Railway security heightened amid terror threats

According to the reports on Wednesday (16 October), Intelligence and railway security agencies are on high alert after Pakistan-based terrorist Farhatullah Ghauri called on sleeper cells to target Indian railways, aiming to cause derailments and accidents. Ghauri’s messages, shared on social media, have been labeled part of a ‘rail jihad’ strategy. Although railway staff have averted several accidents, there has been a significant rise in sabotage attempts, leading the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to intensify its investigations.

Recent incidents include attempts to derail the Mysore-Darbhanga Bagmati Express near Chennai and the Farrukhabad Express near Kasganj, where a wooden log was found on the tracks. Another incident involved the derailing of seven wagons at Palghar, while in Rajasthan, cement blocks were placed on tracks where the Vande Bharat Express was scheduled to pass. An empty gas cylinder found on tracks near Roorkee was another alarming discovery, though quick action from an alert train driver prevented any tragedy.

Security agencies have ordered increased surveillance on railway tracks, bridges, and other vulnerable locations. Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP), along with canine and bomb squads, have been mobilized to ensure thorough inspections. Train escort teams have also been expanded, and internal security measures in coaches have been reinforced to respond to emergencies.

Further escalating concerns, a bomb threat targeting the Mumbai-Howrah Mail caused delays, and the train was halted and thoroughly searched. Sources from security agencies have revealed that terror groups are deliberately targeting remote areas where tracks pass through forests or abandoned land, using concrete boulders, iron rods, and other obstructions to cause accidents.

References

• Railway Security on High Alert as Sleeper Cells Target Indian Tracks for Sabotage