Three coaches of the Ujjaini Express derailed near Yog Nagari railway station in Rishikesh around 9 PM on Monday. The train had no passengers on board at the time, and no injuries or fatalities have been reported so far.
Railway police reached the location soon after receiving the alert and secured the area. Officials confirmed that the derailment occurred while the train was undergoing maintenance work.
Brake issue suspected
Preliminary inputs from railway sources indicate that a sudden brake problem developed during the maintenance process, which led to the coaches going off track. Authorities have initiated an inquiry to determine the exact sequence of events.
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Along with the technical fault, other possible factors are also being examined as part of the investigation. The incident has brought attention to the procedures followed during routine railway maintenance.
Delay in senior officials’ arrival alleged
Residents claimed that no senior railway official arrived at the spot even two and a half hours after the derailment. As word of the incident spread, people from nearby areas gathered close to the tracks.
Railway police later intervened and cleared the crowd to prevent any disruption or risk at the site.
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Series of recent railway incidents raise concerns
The derailment comes amid a string of recent railway-related incidents across the country. On Monday morning, around 7 AM, the Bhabua-Sasaram-Patna Intercity Express reportedly caught fire. A day earlier, on Sunday, two AC coaches of the Thiruvananthapuram-New Delhi Rajdhani Express also caught fire in Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh.
No casualties were reported in either of those cases. However, back-to-back fire incidents along with the latest derailment have drawn attention to railway safety and maintenance systems.
Authorities have begun separate investigations into each of these incidents.
