Panic gripped passengers travelling on a Delhi-Panipat train on Friday when the wheels of a coach got jammed, setting off sparks.

The incident took place as the train approached Rathdhanna railway station, about eight kilometres from Sonipat, railway sources said.

As the train halted, the passengers rushed to the door, creating a near-stampede situation, witnesses said.

A Northern Railway spokesperson said in Delhi that the brake of the affected coach got jammed. As a result, the wheels could not move, he said.

"It was only a mechanical failure and there was no fire," CPR Northern Railway D S Sandhu said.