Fire Erupts On Hisar Express Near Tirupati; Quick Action Saves Vande Bharat Passengers

Chaos broke out near Tirupati on the afternoon of July 14 when a fire suddenly erupted inside a general coach of the Hisar Express, a long-distance train with hundreds onboard. The incident occurred when the train was just minutes away from Tirupati railway station. Adding to the urgency, a Vande Bharat Express was approaching on a parallel track and had to be halted immediately to prevent any potential danger.

Fire Breakout On Hisar Express

Fire broke out in Hisar Express. Train was running from #Rajasthan to #Tirupati. The incident was reported near Tirupati.

Passengers panicked after the fire broke out and flames spread rapidly, immediately all the services in the area was halted.

Fire tenders rushed to spot pic.twitter.com/gCh6XrGJtz

— Aneri Shah Yakkati (@tweet_aneri) July 14, 2025

According to a report by Times Now, flames and thick smoke billowed out from one of the general compartments, quickly drawing the attention of railway staff and passengers nearby. The fire was spotted around 4 PM, and within minutes, the panic had escalated. The Hisar Express, which starts from Haryana and cuts across half the country, was brought to a stop near Tirupati. No casualties were reported, as both the bogies affected by the fire were empty at that moment.

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Vande Bharat Train Haults Just In Time 

A Vande Bharat Express, one of India’s pride projects in railway modernisation, was running on the adjacent track and was just minutes away from entering the affected zone. Had the alert not gone out in time, the Vande Bharat could have plunged straight into the unfolding emergency. Thankfully, quick-thinking officials halted the high-speed train before it could cross paths with the fire-engulfed coach. The response was swift and controlled, and for now, it’s being credited with preventing a much larger catastrophe.

There’s no word yet on what sparked the fire, and officials are probing every angle, Times Now reported. The affected coach is now sealed off for forensic analysis. Fire department teams confirmed that they managed to bring the flames under control soon after arrival, with minimal damage to adjoining coaches.

This Is Not The First Time 

This is the second such rail-related fire in just two days in South India. On Sunday, July 13, a crude oil freight train caught fire near Arakkonam, Tamil Nadu, triggering a series of explosions that took hours to subdue, Times Now reported. Monday’s Tirupati incident, coming so soon after, has added to the growing unease around railway safety, particularly around fire preparedness in general coaches that are often overcrowded and poorly ventilated.

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This incident is a reminder that India’s rail network, while expanding and upgrading at a record pace, still carries vulnerabilities in its older systems. The Vande Bharat halting in time is being seen as a moment of success. As Tirupati returns to its usual rhythm, we thank the people involved in averting the disaster. 

Cover Image Courtesy: AneriShahYakkati/X