New Delhi: After Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh and Ajmer in Rajasthan, now an alleged conspiracy to derail a goods train in Maharashtra has come to the fore. A major train tragedy was averted in Solapur district of Maharashtra last week after an attempt was made to derail a goods train by keeping a cement block on the track. The cement block was found on the railway track near Kurduvadi station of Solapur on September 4, hinting at a sabotage bid. However, nothing untoward happened due to the loco pilot’s alertness.
A large cement stone was placed on the railway track near a signal point about 700 meters east of Kurduvadi railway station in Solapur. The sabotage bid was foiled after the loco pilot spotted the cement block and stopped the train. The Senior Section Engineer of the Railways has lodged a police complaint in the matter.
Train derailment attempts in Ajmer, Kanpur
Earlier, similar attempts were made to derail a loaded goods train in the Ajmer district of Rajasthan and the Bhiwani-Prayagraj Kalindi Express in Kanpur. In Ajmer, two large cement blocks were found on tracks of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor. The good trains hit the blocks, weighing around 70 kg each, but nothing unforeseen happened. The incident occurred between Saradhna and Bangad stations of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor on the Phulera-Ahmedabad stretch. A case has been registered and the matter is under investigation, an official said.
In Kanpur, some miscreants tried to derail the Kalindi Express train on Monday by placing an LPG cylinder on tracks, along with a bottle of petrol and matchboxes. The train was brought to a screeching halt after hitting the cylinder. So far, 30 people have been detained in connection with the incident and are being interrogated.