Earlier this month, a serious accident was narrowly avoided when the Prayagraj-Bhiwani Kalindi Express collided with an LPG cylinder on the tracks. The incident occurred on Sunday morning near Uttar Pradesh’s Prempur station when the loco-pilot of a goods train, traveling from Kanpur to Prayagraj, spotted a gas cylinder and quickly applied the emergency brakes.
According to the Chief Public Relations Officer of North Central Railway, the goods train was halted at 5:50 am after the driver noticed the cylinder on the tracks. Railway officials, including security teams, examined the cylinder and removed it from the area. It was found to be a 5-liter cylinder that was empty. An investigation has been initiated regarding the incident.
Earlier in the month, an attempt to derail the Kalindi Express was reported when an LPG cylinder was placed on the tracks. Upon learning of the situation, senior railway officers and a forensics team were dispatched to the site to investigate, alongside the Railway Protection Force.
The loco pilot applied emergency brakes upon spotting the object, resulting in the train colliding with the cylinder, which was subsequently pushed away from the tracks. Additionally, a Molotov cocktail was recovered during the investigation.
In a separate incident on August 17, 22 coaches of the Varanasi-Ahmedabad Sabarmati Express derailed near Kanpur after the engine hit an object described by the driver as a boulder.
Last week, an iron rod measuring six meters was discovered on the railway tracks between Bilaspur Road and Rudrapur city. Railway authorities suspect it may have been a deliberate act of sabotage, as the loco pilot activated the emergency brakes upon seeing the rod and cleared the track.