Alert loco-pilots avert derailment of Delhi-Shamli MEMU after iron pipe, ballast and concrete tube found on track in UP

LUCKNOW: Train drivers' alertness prevented a potential derailment of Delhi-Shamli MEMU when they spotted a 12-foot iron pipe, ballast and broken concrete tube placed on railway tracks in Uttar Pradesh's Shamli district on Saturday night.Shamli Kotwali police, RPF and GRP Shamli are investigating the incident. The incident happened when 64021 Delhi-Shamli MEMU was approaching Shamli railway station, passing through the block section near km 85-15/16 at 10.16 pm."Alert loco-pilots had spotted iron pipe, several ballast and broken concrete tube on the rail track, following which they applied emergency brakes to avoid collision," said an official source of Delhi Division Northern Railway.Earlier, Delhi-Saharanpur 64021 MEMU passed through the same section at 9.10 pm without noting any suspicious objects on the track."The 64021 Delhi-Shamli MEMU was later cleared to culminate its journey at Shamli railway station following a half an hour delay in removing the obstacles from the rail track," added the official source.Shamli Kotwali registered an FIR against unidentified persons under section 150 of the Railway Act.

This marks Delhi division's first suspected sabotage attempt in Uttar Pradesh, although the state has witnessed numerous similar incidents, including the attempt to derail New Delhi-Bhubaneswar 22824 Tejas Rajdhani express, when unknown person kept ballast on the track between Bheerpur and Meja Road railway station.In the same month, two attempts to derail Delhi-Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express (20504) and Kathgodam Express (15044) were recorded on May 19, near Dalelnagar and Umar Tali stations, when an unknown person had kept wooden log on rail track.The other previous incidents were as follows:December 6, 2023: Rail kept on track was crushed by Banaras bound Shiv Ganga express (12560) in Khurja area of Bulandshahr . Police recovered a total seven chunks of rail.September 9, 2024: LPG filled gas cylinder kept on rail track between Barrajpur and Utripura on the Kanpur-Kasganj route, was hit by Bhiwani-bound Kalindi Express (14117).September 16, 2024: Delhi bound Swatantrata Senani Express’s (12561) loco-engine suffered failure, after it hit a wooden log lying on a rail track between Ghazipur Ghat and Ghazipur City railway station.September 22, 2024: A mini empty gas cylinder was found on a loopline at Prempur railway station, an intermediate station between Kanpur Central and Fatehpur in the North Central Railway (NCR) zone.September 29, 2024: A fire extinguisher was found on the rail tracks between Govindpuri and Bhimsen stations in Kanpur. The extinguisher belonged to the railways.October 2, 2024: A fire extinguisher belonging to the railways was discovered on the tracks near Ambiyapur station in Kanpur dehat.October 6, 2024: An alert loco-pilot promptly brought 04251 Rae-Bareli Junction-Raghuraj Singh passenger train to a halt after detecting a heap of soil impeding the railway tracks near Raghuraj Singh station, preventing a potential derailment.April 16, 2025: Delhi-bound Garib Rath express narrowly avoided derailment after striking a mango tree branch placed on the rail track in Malihabad area of Lucknow.April 22, 2025: A nearly six feet long and three feet wide metal door was found on the rail track between Utraitai Junction and Bakkas railway station. The matter came to light after a freight train hit the metal door, which led to damage of several pandrol clips that hold rail with concrete sleeper.