movement on the Udaipur-Ahmedabad rail route was halted after the explosion occurred on the broad gauge line. The explosion, which was reported near the Oda railway bridge on the Slumber-Megha highway on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, caused damage to railway tracks.

Local villagers of the area said that they heard an explosion during night hours, after which the railways, police, and local administration authorities were informed. After a lot of effort by the railway staff, the track was repaired. North-Western Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Shashi Kiran said that the Railway completed the repair work of the railway track at 3:30 am last night.

"After the track was damaged in Ajmer div, the ATS team gave site clearance to North Western Railway at 11.30 pm last night. Taking swift action, engineers of NW Railway declared the track fit at 3.30 am," Kiran said. 

#WATCH | Rajasthan: A goods train passes through the railway track that was attempted to be damaged using a detonator, b/w Zawar-Kharwa Chanda in Udaipur-Himmatnagar section under Ajmer division y'day.

The track was declared fit after ATS team gave site clearance to NW Railway. pic.twitter.com/j8H93Q2VwR

— ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) November 14, 2022

As a precautionary measure, a trial run of a railway engine was done earlier. A train passed through the track about four hours before the explosion, they said. Officials said that they suspect it to be a conspiracy to blow up the track, and claimed to have initiated a probe into the same. 

Raj | A team of NSG arrives at the spot where a railway track was attempted to be damaged using a detonator, b/w Zawar-Kharwa Chanda in Udaipur-Himmatnagar section under Ajmer division y'day.

Track was declared fit earlier today after ATS team gave site clearance to NW Railway. pic.twitter.com/IkAGrvK4MQ — ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) November 14, 2022

ASP Udaipur ATS Anant Kumar also confirmed the incident over the phone and said that a probe into the incident is on. Following the incident, officials from Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), local police, and FSL rushed to the spot and launched an investigation. The incident occurred hardly a month before the G20 Summit. Soon after the incident came to light, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also took to Twitter, and wrote, "The incident of damage to rail tracks on the Oda railway bridge of the Udaipur-Ahmedabad route is worrying. Senior police and administration officials are on the spot, and the DG Police has been directed to the routes of this incident." 

"Railways will be provided all possible assistance for restoration of traffic on the bridge, and alternative arrangements are being made to ensure that the rail passengers of this route reach their destination," he said. DGP Umesh Mishra said that central investigation agencies have been roped in to carry out the investigation and nab those involved. "We are probing the matter in coordination with the railway authorities, and central investigation agencies have also been roped in to investigate the matter," Mishra said in a statement. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the broad gauge rail line between Udaipur and Ahmedabad on October 31. 

(With inputs from ANI)