4 Railway officials suspended over old, dirty train coaches for Kashmir-bound BSF troops

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday suspended four senior railway officials of the Alipurduar Division after a train with dilapidated and dirty coaches was provided to ferry Border Security Force (BSF) personnel from Tripura for deployment during the Amarnath Yatra in Kashmir.

The suspended officials include the Coaching Depot Officer of Alipurduar and three Senior Section Engineers, held responsible for deploying the unsuitable coaches.

The decision came after videos surfaced on the social media showing BSF personnel inspecting rusted and filthy compartments meant to carry over 1,200 jawans on a long deployment route from Udaipur (Tripura) to Jammu Tawi, with halts in Assam and West Bengal.

The BSF troops, drawn from 13 companies, were scheduled to depart on June 6, but the train was only made available on June 9 -- by which time its poor condition had sparked strong reactions. Videos of the jawans inspecting the train went viral, leading to public criticism and internal pressure from security agencies.

“This was not just a logistical failure, it reflects on how we honour our forces. Instructions have been issued to prevent such oversights in the future,” a senior Railway Board official told The Tribune.

The official confirmed that the Minister took immediate note of the lapse and has made it clear that the dignity and comfort of security forces are of the utmost priority and that such negligence will not be tolerated at any level. "Any negligence will be met with strict action," he said.

In a damage-control move, a new special train is being arranged from Agartala, ensuring clean coaches and adequate facilities for the jawans. The Ministry of Railways has also ordered a comprehensive inquiry and directed all zones to strictly follow protocols when handling troop movements.

The troops were part of the additional deployment of central forces being done by the Union government for the annual Amarnath Yatra scheduled to take place from July 3 in Jammu and Kashmir.