More than 1,500 passengers escaped unhurt on Friday, 6 November 2026, when fire gutted three general coaches of train 12508 Amritsar–New Jalpaiguri Karmabhoomi Express near Sarai Banjara in Punjab. A fourth coach was scorched on its exterior. No deaths or injuries were reported, and Northern Railway has ordered an inquiry into the cause.
The blaze broke out around 1 pm on the Sirhind–Rajpura section of the Ambala division, near Basantpura village in Patiala district, roughly 15 km from Rajpura. The train’s safety system brought it to a halt, and passengers — many heading home for the festive season — jumped down onto the tracks as thick smoke rose from the coaches.
| At a glance | |
| Train | 12508 Amritsar–New Jalpaiguri Karmabhoomi Express (all-unreserved) |
| Location | Near Sarai Banjara station, Sirhind–Rajpura section, Ambala division |
| Time | About 1:00 pm, Friday 6 Nov 2026 |
| Coaches hit | 3 severely damaged, 1 minor exterior damage |
| Passengers | 1,500+ on board, all evacuated |
| Casualties | None reported |
| Suspected cause | Short circuit (unconfirmed); inquiry ordered |
| Rail traffic | 8 trains diverted |
How the afternoon unfolded
The fire was spotted within minutes of the train leaving its previous station, and a medical relief train was rolling from Ambala about 20 minutes later.
- 12:58 pm — The train departs Sadhugarh station in Fatehgarh Sahib district, heading east toward Rajpura.
- About 1:00 pm — Smoke and flames are seen in the fifth coach from the engine, an unreserved general coach. The loco pilot and guard apply emergency brakes and the train halts near Sarai Banjara.
- Minutes later — Passengers flee onto the tracks. Officials say strong winds carried the fire into the two neighbouring coaches; a fourth is singed. Both overhead electric (OHE) lines are switched off.
- 1:20 pm — An Accident Relief Medical Equipment (ARME) train is dispatched from Ambala.
- Afternoon — Fire tenders bring the blaze under control. Ambala DRM Vinod Kumar Bhatia and senior officials reach the site.
- Later — Passengers walk about 500 m to a nearby station and board a replacement train for New Jalpaiguri and intermediate stops. Eight trains are diverted around the blocked section.
Damage to the rake
coach damage · per Northern Railway officials, 6 Nov 2026
The three gutted coaches suffered severe structural damage; officials have not yet given a cost estimate, having prioritised moving passengers.
Passengers first, damage later
Because the Karmabhoomi Express is an all-unreserved service packed with long-distance travellers, Northern Railway put getting people moving ahead of assessing damage to its coaches.
“Our primary concern right now is ensuring that the passengers reach their destinations safely,” said Yashanjit Singh, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Ambala division. He said an alternative train had been arranged and passengers were guided to a station about 500 metres away.
- Who responded: fire tenders, railway staff, the ARME relief train from Ambala, and the Patiala district administration, which Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Aggarwal confirmed was alerted.
- What passengers lost: many were travelling home for the festive season; belongings left in the burning coaches were destroyed.
- Knock-on effect: eight trains were diverted, five of them in the down direction, while the section was blocked.
What caused it: still unconfirmed
The cause is not yet known. Unnamed railway sources point to a short circuit, but officials have not confirmed it; asked directly, Yashanjit Singh called it “a matter of inquiry.” A formal technical probe will examine electrical lines, mechanical systems and possible external factors.
Early reports disagree on a few details, which the inquiry should settle:
| Question | What reports say |
| Where it started | Most say the fifth coach from the engine, an unreserved coach; a preliminary account cited by Business Today mentions the pantry area |
| Where the train stopped | Officials and most outlets say near Sarai Banjara; a few reports say Rajpura station |
| Coaches affected | Agreed: three badly damaged, a fourth lightly |
| Why it spread | Officials cite strong winds carrying flames to adjoining coaches |
The train and the stretch
This is the second major coach fire on the Sirhind–Rajpura stretch in just over a year.
- The train: the weekly Karmabhoomi Express, run by Northern Railway since 2011, covers 1,825 km between Amritsar and New Jalpaiguri in about 33 hours 20 minutes. Officials describe this service as an unreserved train.
- The station: Sarai Banjara (code SBJ) is a three-platform station on the Ambala–Attari main line in Patiala district.
- 18 October 2025: a fire near Sirhind station damaged three AC coaches of the 12204 Amritsar–Saharsa Garib Rath around 7:30 am. Passengers were evacuated; one report said a woman suffered minor burns.
- 2 December 2000: Sarai Banjara was the site of one of Punjab’s worst rail accidents, when the Howrah–Amritsar Mail hit a derailed freight train head-on, killing 46 people.
