On Monday (October 2), the driver of the Udaipur-Jaipur bound Vande Bharat Express averted a major mishap by applying the emergency brake to foil a potential derailing attempt. As per official information, the crew onboard the Vande Bharat Express noticed that stones and fish plates were kept on the railway track.
A video, possibly shot by railway employees, is doing rounds on the internet in which the stones on railway tracks and rods fixed in plates can be clearly seen.
This could have been disastrous !!
— Saurabh • A Railfan 🇮🇳 (@trains_of_india) October 2, 2023
Well Planned Derailment of Udaipur – Jaipur Vande Bharat Express near Bhilwara.
When hate towards a particular political party changes into hate towards nation this is the result, God bless people with such mentality#VandeBharatExpress pic.twitter.com/NzkOCtJNNu
#WATCH | Sabotage attempt on Udaipur-Jaipur #VandeBharat express foiled as vigilant #locopilots applied emergency breaks after spotting ballast and vertical rods of one feet each on railway tracks.#BREAKING #Udaipur #Jaipur pic.twitter.com/1GKC4zRCtg
— Free Press Journal (@fpjindia) October 2, 2023
Notably, the incident raised concerns of possible sabotage. It took place at around 9:53 AM between Gangrar and Soniana railway stations in the Chittorgarh district of Rajasthan. Following the incident, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) registered a case under the Railways Act.
Regarding the incident, a railway official said, “As the train passed Gangrar, Loco Pilot Mubarak Husain observed an alarming sight on the tracks – two iron rods, each approximately one foot long, were maliciously placed on the rails.”
The official added, “These iron rods were affixed to a joggle plate, a component used for connecting railway tracks. Additionally, stones had been deliberately stacked on the rails, posing a grave danger to the passengers on board.”
The official assured that an FIR has been registered in this case and a comprehensive investigation will be conducted to hold the culprit responsible for this act of sabotage.
“An FIR has been registered against the unknown accused at the Gangrar GRP police station under the relevant section of IPC, and a comprehensive investigation is underway to identify and apprehend the culprits responsible for this act of sabotage,” the railway official said.
After getting the information, DSC Ajmer, IPF Bhilwara, PWI Gangarar, local Police, and GRP officials visited the spot.
Taking to X, the North Western Railway zone issued an official statement saying, “Today, in front of Vande Bharat Express going from Jaipur to Udaipur, between Gangrar and Soniana stations, anti-social elements have tried to damage the train by placing stones and iron rods on the railway track. Strictest action is being taken by the Railway Administration against anti-social elements and the culprits will not be spared.”
आज जयपुर से उदयपुर जाने वाली वंदे भारत एक्सप्रेस के सामने गंगरार और सोनियाना स्टेशनों के मध्य असामाजिक तत्वों द्वारा रेल ट्रैक पर पत्थर और लोहे की रॉड रखकर गाड़ी को नुकसान पहुंचाने की कोशिश की गई है।
— North Western Railway (@NWRailways) October 2, 2023
रेलवे प्रशासन द्वारा असामाजिक तत्वों के खिलाफ कड़ी से कड़ी कार्रवाई की जा रही… pic.twitter.com/zloiYGz5uI
The Udaipur-Jaipur bound Vande Bharat Express was recently introduced by the North-Western Railways Ajmer Division. On 24 September, PM Modi virtually flagged off its inaugural run.
Meanwhile, this Vande Bharat is covered under the “14-minute miracle” scheme which was launched on October 1 at Terminal Stations across Indian Railways as part of the ‘Swachhata-Hi-Seva’ campaign.
