Chandigarh, April 29 (IANS) Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh on Wednesday visited the blast site near Shambhu in Punjab and reviewed the security situation along the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC) of the Indian Railways.

Later, talking to the media, the minister expressed serious concern over the repeated incidents targeting railway infrastructure in the state and assured strict and immediate measures to strengthen safety and monitoring.

Ravneet Singh announced that the Railways would intensify 24-hour patrolling along the EDFC and significantly expand surveillance coverage.

At present, 173 CCTV cameras have already been installed in the Punjab region of the Ambala division, and further installations are underway.

“Special attention will be given to secluded and vulnerable sections of the corridor, where advanced monitoring methods, including drone surveillance, will be deployed,” he said.

In addition, key railway personnel will conduct continuous ground patrols to ensure track safety. The minister highlighted that this is the second such incident within a span of three months and within a distance of approximately 35 kms.

The earlier incident occurred on January 23, around 800 – 900 metres from National Highway-44, while the latest blast site is located about 300 metres from the same highway.

Preliminary assessments suggest that miscreants might be exploiting easy access routes from the highway to target railway tracks, he said.

He further stated that there are indications of external involvement, with hostile elements attempting to destabilise the region by targeting critical infrastructure such as railways.

These acts, he noted, are not only security threats but also direct attempts to disrupt economic activity in the state. The Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor, which connects Sahnewal with West Bengal, is a vital economic artery, with approximately 30 trains operating daily, transporting industrial and agricultural goods. Any disruption to this network poses a setback to the state and national economy.

The minister commended the alertness of the loco pilot, who promptly halted the train upon sensing the impact, thereby preventing a potentially larger mishap. Emergency response and safety teams were immediately deployed to the site.

Reaffirming the government’s commitment, the minister said all necessary steps are being taken to safeguard railway assets, ensure passenger and freight safety, and maintain uninterrupted economic activity.

In a major breakthrough in less than 24 hours of the blast, Punjab Police on Tuesday busted a Pakistan’s ISI-backed ‘pro-Khalistani’ terror module responsible for a late-night attempted detonation at the railway track near Shambhu town, with the arrest of four highly radicalised habitual criminals and recovery of a heavy quantity of militant hardware from their possession.

–IANS

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