Rajdhani trains coaches gutted in fire, high-level probe ordered

New Delhi: Six empty coaches of two Rajdhani trains were gutted in a fire this afternoon at New Delhi railway station’s maintenance yard, hitting train services and prompting authorities to order a high-level inquiry into the incident.

Empty rakes of the Bhubaneswar and Sealdah Rajdhani were parked in the washing line for maintenance and cleaning when the fire started at around 12.15 P.M., the Northern Railways said.

Nobody was injured in the blaze, which was brought under control after Delhi Fire Services dispatched 20 fire tenders to the spot, it added.

A suspected diesel leak is believed to have ignited the fire which engulfed trains parked on either side of the pipeline.

Train operations remain affected at the New Delhi railway station following the incident and several trains approaching it were halted midway as the power supply to the Over-Head Electrical line was withdrawn as a precautionary measure.

“The fire started in two coaches of Bhubaneshwar Rajdhani. The Sealdah Rajdhani was parked on the adjoining

line and four coaches of this train also caught fire,” Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of Northern Railways, Neeraj Sharma, told reporters here.