Rajdhani Express Fire: There is a major incident happened. Rajdhani Express train caught fire. Train number 12431, the Rajdhani Express, which was on its way from Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram) to Hazrat Nizamuddin in Delhi, unexpectedly caught fire. This incident has completely disrupted the Delhi-Mumbai rail route. Many trains operating on this line have halted at various locations. Several trains, including the Mumbai-Jaipur Superfast (12955), were forced to stop at intermediate stations. Thankfully, all 68 passengers were evacuated safely in time, ensuring that there were no casualties.
Fire brokes in Rajdhani Express
As per official reports from the railway, the accident took place around 5:15 a.m. on Sunday (May 17, 2026) at kilometer 729/02 between Luni Richha and Vikramgarh Alot stations on the Nagda-Kota rail section. The train was heading towards Delhi when suddenly, flames erupted near the SLR (SLR) section of AC coach B-1.
Preliminary investigations and information from the Kota Railway Division’s PRO suggest that a short circuit is the likely cause of the fire. The flames spread quickly, engulfing two coaches of the train. Smoke filled the carriages, and the train’s safety siren went off, leading to widespread panic and chaos among the passengers who were asleep.
The quick thinking of the train manager and guard played a crucial role in saving lives
The train manager and guard acted swiftly during the incident. Upon noticing flames rising from coach B-1, the guard immediately alerted the loco pilot (driver) via wireless communication, prompting the driver to apply the emergency brakes and stop the train. The railway administration quickly responded upon receiving the alert.
As a safety measure, the affected B-1 coach and the adjacent bogie were promptly detached from the main train to prevent the fire from spreading further. Additionally, the power supply to the overhead equipment (OHE) at the accident site was cut off. A fire brigade team arrived at the scene shortly after being notified, and after significant effort, they managed to bring the fire completely under control.
Everyone is safe
The Railways has officially confirmed that no passengers were injured in the incident. All 68 passengers from the affected coach were safely evacuated to the side of the track, where they were immediately provided with refreshments and first aid by the Railways. A team from the Railway Health Department has also arrived at the scene to handle the situation.
Passengers have been accommodated in other coaches for their onward journey, which will continue to Kota. An additional coach will be added to the train at Kota station, after which passengers will be able to travel on their berths. Since the incident occurred within the Kota Railway Division of Rajasthan, a team of senior officials immediately dispatched from Kota. Ratlam Railway Division DRM Ashwani Kumar also arrived at the scene, as Ratlam headquarters is nearby. Accident relief trains (ART/ARME) and tower wagons were dispatched as soon as Ratlam control received the information at 5:20 am. Railway officials say a detailed investigation is underway to determine the exact technical cause of the fire, and efforts are underway to restore the affected track.