Sabarmati Express stopped at Godhra after AC coach wheel overheats

Railway officials detached the affected coach and shifted passengers to other coaches before the Sabarmati Express resumed its journey to Ahmedabad.

To ensure passenger safety, Railway officials decided to detach the A1 coach from the train rather than allow it to continue its journey. (Special Arrangement)To ensure passenger safety, Railway officials decided to detach the A1 coach from the train rather than allow it to continue its journey. (Image: Special Arrangement)

A routine halt of the Sabarmati Express at Gujarat’s Godhra Railway Station turned into a safety operation Sunday night. Indian Railways officials found that a wheel on one of the train’s air-conditioned coaches had overheated, forcing them to stop the train and detach the coach before it could continue.

The train, travelling from Darbhanga in Bihar to Ahmedabad, has a scheduled two-minute halt at Godhra Railway Station, where it arrives around 9.15 pm. The train reached Ahmedabad early Monday instead of late Sunday, arriving one and a half hours later than scheduled.

Officials said no injuries were reported.

A technical team inspected the coach to find out the cause of the overheating (Image: Special Arrangement) A technical team inspected the coach to find out the cause of the overheating (Image: Special Arrangement)

All hands on deck

Railway personnel stopped the train after they detected an abnormal rise in temperature in the wheel of the A1 AC coach. They immediately alerted the authorities, prompting a coordinated safety response at the station.

Officials, including the station superintendent, Railway Protection Force (RPF), Government Railway Police (GRP), and the Carriage and Wagon department, reached the platform soon after the issue was reported.

To ensure passenger safety, Railway officials decided to detach the A1 coach from the train rather than allow it to continue its journey.

A technical team inspected the coach to find out the cause of the overheating, and all passengers were safely shifted to another coach. Locals and Railway officials provided refreshments and snacks to stranded passengers.

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The train, travelling from Darbhanga in Bihar to Ahmedabad, has a scheduled two-minute halt at Godhra Railway Station. (Image: Special Arrangement) The train, travelling from Darbhanga in Bihar to Ahmedabad, has a scheduled two-minute halt at Godhra Railway Station. (Image: Special Arrangement)

Western Railway officials told The Indian Express that, since the train had vacant seats, passengers from A1 were accommodated in the other coaches before the train was allowed to leave for Ahmedabad.

Godhra Railway Station came into national focus in 2002 after a fire in coach S-6 of the Sabarmati Express claimed 59 lives. The incident sparked widespread communal violence across Gujarat.

Bus catches fire

In a separate incident Monday, a fire broke out in a state-owned bus at a bus stand in Panchmahal district, triggering panic among around 25 passengers travelling from Vadodara to Fatepura in Dahod district.

The fire, reportedly caused by a wiring fault, was brought under control by the driver using a fire extinguisher before the Kalol fire team arrived and extinguished it completely.

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All passengers evacuated the bus safely, mostly through the windows. No injuries were reported.

Aditi Raja is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, stationed in Vadodara, Gujarat, with over 20 years in the field. She has been reporting from the region of Central Gujarat and Narmada district for this newspaper since 2013, which establishes her as a highly Authoritative and Trustworthy source on regional politics, administration, and critical socio-economic and environmental issues. Expertise: Core Authority & Specialization: Her reporting is characterized by a comprehensive grasp of the complex factors shaping Central Gujarat, which comprises a vast tribal population, including: Politics and Administration: In-depth analysis of dynamics within factions of political parties and how it affects the affairs in the region, visits of national leaders making prominent statements, and government policy decisions impacting the population on ground. Crucial Regional Projects: She consistently reports on the socio-economic and political impact of infrastructure projects in the region, especially the Statue of Unity, the Sardar Sarovar Project on the Narmada River, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail bullet train project as well as the National Highway infrastructure. Social Justice and Human Rights: Her reporting offers deep coverage of sensitive human-interest topics, including gender, crime, and tribal issues. Her reports cover legal proceedings from various district courts as well as the Gujarat High Court (e.g., the Bilkis Bano case remission, POCSO court orders, Public Interest Litigations), the plight of tribal communities, and broader social conflicts (e.g., Kheda flogging case). Local Impact & Disaster Reporting: Excels in documenting the immediate impact of events on communities, such as the political and civic fallout of the Vadodara floods, the subsequent public anger, and the long-delayed river redevelopment projects, Harni Boat Tragedy, Air India crash, bringing out a blend of stories from the investigations as well as human emotions. Special Interest Beat: She tracks incidents concerning Non-Resident Gujaratis (NRIs) including crime and legal battles abroad, issues of illegal immigration and deportations, as well as social events connecting the local Gujarati experience to the global diaspora. ... Read More

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