Major disaster averted as Trivandrum Rajdhani catches fire in MP’s Ratlam

Indore: As many as 68 passengers had a narrow escape as a major railway accident was averted in the early hours of Sunday, when a fire broke out in the Trivandrum-Hazrat Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express (Train 12431).

The incident occurred at 5:08 am between the Luni Richha and Vikramgarh Alot stations under the Kota Division in the Ratlam district of Madhya Pradesh. According to railway officials, the onboard automatic fire and smoke detection system (FSDS) was triggered instantly at 5:08 am. Ratlam DRM Ashwani Kumar told TOI that the system detected thermal changes near the toilet of the B-1 coach, automatically dropping the train’s brake pipe pressure to execute an emergency halt.

Train manager Upendra Kumar coordinated with the locomotive pilot, ticket checking staff, and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) to evacuate all 68 passengers within 15 minutes. To prevent the blaze from consuming the entire train structure, technical teams uncoupled the burning B-1 coach and luggage van from the rest of the rake within 20 minutes of stopping.

Senior divisional commercial manager Saurabh Jain told TOI that an emergency response network was immediately activated. Accident relief trains and medical relief vans were dispatched from Kota and neighbouring bases. Four fire tenders reached the site, bringing the flames completely under control by 8:00 am.

Due to the incident, overhead electrical connections were isolated, temporarily halting all traffic on the high-density Delhi-Mumbai trunk route. DRM Anil Kalra confirmed that the scheduling of eight to ten other trains was impacted before track operations were partially restored at 9:30 am. The affected train left the accident site at 9:48 am and reached Kota Junction at 1:15 pm.

Upon arrival at Kota Junction, displaced passengers expressed strong dissatisfaction regarding lost personal belongings and the adequacy of the immediate relief framework. To assist the passengers, railway officials distributed ex-gratia envelopes containing Rs 5,000 each.

However, several passengers rejected the compensation, demanding formal legal recourse for their lost luggage. A segment of travellers refused to board the onward journey until an FIR was registered.

“Recognizing the demands of the passengers, we will evaluate their losses and compensate them as per the rules,” Jain said.

To ensure the continuation of the journey, a fresh air-conditioned coach was attached to the train at Kota. Displaced passengers were provided with meals, footwear, and medical checkups. A specialized support team—comprising commercial inspectors, welfare inspectors, and medical personnel—was deployed on board the train to assist passengers through to Hazrat Nizamuddin.

The Western Central Railway (WCR) General Manager, Dilip Kumar Singh, has ordered a high-level inquiry to determine the exact cause of the fire.