Train Collides with 6kg Piece of Wood in Uttar Pradesh Prompting Investigation into Possible Sabotage

A passenger train collided with a large piece of wood on the tracks in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday night, raising concerns of potential sabotage. The Bareilly-Varanasi Express (Train No. 14236) was traveling between Delhi and Lucknow when it hit a two-foot-long piece of wood weighing over six kilograms. The wood became lodged under the train's wheels, but the driver was able to stop the train safely.

The collision has damaged a signaling device on the tracks, affecting the Lucknow-Hardoi lines and prompting caution among the drivers of other trains. Authorities have filed a FIR at the Malihabad police station. In response to the incident, the nearest railway station issued warnings to station masters and deployed an inspection team to investigate. Officials noted that removing the wood proved challenging and disrupted railway operations for about two hours. Railway Protection Force personnel were dispatched to the scene to secure the area and assist in the removal of the wood.

This incident falls in line with a troubling trend, as it comes just a month after an empty gas cylinder was discovered on the tracks near Prempur railway station in Kanpur, and 10 detonators were found in Madhya Pradesh, intended to derail a train carrying army personnel.

The central government has taken these recent sabotage attempts seriously and has assigned the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to investigate the cases. The NIA is currently conducting a preliminary inquiry into recent train derailments and accidents to determine if sabotage is involved, although no conclusive evidence has emerged so far. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has stated that railway authorities are on high alert against potential sabotage.