Patna: A suspected sabotage attempt on a passenger train in Bihar was narrowly averted after a loco pilot brought the train to an emergency halt upon spotting an iron girder placed across the tracks. The Darbhanga–Forbesganj DEMU service was travelling through Madhubani district when the obstruction was discovered near Tamuria station.
The train had departed from Jhanjharpur Junction and was en route to Tamuria when the driver noticed the metal structure ahead. According to railway officials, the iron girder had been positioned in such a way that a collision could have caused a derailment. Hundreds of passengers were on board at the time, and authorities said the consequences could have been severe.
Preliminary information suggests that a goods train had passed along the same stretch of track nearly an hour earlier. Investigators believe the girder was placed on the line after the freight service cleared the section, raising suspicions of deliberate sabotage. The discovery triggered immediate concern within railway authorities.
The Divisional Railway Manager of the Samastipur division under East Central Railway has ordered a special inquiry into the incident. Officials from the Railway Intelligence Department and the Crime Branch have been included in the investigation team. They have inspected the site and recorded statements from the station master, guard, loco pilot and track maintenance staff.
A case has been registered with the railway police in Darbhanga, and several individuals have reportedly been detained for questioning. The Assistant Security Commissioner also visited the scene as part of the inquiry. Authorities are now working to determine how the girder was transported to the location and who may have been responsible for placing it on the track.
