Kota (Rajasthan): A high-level inquiry has been ordered after a fire broke out in two rear coaches of the Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express on Sunday, a West Central Railway official said, adding that an additional coach will now be attached to the train to facilitate the onward journey of passengers.
Officials said that all passengers travelling in the affected coach were evacuated safely and no injuries or casualties were reported in the incident.
Following the fire, railway authorities have also launched a nationwide audit of fire-related systems installed in coaches and associated railway infrastructure to assess safety preparedness and prevent similar incidents in the future.
“At around 05:15 a.m., there was a fire in two rear coaches, which include one guard coach and one AC 3 Tier in Trivandrum-New Delhi Rajdhani 12431 near Nagda of Kota Division between Luni Richha (LNR) and Vikramgarh Alot (VMA),” West Central Railway Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Harshit Srivastava said in a statement.
Railway officials said all passengers from the affected coach were immediately deboarded safely.
“No injury or casualty to any passenger or railway staff,” the statement added.
According to railway authorities, the Overhead Equipment (OHE) power supply was immediately shut down after the fire was detected to prevent further danger, and the affected coach was removed.
“The OHE supply was cut immediately. The affected B-1 coach was detached from the rake. Railway employees and officers rushed to the spot and are engaged in fire-fighting operations,” Srivastava said.
He further stated that the built-in safety systems of the coach functioned promptly, leading to the automatic halt of the train soon after the incident occurred.
“The safety system in the coach immediately worked, and the train was automatically stopped. Further, the train crew immediately separated the rear two coaches,” he added.
Railway authorities also arranged refreshments for passengers affected by the incident at the site itself while restoration work continued.
“Refreshment was served to the passengers of the affected coach at the site. An additional coach will be attached at Kota station to facilitate further travel,” the official stated.
Senior railway officials from Kota rushed to the site immediately after the incident was reported.
“Situation is fully under control,” the CPRO said, while adding that the exact cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
The railway administration has also released emergency contact numbers for passengers and relatives seeking information regarding the affected railway section between Luni Richha and Vikramgarh Alot.
The helpline numbers issued are: Kota Enquiry – 6375898943 and At site – 09256099269.
The 12431 Rajdhani Express had departed from Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala on Friday and was scheduled to arrive at Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station in New Delhi at 12:30 p.m.
Meanwhile, the incident also affected rail traffic on the busy New Delhi-Mumbai route. According to the Senior Divisional Railway Manager, several trains, including the Mumbai-Jaipur Superfast Express, were halted at different stations while railway personnel worked to clear the tracks and restore normal operations.
Although the fire did not result in any casualties, the incident caused significant disruption to railway movement on the route for several hours.
(IANS)
