LPG cylinder found on Kanpur rail tracks; 3rd derailment bid
A potential disaster was averted on Sunday when the driver of a goods train spotted an LPG cylinder on the railway tracks near Prempur station in Uttar Pradesh. The train, en route from Kanpur to Prayagraj, was immediately halted using emergency brakes. The railway police were alerted and swiftly removed the cylinder from the tracks for further investigation.
Cylinder found on tracks was empty, investigation underway
The Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of North Central Railway confirmed that the cylinder was discovered at 5:50am. Upon inspection, it was found to be a 5-liter cylinder and empty. "Railway IOW (Inspector of work), security and other teams examined the cylinder and removed it from the tracks... Directions have been given to investigate the matter," said CPRO. This incident marks the third attempt at a train derailment this month alone.
Directions given to investigate the matter
Recent incidents of potential train derailments
On September 8, a major accident was narrowly avoided when the Prayagraj-Bhiwani Kalindi Express collided with an LPG cylinder placed on tracks. "An attempt was made to derail the Kalindi Express by putting the LPG cylinder on the tracks," a senior police official stated. In another incident last week, a six-meter-long iron rod was discovered on railway tracks between Bilaspur Road and Rudrapur city, leading to suspicions of sabotage.
Train derailment near Kanpur in August
On August 17, a train derailment occurred near Kanpur when the engine of the Varanasi-Ahmedabad Sabarmati Express hit an 'object,' described by the loco pilot as a boulder. The impact caused 22 coaches to derail. Between June 2023 and the present, 24 such occurrences have happened, with materials such as LPG tanks, bicycles, iron rods, and cement blocks discovered on tracks.
