An investigation has been launched into a suspected act of sabotage following a dangerous incident involving the Nainpur Jabalpur train 05706. The train’s engine collided with an iron rod that had been deliberately placed on the tracks near Kachhpura station, which lies on the boundary between the Jabalpur and Nagpur divisions.
Fortunately, despite the collision, the train did not derail, averting what could have been a catastrophic accident. Railway authorities, in their swift response, recovered three iron rods, each approximately 15 feet in length, from the site, which are now part of the ongoing investigation.
Journalist Rahul Shivshankar brought attention to the incident via a post on X, highlighting the suspected sabotage. He noted, “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.”
This incident follows closely on the heels of another troubling event involving the Sabarmati Express (19168), where 22 coaches derailed in the early hours of August 17 near Govindpuri station in Kanpur. The manner in which the tracks were tampered with strongly suggests a deliberate attempt to derail the train, potentially aiming to cause maximum casualties. While the derailment occurred, there were no fatalities, though the situation has raised alarms within the railway community and among security agencies.
In response to the Sabarmati Express derailment, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw revealed that the train’s engine had collided with a heavy object placed on the tracks. Investigators, including teams from the Intelligence Bureau (IB), are currently probing the incident, particularly since another train, the Patna Express, had safely passed over the same tracks just 1 hour and 20 minutes prior, indicating that the sabotage was likely executed within that brief window.
This is not an isolated case. In October last year, a major tragedy was narrowly avoided when vigilant railway crew members discovered large rocks deliberately placed on tracks. On October 2nd, the driver of the Vande Bharat Express, traveling from Udaipur to Jaipur, averted disaster by engaging the emergency brakes when he noticed stones and fish plates intentionally left on the tracks, in what appeared to be another sabotage attempt.
Earlier in February 2022, a similar incident was reported on the Ahmedabad-Bhavnagar route, where an attempt to derail a train was thwarted due to the alertness of railway staff who noticed that a significant number of clips, which secure the tracks to the sleepers, had been removed.
In a more severe case, in November 2022, an explosion occurred on a bridge along the Udaipur-Ahmedabad railway line. The blast, clearly an act of sabotage, left the track with multiple cracks, and gunpowder was later found at the scene, further confirming the malicious intent behind the act.
Such sabotage attempts are not a new phenomenon. Back in 2017, the then Railways Minister, Suresh Prabhu, disclosed that there had been 18 attempts to sabotage railways within a span of just 40 days. These attempts ranged from placing boulders, concrete slabs, stone slabs, or rail pieces on tracks to cause derailments, to seven instances of attempted blasts aimed at disrupting rail operations. Thanks to the vigilance of railway officials, these plots were foiled, but the incidents underscore the persistent threat to the safety of India’s railways.
As the current investigation into the Nainpur Jabalpur train incident unfolds, it highlights the ongoing risks and challenges that Indian Railways faces in safeguarding its extensive network from deliberate acts of sabotage. The pattern of these incidents suggests a troubling trend that demands heightened security measures and vigilant monitoring to prevent future tragedies.
