Jaipur: A major conspiracy to derail the Maharaja Express, India’s luxury tourist train, was thwarted near Jaipur after an alert loco pilot detected the threat in time, preventing a potential tragedy and ensuring passenger safety.
The train, carrying hundreds of foreign tourists, was en route from Jaipur to Sawai Madhopur when the incident occurred.
At around 11.30 p.m. on Tuesday, the loco pilot noticed iron angles placed on the railway track near a railway crossing close to Mahatma Gandhi Hospital in the Shivdaspura area.
Acting swiftly, he applied the emergency brakes, bringing the train to a halt and preventing a potential disaster.
According to railway sources, five to six iron angles, each approximately five feet long, had been placed on the track with the apparent intention of derailing the train.
The train was halted for about 35 minutes, during which the obstruction was removed.
Following the incident, the Railway Protection Force (RPF), Government Railway Police (GRP), and local police rushed to the spot.
A detailed inspection of the track was carried out with the help of a dog squad.
After the track was declared safe, train operations were resumed. The RPF has registered a case against unknown persons and launched an investigation.
Railway authorities have also issued instructions to intensify track patrolling and security arrangements across vulnerable sections.
Thanks to the presence of mind and quick action of the loco pilot, the lives of hundreds of foreign tourists and other passengers aboard the Maharaja Express were saved, averting what could have been a major tragedy, said officials.
This is not an isolated case. In September last year, a similar attempt to derail the Aravali Express was reported in Rajasthan’s Sirohi district, where a pole was placed on the track. Earlier, derailment attempts were also uncovered in Ajmer.
Additionally, incidents of stone-pelting on trains have been reported in recent months; Vande Bharat Express was targeted in Udaipur and Alwar; Intercity Khajuraho Express was attacked in Alwar district, damaging an AC coach window. At the same Alwar location, an attempt was also made to derail a goods train.
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Caption: Photo source: IANS/File/Representational
–IANS
