A quick emergency evacuation led by Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel and railway staff successfully evacuated all 68 passengers from the B-1 coach of Train No. 12431 TVC-NZM Rajdhani Express within 15 minutes. The incident, a massive fire on the Thiruvananthapuram Hazrat Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express 12431, occurred between the Luni Richha and Vikramgarh Alot stations under the Kota Division of the West Central Railway, about 110 kilometers from Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh. The fire started in the third AC coach designated as B-1, spreading rapidly to adjacent coaches, causing panic among passengers.
Thick smoke was first noticed billowing from the undercarriage of the coach, escalating into towering flames that engulfed the third AC and the adjacent SLR coaches. Fortunately, a major tragedy was averted as the train guard promptly alerted the loco pilot, halting the train immediately. Passengers were moved to other coaches temporarily while Railway Police and staff worked swiftly to ensure their safety. Firefighters and senior railway officials, including the Ratlam Divisional Railway Manager, arrived at the scene to oversee firefighting efforts.
As a precaution, the overhead electric supply was cut off, and the damaged coaches were detached from the train rake. Despite the disruption to rail operations, no casualties or injuries were reported among passengers or railway staff. The incident led to delays on the New Delhi Mumbai line, with trains like the Mumbai Jaipur Superfast Express being held at various stations for track clearance. While initial reports suggest a short circuit as the likely cause, a thorough investigation has been ordered by senior officials to determine the exact source of the fire.
Arrangements were being made to add an extra coach at Kota station to accommodate the rescued passengers for the remainder of their journey.
