Rajdhani Express fire safety concerns in Delhi stations

Rajdhani Express fire safety concerns have returned to focus after a fire broke out in the B-1 coach of the Thiruvananthapuram-Hazrat Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express at Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh on Sunday. Passengers were evacuated safely, and officials reported no casualties. This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

The incident has drawn scrutiny to emergency preparedness when a train is standing deep inside a crowded platform or becomes stranded between stations, according to a Times of India report. The capital’s main long-distance railway hubs — New Delhi Railway Station, Old Delhi Railway Station, Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station and Anand Vihar Terminal — handle much of Delhi’s long-route train traffic.

Rajdhani Express fire safety and station response

Railway officials said platform fires can generally be managed. Still, older stations present serious operational difficulties because they were not designed with modern emergency access needs in mind.

Officials pointed to a 2019 fire at New Delhi Railway Station as an example of these constraints. In that case, a rear power car and luggage van of the Chandigarh-Kochuveli Express caught fire on platform 8 after a short circuit. Passengers were moved out safely and no one was killed, but the response exposed weaknesses in the station’s layout.

Fire personnel involved in that operation said tenders could not reach the platform directly. Because of the station design, vehicles had to remain some distance away. Firefighters then had to run extended hoses through concourses and crowded entry areas before water could reach the burning coach.

The situation was made more difficult because the fire began in the generator car. It then reached a luggage van carrying parcels. Firefighters also had to work carefully around electrified overhead equipment lines. At the same time, they had to manage heavy passenger movement on neighbouring platforms during peak hours. Delhi Fire Services deployed 12 fire tenders.

A senior fire department official said response becomes more difficult when the burning coach is on a middle platform. The challenge is different near the outer edges of a station, such as platform 1 or 16 at New Delhi. “If the incident is somewhere in between, hose deployment itself consumes crucial time. Ideally, hydrant systems should be installed closer to the middle platforms so that firefighters can immediately plug in and begin operations,” the official said.

Officials said Anand Vihar Terminal, being newer than the other major stations, provides better access for emergency vehicles to reach platforms.

Onboard fire risks and coach materials

Fire officials said the gravest danger arises when a train catches fire while it is moving, rather than when it is standing at a station. “Wind speed acts like a continuous oxygen supply and can intensify the fire rapidly,” a fire official said.

Northern Railway officials said train staff are trained to act quickly in such situations. “Our staff are trained to use extinguishers and detach coaches to prevent the spread of fire,” a senior official said.

In the Ratlam case, railway officials said Rashida Khatoon, assistant operations manager of the Lucknow division, was travelling as a passenger. She responded along with a train guard. They acted as first responders and helped separate the affected coach from the rake before the flames could spread.

Fire officials also identified coach design and materials as another concern. According to one official, conventional railway coaches have “higher fire vulnerability compared to systems like Delhi Metro, where non-combustible materials are extensively used”. In addition, the official said cables and interior fittings should be made more fire-resistant.

Emergency access at Delhi railway stations

Among Delhi’s major stations, officials said Hazrat Nizamuddin and Old Delhi face additional access problems. These involve encroachment and heavy congestion on surrounding roads. Around Nizamuddin station, especially on the Sarai Kale Khan side, emergency vehicle movement is often slowed by auto-rickshaws, vendors and traffic bottlenecks.

Officials said Hazrat Nizamuddin presents greater challenges because of intense congestion around the station. The Sarai Kale Khan side and sections along Mathura Road often face bottlenecks caused by haphazard auto-rickshaw parking, idle buses, roadside vendors and encroachments. These conditions often narrow access for emergency vehicles. Fire officials said that reaching the station itself can become difficult during peak hours.

“The biggest concern at Nizamuddin is accessibility. Even if the internal response mechanism is ready, delays in vehicle movement outside the station can impact response time,” an official said. Officials also said dense commercial activity around the station can complicate evacuation.

Separately, a Northern Railway official said a fire safety system in the Rajdhani coach was activated on May 17, triggering automatic braking. The official said a safety audit has been initiated.

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