Train catches fire at Vashi after person throws bag on pantograph

Screengrab of the fire in a video shared on Twitter

A fire in pantograph of a suburban local train at Vashi station led to panic among commuters. The fire in the motorcoach that started with a loud blast led to sparks with the enclosed station structure getting filled with smoke immediately. The pantograph is an apparatus on the roof of an electric train, tram or electric bus to collect power through contact with an overhead line.

There were no injuries to anyone, but services have been affected due to detentions and diversions. The train involved in the incident was the 9:23 am CSMT-Panvel and it has now been cancelled at Vashi and sent to the Sanpada carshed.

Eyewitnesses said that there was panic at the station for a while and commuters ran towards the underpass of the station, though the fire was extinguished in some time. The train involved has been an old, first series train with Siemens electricals procured under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project over a decade ago.

Central Railway spokesperson said that the pantograph of PL-49 CSMT-Panvel local flashed due to discarded bag thrown by an unknown person on pantograph of PL-49 local at Vashi station. The train was detained for 12 minutes from 9.28 am at Vashi station. The rake was withdrawn and sent to Car shed for safety reasons.

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