New Delhi, June 7 -- The Ministry of Railways has launched a nationwide safety drive and ordered a comprehensive inspection of all Integral Coach Factory (ICF) coaches following the detection of a crack in a sleeper coach of the New Delhi-Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Special train at Ludhiana on June 6.

In a series of immediate corrective measures, the Railway Ministry has directed all zones to carry out detailed inspections of ICF coaches, with special emphasis on identifying rust, corrosion and structural weaknesses in critical areas. The exercise is expected to be completed within the next week.

According to the ministry, any coach found to be suffering from excessive corrosion or structural deterioration will be withdrawn from servi...