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Gujarat: Another train derailment attempt thwarted, fishplates found removed from rail track
The Western Railway's Vadodara Division said services temporarily halted train movement on the track before resuming shortly afterward.
In another attempt to cause a train derailment, an unknown person removed fishplates and keys from a railway track near Kim Railway Station in Gujarat's Surat, news agency ANI reported citing the Western Railway's Vadodara Division officials.
According to Western Railway, the Vadodara division unidentified people opened the fishplate and some keys from the UP line track and put them on the same track near the Kim railway station.
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However service was soon restored.
“An unknown person opened the fish plate and removed some keys from the UP line track, placing them on the same track near Kim Railway Station, which led to the suspension of train movement. The service was quickly restored,” Western Railway, Vadodara Division said.
Fishplates are specialised rolled sections used to connect railway rails end to end with the help of fish bolts. The term “fishplate” is derived from the shape of this fitting, which resembles a fish.
Railway ground staff acted swiftly to address the situation, clearing the obstruction and allowing train movement to resume.
Recent incidents of attempts to derail trains
On September 8, an attempt was made to derail a loaded goods train in Rajasthan's Ajmer district by placing two cement blocks on the tracks of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor. Railway officials reported that a goods train struck the blocks, each weighing about 70 kg, but fortunately, no serious incidents occurred.
The event took place between Saradhna and Bangad stations along the Phulera-Ahmedabad stretch of the corridor. A freight corridor official stated that a case has been filed, and the matter is under investigation.
In a related incident, a major train accident was narrowly avoided when an alert loco pilot stopped the Bhiwani-Prayagraj Kalindi Express after it hit an LPG cylinder placed on the tracks in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur. Police also found a bottle of petrol and matchboxes at the site, suggesting an attempted sabotage.
This incident occurred around 8.20 pm on September 8 while the Bhiwani-bound train was traveling at high speed. An FIR has been lodged, and various agencies, including Uttar Pradesh's Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and the NIA, have formed teams to investigate.
Last month, twenty coaches of the Ahmedabad-bound Sabarmati Express derailed near Govindpuri station in Kanpur after the engine struck an “object placed on the track.” Officials indicated that agencies were looking into the potential involvement of anti-social elements in that incident.
