An attempt to derail two trains, including a Rajdhani Express, was thwarted due to the alertness of loco pilots in Uttar Pradesh's Hardoi district on Monday evening. According to police officials, unidentified miscreants tied wooden blocks using earthing wire to the track between Dalelnagar and Umartali stations at kilometre marker 1129/14, they said.
The loco pilot of a Rajdhani Express (20504) on its way to Dibrugarh in Assam from Delhi applied the emergency brake after spotting the obstruction. He removed it and informed railway officials, police said.
A second attempt was made to derail a Kathgodam Express (15044) following the Rajdhani Express. Once again, the alertness of the loco pilot ensured the safety of the train and its passengers, as he stopped the train in time upon noticing the same kind of obstruction on the tracks.
Superintendent Neeraj Kumar Jadaun visited the site on Monday evening and issued necessary instructions. He confirmed that teams from the Government Railway Police, Railway Protection Force, and local police are probing the incidents.
In a similar attempt in February this year, an attempt to derail a train in Raebareli was foiled after the loco pilot spotted stones placed on tracks near the Champa Devi Temple and applied emergency brakes. The incident had prompted immediate action from railway officials, who alerted the local police and the Government Railway Police (GRP).
According to railway officials, unidentified individuals had placed large stones on the railway tracks at a bridge near the temple. The bridge had a standard 450mm gap between the guard rail and the running rail, where the stones were kept on the night of February 8. The alert loco pilot of the Yesvantpur Express, approaching from Lucknow, noticed the obstruction. As the train was already slowing down due to a red signal, he was able to apply the emergency brakes in time, officials had said.
