In a major security breach, unidentified miscreants attempted to derail two trains — the Rajdhani Express and Kathgodam Express — by placing wooden blocks entangled with an earthing wire on the railway tracks in Uttar Pradesh’s Hardoi district. A potential tragedy was narrowly avoided thanks to the vigilance of the train drivers, who noticed the obstruction in time and safely brought the trains to a halt.
According to sources, the incident took place between Dalelnagar and Umartali stations on the Hardoi-Lucknow rail route, near kilometre marker 1129/14. The first sabotage attempt occurred around 5:45 PM on Monday, targeting the 20504 New Delhi–Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express en route to Lucknow. Miscreants had placed a wooden block tightly wedged into an iron earthing wire on the down track, intending to cause a derailment.
Fortunately, the train driver spotted the obstruction just in time and immediately applied the emergency brakes, bringing the train to a safe stop. He then removed the wooden block and earthing wire from the track and alerted the railway authorities. The Rajdhani Express resumed its journey after a delay of about ten minutes.
Shortly after the Rajdhani Express had passed, a similar attempt was made to derail the 15044 Kathgodam–Lucknow Express, which was following the same route. Using the same method, the miscreants placed obstructive materials on the track. However, the alert driver spotted the hazard in time, brought the train to a halt, removed the obstruction, and then proceeded safely toward Lucknow.
Both train drivers reported the incidents to the station master at Dalelnagar, prompting an immediate response from railway authorities. Teams from the Railway Department, Government Railway Police (GRP), Railway Protection Force (RPF), and local police quickly arrived at the scene and launched an investigation.
The attempted sabotage has caused concern within the railway department, although officials have yet to issue any official statement to the media. The matter remains under investigation, with efforts underway to identify and apprehend those responsible.
