Chandigarh | Nine iron rods were found on the tracks in Punjab's Bathinda district, disrupting railway traffic for a brief period, officials said on Monday.

The rods were found on Sunday near Bangi Nagar on the Delhi-Bathinda route.

A Government Railway Police (GRP) official said a goods train loco pilot spotted the rods.

"We recovered nine iron rods from the spot," said the official.

The loco pilot of the goods train travelling from Bathinda to BWL Kori spotted the rods, which were removed by the pointsman and the assistant station master. The train was held up for 40 minutes, a railway official said.

Later, Railway Protection Force (RPF) and GRP officials visited the spot and searched the area. CCTV cameras in and around the location are being scouted for clues. The Punjab GRP is probing into the case, the official added.

Asked if some miscreants placed the rods on the tracks, the GRP official said they might be behind it but an investigation was underway.

An FIR against unidentified persons was lodged in the matter, he added.

Northern Railway Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Himanshu Upadhyay said, "An investigation is going on and very soon we are hoping to take some action."