The incidents of derailment of trains have increased massively in the recent past in India. The Rail Ministry recently took cognizance of the upsurge in such incidents or deliberate conspiracies to derail the train and noted that in the past week, three attempts of the train derailment and two incidents of stone pelting at trains have come, causing alarm. The authorities also indicated that these incidents happening in series in different parts of the country pointed to the criminal intent of miscreants.
As a result of this, the Indian Railways and probing agencies are investigating multiple sabotage attempts to derail trains. Terrorist involvement in the matter is also being looked into. This is especially after two dangerous attempts of train derailment were averted avoiding any major mishap, one in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, and the other one in Ajmer, Rajasthan.
As reported earlier, in Ajmer, cement blocks weighing one quintal were placed on the railway track for about 1 kilometre. The blocks were placed between two places, Saradhna and Bangad Gram station. However, the potential train accident was averted as the blocks broke and fell apart from the track. However, it is believed to be a deliberate attempt to derail the goods train.
Further, in Kanpur, a similar potential major train accident was averted after the loco pilot applied emergency brakes while listening to the sound of a gas cylinder hitting the train. The gas-filled cylinder was placed on the track deliberately to derail or damage the Kalindi Express (14117) which was travelling on the Anwarganj-Kasganj route.
The Rail authorities and the police investigated the matter and found a petrol-filled glass bottle, a matchbox, and a suspicious bag from the route. During the investigation, marks of rubbing of an iron-like object were also found on the track.
A major accident was averted near Kanpur in NER zone when, at 20.30 hrs Train Manager 14117 (PRYJ- BNW) reported taht LP 14117 that one cooking cylinder was on track at km 37/8-9 between BJR- UTP & dashed with Loco no. 30071. TM & ALP searched cylinder but nothing was found.… pic.twitter.com/W3G3UFh8cQ
— Anand Narasimhan🇮🇳 (@AnchorAnandN) September 9, 2024
List of deliberate attempts to derail trains reported in the recent past
It is crucial to note that such incidents are upsurging raising concerns regarding the safety of the passengers traveling through the railways. As per the reports, around 18 such derailment incidents have been reported in the past 40-50 days.
On 19th July, 3 were killed and 19 were reported injured after 21 coaches of the Chandigarh-Dibrugarh Express derailed near Motiganj in Gonda, 150 km from Lucknow. The train was travelling to Assam when the local pilot reported having heard a loud sound near Jhilahi Railway Station provoking him to apply emergency brakes. As per the reports, the loco pilot saw overhead electric wires swinging wildly after which he applied emergency brakes. Of 22 coaches, 8 were fully derailed and the rest were partially off the track.
On 1st August, a YouTuber identified as Gulzar Sheikh could be seen placing various items on railway tracks, including cycles, soaps, stones, and cylinders in the name of content creation. He placed such things on the track and uploaded videos on the internet to make money. The police had taken cognizance of the incident and arrested Sheikh for putting the lives of 1000s of passengers in danger. Sheikh’s channel has 2,35,000+ subscribers and has accumulated 13,70,44,393 views so far.
This is Mr Gulzar Sheikh from Lalgopalganj, UP who puts random things Infront of trains for YouTube Money, He is putting lives of 1000s of passengers in danger.
— Trains of India (@trainwalebhaiya) July 31, 2024
Strict action should be taken against him, @RailwayNorthern @rpfnr_ @drm_lko Sharing all the information Below👇 pic.twitter.com/g8ZipUdbL6
On the night of 17th August, the engine of the Sabarmati Express train derailed near Govindpuri station in Kanpur. Soon after, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed that the derailment took place because of an object placed on the railway track. It was later revealed by the investigative authorities that a broken piece of railway track was kept on the train line to cause an accident.
On the same day, Gagandeep Singh and 6 other Nihang Sikhs were booked after they attacked Head Constable Gurpreet Singh who was on duty at Kartarpur Railway Station in Punjab. The Nihang Sikhs attacked with swords resulting in 5-6 cuts on Gagandeep Singh.
Important Cases – Updated o… by itgd ed
On August 18, half a dozen iron rods placed on a railway track collided with the engine of a passenger train in Jabalpur. The rail authorities investigated the matter and stated that the miscreant attempted to steal the rods but left them on the track seeing the train approaching at high speed. The official said that besides placing foreign objects on tracks, there have been instances of stone pelting on trains, particularly on the Vande Bharat Express trains.
On 20th August, the Aligarh Railway Police charged one Afsan for deliberately placing an alloy wheel on the railway track to derail a moving train. The incident happened when the accused made a deliberate attempt to recreate the Kanpur rail accident that happened on August 17th.
#BreakingNow: अलीगढ़ में ट्रेन को डिरेल करने की साजिश का खुलासा.. पटरी पर एलॉय व्हील रखने वाले शख्स की पहचान हुई, अफसान नाम के युवक पर ट्रेन को डिरेल करने की साजिश का आरोप@jyotimishra999 #Aligarh #Railway #UPPolice pic.twitter.com/gNWFRRZv7X
— Times Now Navbharat (@TNNavbharat) August 22, 2024
On August 20th, train KN2733541 smashed with a motorbike rim, forcing the train engine to a halt between 07:40 and 07:45 am in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. An alloy wheel and a plastic bag were discovered in the bushes along the south side of the track. An FIR was filed at Rorawar Police Station under Section 150 of the Railway Act against unidentified persons.
Then on 22nd August, the Aligarh Railway Police charged one Afsan for deliberately placing an alloy wheel on the railway track to derail a moving train. The incident happened on Tuesday, 20th August when the accused made a deliberate attempt to recreate the Kanpur rail accident that happened on August 17th.
On the 23rd of August night, the Farrukhabad Express running between Kasganj and Farrukhabad narrowly averted a major accident after coming in contact with a wooden log placed on the railway track. As per reports, the train experienced a sudden jolt, forcing the loco pilot to apply emergency brakes and bring the train to a halt. It was later discovered that the wooden log had stuck to the train’s engine.
In Farrukhabad (UP), tree branches were placed on the railway track.
— Mr Sinha (@MrSinha_) August 24, 2024
A train was stuck in it but luckily no casualty reported…
So many such incidents are being reported. It can't be a coincidence… pic.twitter.com/eIFrmFblYx
On 23rd August, a piece of wood was placed on the railway track between Kayamganj and Shamshabad, causing train No. 05389 to be stopped at the incident site in Farrukhabad, Uttar Pradesh.
On inspection by RPF and other railway officials, it was found that mango wood, approximately 137 cm long, 20 cm in diameter, and weighing around 30 kg, was placed on the track leading to a potential train derailment. A police case under relevant sections of the Railway Act was filed against unknown persons in this case.
On 24th August, an unknown miscreant placed heavy stones on the railway track in Rajasthan’s Ajmer district. The stones were placed between the Jawaibandh and Biroliya regions with the intent to deliberately derail the train.
On 30th August, an iron rod was placed on the downline track between Chandan Nagar and Hafizpet railway station in Rangareddy, Telangana. An attempt was made to derail the train however, any major mishap was avoided and the train was delayed for just 10 minutes instead. The authorities then registered a case (Crime No. 1855/2024) under Sections 153 and 174 (b) of the Railway Act.
On 30th August, a total of 100 Pandrol clips were taken after being removed from the railway lines in Dalton Ganj-Kajri section, Palamu, Jharkhand. Based on the Senior Section Engineer’s written complaint, case 9/24 was filed against unknown persons under Section 3 of the Railway Act and Section 147 of the Indian Penal Code.
On September 4th, a joint inspection of the railway track revealed stone markings on both sides of the rail lines at Shivpuri and Padarkheda stations in Madhya Pradesh. The area had temporary walkways on both sides of the track, and there were no adjacent communities, level crossings, or underpasses. Stones appeared to have been put by an unknown person to facilitate a motorcycle crossing. Train number 01883 struck these stones, damaging the rail guard. A joint assessment of the railway track discovered collision marks on the stones on both sides of the railway line. A case has been filed under Sections 147, 154, and 174 of the Railway Act.
On September 4th, a fouling mark stone was discovered at Kurduwadi station in Solapur which caused the tower wagon to stop on the tracks. The fouling mark stone was 4 feet long, ½ feet wide, and weighed around 80-90 kg. CCTV footage from a nearby residence was examined, however the railway line and incident site were not captured by the camera. The GRP filed a complaint at Kurduwadi (complaint No. 98/2024) under sections 125, 126(2) BNS, and 147, 150(1)(a) of the Railway Act against an unknown person. RPF, GRP, and CIB/SUR are working together to arrest the offenders.
On 30th August, at around 08:10 morning, train No. MADV/Container came to a halt at the work site. A PSC sleeper placed next to the downline track slipped onto the track due to vibrations induced by the train. The sleeper became entangled with the train’s footboard. The loco pilot stopped the train and directed the field crew to remove the sleeper, following which the train continued.
Terrorist involvement in train derailment incidents
As reported earlier, the Indian authorities are currently reviewing train derailment incidents that transpired in the recent past after a video of a Pakistan-based Islamic terrorist, Farhatullah Ghori surfaced online. Notably, the Pakistani terrorist has posted a video on Telegram instigating his supporters to carry out large-scale train derailments in Delhi, Mumbai, and other Indian cities.
Inciting the Jihadis to interrupt the railway lines and their transportation system, Ghori said that it would cause havoc in India. The terror recruiter on the intelligence establishment’s most wanted list stated, “The government is targeting our properties through ED and NIA, but we will remain steadfast and usurp power sooner or later.” In the three-minute video, Ghori asked the mujahideen to launch an “ishtishadi jung” or “fidayeen war” against Hindu leaders and police.
Notably, the Farhatullah Ghori who was designated a terrorist in 2020 has been involved in several terror attacks in India. Ghori was the mastermind of the 2001 Akshardham Temple attack which left 30 dead and 80 injured, the 2004 suicide attack on the Task Force office in Hyderabad, and the 2023 Rameshwaram Café blast case. Terrorist Farhatullah Ghori is originally from Hyderabad, India.
