Northern Railways expedites installation of scanners for parcel screening after GT Express fire

New Delhi, Feb 27 (PTI) The Northern Railway has expedited the process of installation of scanners at stations for screening parcels before loading them on trains following the recent fire incident in the parcel van of the New Delhi-Chennai Grand Trunk Express near Wardha in Maharashtra.

The zone has placed an order for three X-ray machines to be installed at the Ajmeri Gate side of the New Delhi Railway Station for parcel scanning, officials said.

"One machine has already been delivered and it is in the process of installation. The other two will arrive in some time. We will see if these three will fulfill our requirements. In case we need more, we will immediately place orders accordingly," a senior railway official said.

"As per our existing plan, we want to install three scanning machines at the first stage, and four more at the later stage," he added.

Several passengers had a narrow escape on February 17, 2026, when the seating-cum-luggage (SLR) coach, the last coach of the New Delhi-Chennai Grand Trunk Express, was gutted in a fire.

Officials said though the initial probe blamed a defect in the emergency light unit battery as the main cause of the fire, the incident has sparked safety concerns.

They further said in two other instances of fire in trains in the recent past, inflammable items such as batteries and chemical solvent were detected in the parcel vans.

Railway norms prohibit flammable items as parcel articles as well as in passenger luggage in trains for operational safety purposes. Though X-ray machines have been installed at various stations to screen passenger baggage, parcel consignments are loaded in trains without screening.

The railway ministry, in view of fire incidents in the past due to inflammable parcel items, had asked railway zones to install scanning machines. However, its implementation has progressed at a snail's pace.

"The GT Express fire incident has once again cautioned railway authorities prompting them to expedite the installation process," another senior railway official said.

"While some divisions and zones are buying machines and outsourcing them to private agencies to operate at the station, others are inviting machine-owning companies to install and monitor the systems. The railway authorities will monitor the feed," he added.

Railway staff deputed at the station said the scanning machine will not only help prevent transportation of inflammable materials but also check several other illegal items such as currencies, drugs, etc.

"Some people, who benefit from the transportation of illegal items, might try to sabotage the process or create obstacles in the way of installation of these machines, but railway authorities are firm to implement the process," the official said. PTI JP JP ARB ARB ARB