Rajpura Train Incident: 1,500 passengers safely evacuated; Forensic probe ordered
Babushahi Bureau
Sarai Banjara (Rajpura), November 6, 2026: No loss of life was reported after fire broke out in some coaches of a train travelling from Amritsar to New Jalpaiguri near Sarai Banjara Railway Station on the Rajpura-Ambala-Delhi rail route on Thursday afternoon.
Patiala Deputy Commissioner Dr Himanshu Aggarwal and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Harmandeep Hans visited the spot to assess the situation and review the rescue and relief operations.
Dr Aggarwal said the fire was brought under control through coordinated efforts by local residents, the civil and police administration, fire brigade personnel and railway teams. All passengers were safely evacuated, and the district administration promptly arranged necessary assistance, including medical examinations by a team of doctors deployed at Sarai Banjara Railway Station.
According to the Deputy Commissioner, information about the incident was received at around 1.30 pm, following which SDM Rajpura Ravinder Singh, SP Bikram Brar, DSP Manjit Singh and other administrative officials rushed into action and alerted emergency services and hospitals.
Appreciating the timely response of local residents and various government departments, Dr Aggarwal said their courage and coordinated efforts helped avert a major tragedy.
He further said that the passengers evacuated from the affected train had been accommodated on another train by the Railways and sent towards their respective destinations. He appealed to their family members not to panic.
SSP Harmandeep Hans said police teams, including senior officers from Rajpura, along with personnel of the Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF), immediately reached the site and joined the rescue operations. He confirmed that the situation was completely under control.
Meanwhile, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of Northern Railway’s Ambala Division, Vinod Bhatia, who also visited the site with senior railway officials, said around 1,500 passengers were travelling on the train when the incident occurred.
He said railway safety mechanisms were activated immediately after the fire was detected. The loco pilot, guard and other railway personnel acted promptly to detach the affected coach from the remaining coaches, helping prevent the fire from spreading further.
Bhatia said a detailed forensic investigation would be conducted to establish the cause of the fire.
As a precautionary measure, rail traffic on both sides of the affected track was suspended to ensure passenger safety and prevent panic among passengers. Railway teams were working to remove the fire-damaged coaches and restore normal train operations.