India Post Van Trapped on Railway Track at Kalupur Station, Rail Movement Stopped For An Hour

A Postal Department vehicle carrying mail bags got stuck directly on the active tracks near the Sabarmati-facing side of Kalupur Railway Station on Monday, bringing train line movements to a standstill for nearly an hour before heavy machinery pulled it to safety.

Railway Tracks Blocked During Redevelopment Chaos

The incident unfolded between Platform Numbers 8 and 9 at Ahmedabad's main railway terminal. The postal van had finished unloading mail bags on the platform and was returning toward the Sabarmati exit when its wheels sank into an unpaved section of the track bed.

Massive ongoing redevelopment work across Platforms 9 and 10 has disrupted standard vehicular access routes within the station complex. Railway contractors recently excavated the dedicated transit corridor used by leaseholders, parcel handlers, and goods vehicles heading toward Sabarmati to lay new railway lines.

With the original asphalt path dug up, drivers transporting heavy parcel loads have been forced to navigate makeshift dirt paths and negotiate exposed rail tracks, increasing the risk of vehicular breakdowns inside the operational yard.

Crane Deployed to Clear Stuck Vehicle

Initial attempts by the van driver and nearby station workers to push the vehicle clear of the metal rails failed as the wheels spun deep into the ballast. With the vehicle wedged tightly across the line, railway officials halted movement on the affected section to prevent collisions.

As manual efforts proved ineffective, station authorities summoned a heavy-duty crane to the site. Emergency crews hooked the vehicle and hauled it off the line, restoring track clearance after a nerve-wracking 60-minute disruption.

Railway operations personnel confirmed that no incoming or outgoing trains were hit during the blockage, though the situation carried severe safety risks had an express train approached the platform neck during the incident.

Leaseholders Demand Immediate Temporary Access Road

The near-miss has triggered sharp criticism from parcel leaseholders, commercial vendors, and logistics operators who rely on the Sabarmati-side access road for daily cargo movement. Handcart pullers and motor drivers report extreme difficulty crossing the disrupted tracks while moving heavy parcel consignments between platforms.

Commercial operators functioning out of the Kalupur terminal have urged Western Railway authorities and project contractors to lay a temporary paved crossing immediately. Goods handlers warned that without a stabilized road surface for parcel vehicles, similar track blockages could recur, threatening passenger safety and delaying train schedules as station revamp work progresses.