All 68 passengers aboard the B-1 coach of Train No. 12431, the Thiruvananthapuram–Hazrat Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express, were safely evacuated on Sunday, 17 May after a massive fire broke out in the early hours, thanks to a rapid 15-minute emergency evacuation led by onboard Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel and railway staff. No casualties or injuries were reported among passengers or crew.

How the Fire Broke Out

The blaze erupted at approximately 5:30 am between Luni Richha and Vikramgarh Alot stations, under the Kota Division of West Central Railway, roughly 110 kilometres from Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh. Thick smoke was first spotted billowing from the undercarriage of the B-1 third AC coach, located near the SLR luggage brake van towards the front of the Delhi-bound train. Within moments, the fire intensified rapidly, engulfing both the third AC coach and the adjacent SLR coach in towering flames visible from a considerable distance.

Swift Action Averts a Major Tragedy

The train guard noticed the fire promptly and immediately alerted the loco pilot, bringing the high-speed train to a halt. RPF personnel and railway staff then executed the evacuation protocol, deboarding all passengers from the affected coach within approximately 15 minutes. Passengers were temporarily shifted to other coaches as the response teams raced to contain the blaze.

Fire brigade teams and senior railway officials, including the Ratlam Divisional Railway Manager, rushed to the site to supervise firefighting operations. As a safety precaution, the overhead electric supply was disconnected, and the two damaged coaches were detached from the rest of the train rake.

Impact on Rail Operations

While no lives were lost, the incident significantly disrupted services on the New Delhi–Mumbai rail corridor. Several trains, including the Mumbai Jaipur Superfast Express, were detained at various stations while the tracks were being cleared. Arrangements were subsequently made to attach a replacement coach at Kota station to accommodate the rescued passengers for the remainder of their journey.

Cause Under Investigation

Preliminary reports suggest a short circuit as the likely cause of the fire, according to railway officials. However, senior officials have ordered a comprehensive investigation to ascertain the exact origin of the blaze. This comes amid recurring concerns over the maintenance of electrical systems in older rolling stock on Indian Railways, making the outcome of the probe particularly significant.