Alert Loco Pilots Foil Train Sabotage Attempts In Uttar Pradesh's Ballia And Mirzapur

A spate of sabotage attempts in multiple cities across Uttar Pradesh and other states has triggered worries about railway security.

The latest incident occurred on Saturday in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, where miscreants tried to derail the Lucknow-Chhapra Express by placing a large stone between Bakulha and Manjhi stations.

The Lucknow-Chhapra Express, which left Ballia at around 9 am on Saturday, collided with the stone around 300 meters before reaching Manjhi Bridge at around 10.40 am.

The train was reportedly travelling at a speed of about 100 kilometres when the locomotive pilot noticed the stone on the tracks.

Despite applying emergency brakes, the train’s safety guard hit the stone, shattering it into pieces.

Fortunately, the train remained on the rails and no injuries were reported.

The loco pilot quickly notified officials at Manjhi station, and after a safety inspection, the train resumed its journey towards Chhapra.

Teams from the Railway Protection Force (RPF) in Ballia and Chhapra, along with the RPF Crime Branch and local police, initiated an investigation into the incident.

While it remains unclear how large the stone was, police reported finding scrape marks on the track where the engine had hit the stone.

Earlier on Saturday, a similar incident took place near Jivnathpur Railway Station in Mirzapur district.

Around 5 am, the driver of a goods train bound for Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Junction noticed a fire extinguisher placed between the tracks.

The driver promptly applied emergency brakes and brought the train to a halt.

The fire extinguisher was later recovered by an RPF team, allowing the train to proceed with its journey.

Taking note of the rise in train sabotage attempts, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had earlier last week said that strict action will be taken against those trying to cause rail accidents.

"Indian Railways is actively collaborating with state governments, director generals of police (DGPs), and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to identify and apprehend the accused," Vaishnaw had said.

Notably, the NIA is a Central Counter-Terrorism Law Enforcement Agency in India. The involvement of NIA in train sabotage attempts shows that the Railways is also exploring terror angle.

Speaking to the media in Jaipur on 24 September, Vaishnaw emphasised that the railway administration is on high alert and taking these threats seriously.

"Anyone found attempting to cause accidents will face strict action. The railway administration is working with heightened vigilance. Railway Protection Force (RPF) is also active," he stated.

Vaishnaw further explained that his ministry is coordinating with various railway zones to thoroughly investigate these incidents and prevent future occurrences.

The minister's comments follow a series of incidents where train drivers encountered hazardous objects placed on tracks, seemingly intended to derail trains or endanger passengers' lives.

For instance, on 22 September, a goods train driver traveling from Kanpur to Prayagraj narrowly avoided disaster by stopping the train after spotting a gas cylinder on the track.

On the same day, two more incidents came to light where iron rods were kept on railway tracks in Punjab's Bathinda and railway detonators were found on tracks in Madhya Pradesh's Ratlam.

Additionally, on 21 September, unidentified individuals tampered with a railway track in Uttar Pradesh, removing a fishplate and key. Thanks to the vigilance of railway worker Subhash Kumar, upcoming trains were halted.

On 10 September, the Indian Railways said that there have been 18 attempts to derail trains nationwide since August, India Today reported.

Since June 2023, a total of 24 such incidents have occurred, with objects like LPG cylinders, bicycles, iron rods, and cement blocks being found on rail tracks.

According to the Railways, of the 18 incidents till 10 September, 15 took place in August and three in September.

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