Odisha passenger train detained after engine fire report near Khurda Road

Palasa-Cuttack MEMU was detained near Khurda Road station after a technical snag in its OHE, with preliminary reports suggesting an engine fire.

Updated on: Sep 3, 2026, 21:34:08 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty, Bhubaneswar

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A passenger train was detained near Khurda Road station in Odisha on Thursday evening after a technical snag in its overhead electric equipment (OHE) triggered panic among passengers, with preliminary reports suggesting a fire broke out in the train’s engine.

Odisha’s Palasa-Cuttack MEMU was detained after an engine fire was reported; railway teams rushed to Khurda Road to restore OHE equipment.

Train No. 68445 Palasa-Cuttack MEMU was affected while entering Platform 6 at Khurda Road station around 6pm, railway officials said. The train was shifted to the platform by 6.45pm.

Initial reports said the engine caught fire between Khurda and Retang stations, with at least four coaches suffering damage. The cause was suspected to be a short circuit, though officials had yet to confirm the exact reason. Railway teams were rushed to the spot to restore the overhead electrical equipment.

The incident sparked panic among passengers, some of whom got off the train and began walking towards the station. However, railway officials said train operations on the main lines at Khurda Road station remained unaffected. The MEMU is expected to resume its journey after another engine arrives.

“Train operations remain entirely normal on the main lines at Khurda Road station,” an official of East Coast Railway said.

“Main line traffic remains unaffected. Technical teams are already on site and OHE restoration steps are actively being undertaken to resolve the issue,” the official said.

The train is expected to resume its journey after another engine arrives, the official added.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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