Train Engine Catches Fire In Maharashtra, No Casualties Reported

The engine of the Mumbai Central-Valsad passenger train caught fire during the journey at Kelve Road station in Palghar district of Maharashtra on Wednesday evening, a Western Railway (WR) official said.

All passengers are safe, he added.

The incident occurred at Kelve Road station around 7.56 pm, the official said, citing the preliminary information.

A Western Railway spokesperson said an incident of "flash and flames in the electric loco" of train no. 59023 Mumbai Central-Valsad fast passenger train was reported.

"All passengers are safe. Nobody was injured," he said.

The OHE power supply was temporarily switched off for safety reasons.

Senior railway officials and technical staff have rushed to the site to assess the situation and carry out necessary checks.

The train departed on schedule from Mumbai Central Station at 6.10 pm. It reached Kelve Road station at 7.56 PM after a 17-minute delay, when the crew of the engine noticed a flash and flames and immediately stopped the train, which had just started pulling out of the platform.

The crew, including the loco pilot, assistant pilot, and train manager, rushed to douse the fire using onboard extinguishers.

A senior railway official stated that staff at the station showed exceptional courage in bringing the blaze under control.

Stationmaster Aditya Kumar and two pointsmen, Som Prakash and Radheshyam, also joined the firefighting operation.

"They used eight fire extinguishers," the railway official said, adding that even passengers on the platform helped the railway staff.

Local Fire Brigade personnel rushed to the station and doused the blaze.

"Due to the incident, trains heading towards Surat may experience delays. Some trains will be halted at all stations till Dahanu or Valsad to ensure passengers of 59023 can leave," Vineet Abhishek, chief spokesperson of Western Railway, told PTI.

"At least seven Gujarat-bound trains were regulated en route various stations," the Western Railway stated on X.

Services of local trains on the Virar-Dahanu section were also affected due to the engine fire incident.

The Mumbai Central-Valsad fast passenger train is one of the popular trains that connects southern Gujarat with Mumbai.

Hundreds of commuters, including office-goers, businessmen, traders, students, and others, commute daily on the Mumbai-Valsad route on this train.

Due to its convenient timing, the train allows passengers to travel to and from Mumbai without disrupting their daily schedules.

Meanwhile, six ST buses were arranged for stranded passengers, while other commuters were shifted to the Golden Temple Express, which will halt at all stations till Valsad. The train, otherwise, halts only at Surat station.

The affected train was cancelled and another engine was attached to remove it from the station, the WR CPRO said.

"Golden Temple Express is being rescheduled to depart from Safale station," said Vivekanand Kadam, chief of the Disaster Management Cell, Palghar.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)