Abdur Rashid, an on-duty railway linesman patrolling the Santahar railway junction, saw some 19 wooden sleepers missing and signaled the Korotoa Express heading for the junction to stop one and a half kilometres before the outer signal at about 2:30am.

Railway authorities quickly repaired the railway lines and the express train reached its destination at 4:00am.

"Some unknown men took away the sleepers at any time on Tuesday night,'' said a railway engineering department official.

A serious accident could have happened as there is a bridge near the spot, a railway employee said.

Some unknown men earlier threatened the local railway authorities of doing sabotage, sources said.