Crude Oil Wagon Catches Fire on Godhra-Ratlam Goods Train in Madhya Pradesh
A major rail catastrophe was averted in Madhya Pradesh's Ratlam Railway Division on Saturday night after a crude oil tanker wagon attached to an inbound freight train caught fire near Bajranggarh station. Originating from Godhra in Gujarat and bound for the industrial siding at Bajranggarh, the petroleum-laden goods train was brought to an emergency halt at around 8:45 PM as soon as flames were detected erupting from one of the tankers. The alarming incident marks the third consecutive day that train-related mishaps have disrupted operations in the strategically vital Ratlam rail division, triggering immediate emergency mobilization to prevent volatile liquid fuel from detonating along one of Western Railway’s busiest transit corridors.
Swift Emergency Action at Bajranggarh: Fire Controlled as Relief Train Recalled
Upon spotting the blaze threatening the highly flammable crude oil cargo, the loco pilot and station staff acted swiftly to isolate the rake and alert nearby municipal emergency services. Firefighting units rushed to the spot and fought back the flames, managing to extinguish the fire before it could breach the containment structure or ignite adjoining fuel wagons. In response to the alert, the Western Railway divisional control room in Ratlam immediately ordered an Accident Relief Train (ART) to rush to the location with specialized rescue and technical crews. However, as ground firefighters successfully brought the situation under control and cooled the outer shell of the affected tanker, the ART was recalled before reaching the scene, with railway safety inspectors initiating a technical inquiry to determine whether brake binding, wheel-bearing friction, or an electrical fault triggered the blaze.
Track Clearance at Bherugarh: Regular Rail Operations Restored After Third Mishap
The hazardous cargo scare led to temporary operational bottlenecks across the division, forcing railway control to halt several freight and passenger trains heading toward Ratlam near Bherugarh station as a precautionary safety measure. Engineering teams and mechanical inspectors conducted rapid clearance checks on the track bed and overhead electrical lines to confirm structural safety before signaling the resumption of services, allowing regular rail traffic to normalize shortly after the tracks were cleared. Coming immediately on the back of two other separate railway incidents in the Ratlam division over the preceding 48 hours, the fire has prompted senior railway officials to review inspection protocols for high-risk chemical and petroleum freight rolling stock operating between Gujarat's refineries and Central India.
