Rajdhani Express Rams Into a Pillar in Gujarat, Foul Play Suspected

The police suspect that the pillar was deliberately placed on the railway tracks to derail the train in Gujarat.

The Mumbai-Delhi Rajdhani Express en route to Delhi rammed into a cement pillar near Valsad in south Gujarat at around 7:10 PM, on Friday, 15 January. The police said that no one was hurt in the incident. However, they suspect that the pillar was deliberately placed on the railway tracks near Valsad to derail the train. The incident is under investigation.

"The Mumbai-Hazrat Nizamuddin August Kranti Rajdhani Express train hit the cement pillar placed on the railway track close to Atul station near Valsad. After being hit by the train, the pillar got pushed off the track. The incident did not affect the train as it moved on and no passenger was hurt. The loco pilot immediately informed Atul railway station personnel about it."

An official of Valsad rural police station, as told to PTI.

"Some unknown people had placed the cement pillar on the track. The train hit the pillar, after which the train manager immediately informed the local station master," Rajkumar Pandian, Range, IG of Surat, told PTI.

(With inputs from PTI.)