An investigation has been launched into a suspected act of sabotage after the engine of the Nainpur Jabalpur train 05706, collided with an extraneous iron rod placed on the track near Kachhpura station. The collision, however, did not result in the derailment of the train. The railway authorities have seized 3 iron rods of about 15 feet in length from the spot.
Taking to X, journalist Rahul Shivshankar informed about the incident and said, “Investigation launched into a suspected act of sabotage. The engine of the Nainpur Jabalpur train 05706, collides with an extraneous iron rod placed on the track near Kachhpura station (boundary of Jabalpur and Nagpur divisions). Fortunately, impact did not cause a derailment. This is the second such incident of alleged sabotage reported in two days. Rail minister had posted on X that twenty coaches of the Sabarmati Express passenger train derailed near Govindpuri station in Kanpur after the engine hit an “object placed on the track”. This is disquietening criminality.”
Breaking: investigation launched into a suspected act of sabotage.
— Rahul Shivshankar (@RShivshankar) August 20, 2024
The engine of the Nainpur Jabalpur train 05706, collides with an
extraneous iron rod placed on the track near Kachhpura station (boundary of Jabalpur and Nagpur divisions). Fortunately impact did not cause a… pic.twitter.com/JWr7CTbyRD
Multiple incidents of sabotage aimed at derailments
Just days before, it was reported that the probability of a terrorist conspiracy is increasing in the case of 22 coaches of Sabarmati Express (19168) derailing in the early hours of August 17 in Kanpur. The way the track was tampered with, it seems that there was a conspiracy to derail the train and cause maximum casualties. Although the train derailed, thankfully, there were no casualties.
After the accident, Minister Vaishnaw said that the train’s engine collided with some heavy object placed on the track. There are marks of collision on the engine and the IB is investigating it. At the same time, Railway officials said that there is a suspicion of conspiracy because Patna Express had passed through the same track 1 hour 20 minutes before the arrival of Sabarmati Express. The line was clear at that time.
Similar such incidents have been reported in the recent past. In October last year, it was reported that multiple large rocks had been placed on the tracks on purpose and a major tragedy was averted by vigilant railway crew. On 2nd October, the driver of the Vande Bharat Express travelling from Udaipur to Jaipur avoided a catastrophic event by pressing the emergency brake to thwart an attempted derailing plot. The Vande Bharat Express crew found that there were stones and fish plates left on the railway track.
In February 2022, it was reported that a deliberate attempt to derail a train on the route of Ahmedabad-Bhavnagar track was averted saving the lives of the locomotive pilot and a guard. The incident came to light when an alert railway employee informed the rail officials that a large number of clips that fasten the rail tracks had been separated from the concrete sleepers.
In November 2022, an explosion took place at a bridge on the Udaipur-Ahmedabad railway line as an attempt was made to blow up a railway bridge. Following the explosion, the railway track was left with multiple cracks, and gunpowder was later found on the spot.
Back in 2017, the then Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu had said that there were as many as 18 sabotage attempts against railways in the last 40 days. These attempts were made by placing boulders, concrete slabs, stone slabs or rail pieces on tracks to derail trains, but were foiled due to the vigilance of railway officials. He also mentioned that there were also as many as seven blast attempts carried out to sabotage the rail operations
