Fire breaks out in Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express, rail traffic hit

A fire on the Rajdhani Express in Ratlam district prompted a swift evacuation, highlighting the importance of railway safety measures and causing temporary disruptions to train schedules on the Delhi-Mumbai route.

A fire broke out on a Rajdhani Express train heading from Thiruvananthapuram to New Delhi in Madhya Pradesh's Ratlam district on Sunday morning, damaging two coaches and affecting traffic on the Mumbai-Delhi route for several hours, officials said.While no casualties were reported in the fire, a van carrying repair and other equipment to the site later overturned in the district, injuring five railway staffers, they said.

Schedules of more than 10 trains on the Mumbai-Delhi route were affected due to damage caused to the overhead equipment in the incident. Rail traffic was later restored after more than seven hours, even as an investigation was underway into the cause of the blaze.

The Thiruvananthapuram-Hazrat Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express (train no. 12431) had departed from Ratlam Junction at around 3.45 am.

Quick Evacuation Averts Disaster

The blaze erupted at 5.15 am in the B-1 coach of the train between Vikramgarh Alot and Lunirichha stations under the Kota division of the railways and also damaged the luggage-cum-guard van behind the coach, West Central Railway's Chief Public Relation Officer Harshit Shrivastava told PTI over the phone.

The coach, carrying as many as 68 passengers, was evacuated within 15 minutes, and there were no casualties, officials said.

Railway authorities immediately switched off the overhead electric supply, and the fire was doused.

The affected coach was later detached from the rake, and the train headed for its onward journey at around 9.45 am, Shrivastava said.

It reached Kota at 1:15pm and left from the station at 2:30pm, officials said.

Arrangements were made to accommodate the passengers in other coaches for their onward journey up to Kota in Rajasthan, Kota railway PRO Ravindra Lakhara said.

Impact on Rail Traffic

Some trains were halted at different stations following the incident, and their movement was restored after more than seven hours, the officials said.

"The fire affected the movement of 13 passenger trains. The repair work of the overhead equipment on the (Delhi-bound) up line, on which the train caught fire, was completed around 1 pm. On the down Delhi-Mumbai line, it was done at 8.30 am," Lakhara said.

Divisional Railway Manager Ajay Kumar Kalra was monitoring the situation. A relief train and a tower wagon were sent for rescue and restoration work.

Response and Investigation

In a related incident, five railway staffers were injured, one of them critically, as a van carrying essential equipment for overhead electric line repair overturned on its way to Alot from Shyamnagar in Ratlam when a cow suddenly strayed into the middle of the road, they said.

The injured persons were rushed to the hospital and were subsequently referred to Kota in Rajasthan, officials said.

Meanwhile, affected passengers were given an initial compensation of Rs 5000 at Kota station for ticket fare as well as luggage damage, the amount being disbursed in envelopes.

However, several passengers refused to accept the amount and insisted on registration of an FIR regarding the loss of their belongings.

"I have lost my year's earnings as my luggage has been gutted. I have nothing in hand now," said a passenger travelling from Goa to Haryana.

She also alleged that the railway's rescue operation was poor, adding that she intended to get an FIR registered.

A passenger travelling from Maharashtra said his luggage items were reduced to ashes due to the "carelessness of the railways".

The passenger alleged that the railway staff first saved their parcels and courier items and then turned their attention towards the luggage of passengers.

Jain said a high-level inquiry has been ordered in to the fire incident.