A fire erupted in a coach of the Thiruvananthapuram–Hazrat Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express in the early hours of Sunday while the train was passing through Madhya Pradesh’s Ratlam district. Railway officials confirmed that all 68 passengers in the affected coach were evacuated within minutes and no casualties were reported.

The incident occurred around 5.15 am in the B-1 coach of train number 12431, which was en route from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi. The train had left Ratlam Junction at approximately 3.45 am when flames were spotted between Vikramgarh Alot and Lunirichha stations under the Kota railway division.

The train guard detected smoke and alerted the loco pilot, prompting the train to be halted immediately. Emergency evacuation protocols were activated, and railway authorities cut off the overhead electric supply to prevent further risk. Firefighting teams were deployed promptly to contain the blaze, which also extended to the adjacent luggage-cum-guard van (SLR).

Officials stated that the affected B-1 coach was detached from the rake after the fire was extinguished. The damaged guard van was also separated. The train resumed its journey around 9.45 am after necessary safety checks.

Passengers from the impacted coach were accommodated in other compartments until Kota station, where arrangements were made to attach an additional coach to restore capacity. Senior railway officials, including Ratlam Divisional Railway Manager Ajay Kumar Kalara, monitored the response operations. A relief train and tower wagon were dispatched to assist in restoration efforts.

Railway authorities have ordered a high-level investigation to determine the cause of the fire. Additionally, a comprehensive audit of fire safety mechanisms in coaches across the Indian Railways network has been initiated.

The incident disrupted movement on the busy Delhi–Mumbai rail corridor, affecting multiple trains. According to reports, eight to ten passenger services experienced delays or were temporarily halted.

This is the second such occurrence within a fortnight. On May 15, a fire broke out in two air-conditioned coaches of the Hyderabad–Jaipur Special Express at Nampally Railway Station shortly before its scheduled departure. No injuries were reported in that case either.

The exact cause of Sunday’s fire remains under investigation.