Multiple trains cancelled on key Delhi-Howrah route after 8 wagons of freight train derail in Asansol Division

Several trains were cancelled and others rerouted on Sunday following a major accident in Bihar. Eight freight train cars came off the tracks between Lahaban and Simultala stations in the Asansol Division of Eastern Railway around 11:25 pm on December 27. Restoration work is currently underway at full speed, but problems persist on both the up and down lines for one of eastern India’s busiest railway corridors.

As per an ANI report, Railways officials have sent Accident Relief Trains (ARTs) from Jhajha, Asansol and Madhupur to the accident site as soon as they heard about the derailment to speed up the repair work. Officials stated that the restoration work is being done on a war footing, with teams working around the clock to clear the tracks and get it back to normal.

No injuries have been reported so far. The Indian Express cited railway sources to add that early results indicated that investigations into track maintenance and wagon conditions were being given the most attention.

Delhi-Howrah route among services affected

The derailment has caused a major effect on both long-distance and local passenger services, especially those that operate on the key Delhi-Howrah route. Several express and passenger trains were cancelled for December 28, as per a report by the Indian Express. These disruptions will affect the travel plans of many passengers. 

The trains that are cancelled are

18 routes impacted, 14 trains diverted 

As per an Indian Express report, railway operations have been affected with at least 18 trains facing issues on Sunday. Out of these, 14 services were diverted, whereas two trains were short-terminated and two others were short-originated. 

The diverted services included: 

Train number 18183

Train number 13332

Train number 22347

Train number 12305

All the above-mentioned trains were rerouted through PKA (Pakur)-DHN (Dhanbhad)-GAYA-PNBE (Patna), with some of the services operating via Gaya and Dhanbad. Passengers are advised to check the latest train updates before planning for their journey. 

On December 16, a goods train derailed at Steel Authority of India Limited’s (SAIL) Gua siding in Jharkhand’s West Singbhum district. The incident caused disruption in the freight movement of the firm’s iron ore mines, officials stated to PTI.

The incident took place on the siding used for loading and unloading iron ore, where one wagon of the train came off the tracks, according to South Eastern Railway’s Senior Divisional Commercial Manager (Chakradhapur), Aditya Kumar Chaudhary.