Representative image. Ravi Dwivedi, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Why it matters
The fire hit a crowded long-distance train in the Diwali rush, and nobody was reported hurt. Accounts of how it started still differ, and the reports read carry no official finding on the cause yet. The same week, the railways warned festive travellers about carrying inflammable goods.
A Karmabhoomi Express fire near Rajpura in Punjab’s Patiala district burned through at least three coaches of the moving train at about 1 pm on Friday, 6 November 2026. Passengers got out, the fire was put out, and the Ambala railway division said no casualties were reported, the Indian Express reported.
The train was on its way from Amritsar to New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal at the start of the Diwali travel rush. It stopped near Sarai Banjara village, a little before Rajpura station, according to a senior Ambala division officer quoted by the Indian Express.
What happened on the Karmabhoomi Express
The Times of India put the time at around 1 pm. The Week, citing a train-tracking app, said the train came to a halt at 12:57 pm, about three hours after it left Amritsar at 9:49 am. Videos of thick smoke rising from the coaches spread on social media soon after, both papers noted; The Week said it could not verify them on its own.
Northern Railway’s chief spokesperson, Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay, told the news agency Asian News International (ANI) that the train’s safety system worked in time to stop it, that senior officials had reached the spot, and that there was no information of anyone being hurt, The Week reported. The Ambala Divisional Railway Manager’s (DRM) office later said the fire had been put out, according to the Indian Express.
Railway officials and emergency teams brought the blaze under control, and the railways began arranging another train to take passengers on, the Times of India reported. Senior Railway Protection Force (RPF) officers also reached the site, according to The Week.
Punjab train fire: how many coaches burned, and why
The early accounts of the Karmabhoomi Express fire do not agree on two points: how many coaches were hit and where the fire began. NewsPlainly has set them side by side.
| Question | Times of India | Indian Express | The Week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coaches affected | Three gutted | Four, citing unnamed sources | Four (headline) |
| Where it started | In one coach, spreading to the next | In the engine, then a coach | Cause unknown |
| Suspected cause | Short circuit in a coach fan, said GRP officer Gurpreet Singh | Not given | Not given |
| Injuries | No casualties so far | No casualties, said the Ambala DRM office | No information of injuries, said Northern Railway’s chief spokesperson |
So the safest reading is that three or four coaches were damaged. The only named official to speak about a cause was Gurpreet Singh, station house officer of the Government Railway Police (GRP), the police force that works on railway premises; he said a short circuit in a coach fan was suspected, the Times of India reported. None of the reports read said a formal inquiry had been ordered.
Karmabhoomi Express fire comes days after a firecracker warning
The fire was not linked to firecrackers in any report read. But it comes in the same week Indian Railways warned passengers not to carry inflammable goods on trains during the festive season, the Indian Express reported.
Under the Railways Act, 1989, carrying explosives or inflammable material on a passenger train, including firecrackers, gas cylinders, acid, petrol and kerosene, is an offence. The railways said offenders face up to three years in jail and heavy fines, and must pay for any loss, injury or damage caused, according to the Indian Express. It also asked passengers to stop co-passengers from carrying such items.
The Week reported that this Karmabhoomi Express run had been due at New Jalpaiguri at 6:35 pm on Saturday, 7 November, the day before Diwali. On those timings, NewsPlainly’s calculation, it was meant to be a journey of about 33 hours from Amritsar. The reports read did not say how late passengers will now reach.
What passengers on this train should know
After the Karmabhoomi Express fire, the railways were arranging another train for the passengers, the Times of India said, but the reports read did not give its timing or the new arrival time at New Jalpaiguri.
The reports read also did not give the extent of damage to the coaches. For more train and travel news, see NewsPlainly’s India section.
Frequently asked questions
Was anyone hurt in the Karmabhoomi Express fire?
No casualties were reported, the Ambala DRM office said, according to the Indian Express. Passengers of the affected coaches were evacuated.
Where did the Karmabhoomi Express catch fire?
Near Sarai Banjara village, a little before Rajpura station in Punjab's Patiala district, at about 1 pm on 6 November 2026.
What caused the Karmabhoomi Express fire?
It is not confirmed. A Government Railway Police officer said a short circuit in a coach fan was suspected, the Times of India reported.