A fire broke out in an AC coach of the Thiruvananthapuram–Hazrat Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express in Madhya Pradesh’s Ratlam district early Sunday, railway officials said. However all the passengers were rescued, the officials added.
The schedules of several other trains were affected due to the incident.
The blaze erupted at around 5.15 am in the B-1 coach of train number 12431, which was carrying 68 passengers, a senior railways official said.
The train had departed from Ratlam Junction at around 3.45 am.The incident took place between Alot and Lunirichha stations under the Kota railway division.
All the passengers were deboarded from the affected coach in 15 minutes. The fire also damaged the second luggage-cum-guard van (SLR) attached behind the B-1 coach.
Following the fire, railway authorities detached the affected coach from the rake and immediately switched off the overhead electric supply (OHE) as a precautionary measure. The fire in the coach was subsequently doused.
All passengers onboard were safely deboarded, and no injuries were reported.
The affected guard van and the coach were detached from the rake, and the train headed for its onward journey at around 9.45 am.
The train is likely to reach Kota station in Rajasthan around 11 am (as against its scheduled time of 8.45 am).
“Arrangements have been made to accommodate them in other coaches for the journey up to Kota,” officials said, adding that an additional coach will be attached at Kota station to restore full capacity.
The incident disrupted rail traffic on the Delhi-Mumbai route, affecting the schedules of five to six trains.
Some trains were halted at different stations following the incident, officials said.
Railway authorities also issued helpline numbers for passengers seeking information about train movements.
Ratlam Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Ajay Kumar Kalara was monitoring the situation.
A relief train and a tower wagon were sent for rescue and restoration work, the officials said. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
(With input from PTI)