RailEnquiry

KOLKATA: Passengers on the 58113 Tatanagar-Bilaspur Passenger train had a narrow escape on Monday night after suspected Maoists boarded the compartments, pasted leaflets and warned them against defying a CPI(Maoist)-sponsored bandh on Wednesday. Before disappearing into the darkness, the rebels hung a bag of explosives to the buffers of the locomotive of the train and told the train staff that it was 'just a warning' of what is to come if an attempt is made to defy the bandh. There was no attempt to hijack the train though.

The incident occurred at Jharkhand's Posoita station in the Tatanagar-Rourkela section of South Eastern Railway (SER), nearly 362 km from Howrah, around 9.50 pm on Monday. It sent SER officials in Kolkata into frenzy and special arrangements were made for movement of trains along that route on Wednesday. All Mumbai-bound and several other trains from Howrah pass through that route. In November, 2009, two passengers of the Tatanagar-Bilaspur Passenger train were killed and nearly 50 others injured when Maoists blew up the tracks between the Posoita and Manoharpur stations.

"When the train stopped at Posoita, the rebels entered the coaches and pasted leaflets announcing a bandh. Before they left, they tied a bag to the buffers of the locomotive. We took no risk and asked the passengers to get off. They were accommodated in the 18030 Shalimar-LTT Express which was following the passenger train. The express train was stopped at all stations between Posoita and Rourkela for the benefit of the local passengers. The passenger train was taken to Manoharpur station and stabled. Security personnel reached the station and defused the explosives around 5 am on Tuesday," an SER official said.

According to the police, the bag didn't contain a completed improvised explosive device but explosives used for making such bombs. This is being seen as a clear warning of what the Maoists are still capable of.

"We aren't sure of the extent of the bandh but security measures have been intensified to ensure safe running of trains in the Kharagpur-Tatanagar, Chakradharpur-Rourkela and Kharagpur-Adra sections of SER. Monday nght's incident didn't affect train services but we are taking all precautions. While additional security forces will be deployed on trains and at stations, patrol specials will be kept at several locations for quick deployment. Pilot engines and pilot goods trains will be run ahead of mail/express trains. Loco pilots have been directed to maintain a speed limit of 75 km per hour while passing through these three sections at night," the official added.