Central Railway Pune division lodge FIRs against miscreants trying to derail trains

Alert railway officials have foiled five attempts by unidentified suspects to derail trains in the last eight months, Central Railway Pune division (CRPD) officials said.

The incidents are related to Nagpur-Pune Express, Hyderabad-Mumbai Express and some local and passenger trains with occupancy of over 95 per cent.

According to the railway officials, an attempt to derail the Hyderabad-Mumbai Express was made in May when unidentified individuals deliberately placed a block of iron on the tracks. When the train’s loco pilot noticed the block, he immediately applied emergency brakes, thus preventing an accident, the official spokesperson of the CRPD said.

The spokesperson said, “The locals living in the nearby villages often indulge in acts like these with the intent of thefts after the train derailment. We have lodged FIR with the police in each of the cases happened so far. As these incidents usually take place in the night and in isolated places, it becomes difficult for us to identify the culprits.”

Railway officials said in another incident of a similar kind, the loco pilot of the Nagpur-Pune Express noticed 20 iron rods placed on the tracks. The emergency brakes were applied and rods removed, averting a mishap.

Besides express trains, attempts were also made to derail local trains that run between Lonavla and Pune and a few other passenger trains passing through the CRPD.