Cement Blocks Used In Attempt To Derail Rajasthan Train, Major Accident Averted

Unidentified miscreants attempted to derail a goods train in Rajasthan's Ajmer district by putting cement blocks on tracks, railway officials said on Tuesday.

The Ajmer-Ahmedabad train's engine hit the cement blocks, shattered them and passed through. 

The loco pilot informed the railway police who reached the spot and inspected the track. They found blocks of cement on the spot. Police say the two cement blocks weighed 70 kg each.

"On September 8, at around 10:30 pm, information was received that a cement block was kept on the track. When we reached the spot, the cement blocks were broken and fallen. One kilometer ahead, another block was broken and kept on the side. Both the blocks were kept at different places," the FIR reads.

"Some miscreants put two cement blocks on tracks on the dedicated freight corridor on Sunday. A goods train hit them," a North Western Railway official told news agency PTI.

The incident occurred between Saradhna and Bangad stations of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor on the Phulera-Ahmedabad stretch.

A case has been registered and the matter is under investigation. Police say they are searching for the accused. 

This comes a day after there was an attempt to derail the Bhiwani-Prayagraj Kalindi Express in Kanpur. Miscreants placed an LPG cylinder, a bottle of petrol and matchboxes on the tracks.

More trains targetted

On August 23, the Ahmedabad-Jodhpur Vande Bharat train collided with a cement block. After colliding with the cement block, the  train stopped for a long time.

On the same night, a case was registered against an unknown person in connection with cement blocks being placed between Jawai and Birolia of Sumerpur. Chief Public Relations Officer of North-Western Railway Captain Shashi Kiran said that due to this incident the train was halted for eight minutes. 

On August 28, a chassis of a motorcycle was found on the railway track in Rajasthan's Baran district. An accident was averted after the driver applied emergency brakes.