The Railway Ministry has reported three attempted train derailments and two instances of stone-pelting over the past week, underscoring a rising trend of criminal activity that has become a significant concern. Officials noted that a collision on Sunday evening in Kanpur, where a train struck a cooking cylinder on the tracks, did not result in serious harm due to the loco pilot’s prompt use of emergency brakes.
Authorities found petrol and matches at the scene, suggesting criminal intent. This follows a recent video from Pakistan-based terrorist Farhatullah Ghori, who called for large-scale train derailments and urged attacks on infrastructure to disrupt supply chains.
Since June last year, there have been at least 17 incidents involving potential hazards on the tracks, such as pieces of wood, stones, signal tampering, and gas cylinders. Additionally, unauthorized track use by social media influencers has been reported.
Railway Protection Force (RPF) has filed cases and apprehended some suspects, with heightened focus on monitoring tracks in sensitive areas. “It’s a tough task, but every effort is being made to avoid any mishap,” said a railway official. Some apprehended suspects are juveniles.
– September 5: A major accident was narrowly avoided near Kurduwadi station in Solapur when a fouling mark slab was intentionally placed on the tracks. The alert loco pilot managed to stop the train in time, and an investigation is underway.
– August 23: The Sabarmati-Jodhpur Vande Bharat train hit a stone placed on the track.
– August 20: A goods train collided with a motorbike rim on the Dedicated Freight Corridor.
– August 18: An engine of a passenger train in Jabalpur collided with half a dozen iron rods placed on the track.
Besides these incidents, there have been multiple instances of stone-pelting, especially targeting Vande Bharat Express trains.
