In Bihar’s Ara, the 15483 Alipurduar Junction-Delhi Mahananda Express derailed at around 4 a.m. on Sunday. The engine, SLR, and H-1 coach went off the track. However, the railway said that one wheel of a coach had derailed.
The incident took place on the Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya-Danapur rail section. Following the incident, panic broke out among the railway staff and passengers aboard the train. Railway officials and employees promptly reached the spot and began relief and rescue operations. No one was injured in the incident.
The Mahananda Express was dispatched about three and a half hours after the accident. Repair work on the derailed coaches is ongoing. In this case, Ara station manager N.K. Rai has been suspended.
The derailment of the Mahananda Express affected the Delhi-Howrah route. Vande Bharat, Vibhuti Express, Gandhi Dham, Captain Express, Intercity, Garib Rath, passenger trains, Udna Express, and several other trains are running late.
The train took the Sasaram line instead of the Delhi line
According to the information, the Mahananda Express arrived at platform number two of Ara Railway Station at around 4:12 a.m. The train was scheduled to depart from here for Delhi.
It is being reported that, due to a technical problem during the train’s operation, its signal went toward the Sasaram line.
After this, the train moved forward and derailed on the up line, about 200 meters from the station. After the engine, the SLR and H-1 coaches derailed, railway personnel immediately began relief and rescue operations.
However, the exact reasons for the derailment of the Mahananda Express have not yet been ascertained by the Railways. Railway officials are conducting a technical investigation.
Some pictures related to the incident…
Three coaches of the Mahananda Express derailed in Ara.
The incident occurred 200 meters from Ara Railway Station.
Railway officials immediately began repair work on the derailed train.
The derailed coaches of the Mahananda Express standing near pole number 593/9A.
Train proceeded through red signal: Station Master suspended
After the incident, suspended Station Manager N.K. Rai said that I was informed about the train derailment at 4:20 a.m. I immediately reserved a vehicle from home and reached the site at 4:30 a.m. At the site, I saw that the SLR and the second H-1 coach had derailed.
He said that two wheels each of both coaches had derailed. After that, we spoke to the officials and informed them. An announcement was made, and the train passengers were seated on platform number 4. Then, as part of the process, the train was reversed and brought to the other side using another engine, leaving the derailed coach behind.
After that, an announcement was made, the passengers present on platform number 4 were given seats on the train again, and the train was dispatched. He said that the accident was caused by receiving an incorrect signal.
He said that who was at fault in this matter would only be known after the investigation.
After being suspended, NK Rai said, “I am not at fault. I did what was my duty. I was at the spot and was the first to arrive, yet I was suspended. It was the officer’s order, and I have been suspended. In my view, the driver is responsible for the negligence.”
The coaches were put back on the track in about 3 hours
Railway employees carried out relief work and put all three derailed coaches back on the track. The railway’s technical team reached the spot and began inspecting the track and signaling system.
No casualties among the passengers have been reported in the accident. However, the incident, which occurred in the morning, created a chaotic situation among the passengers.
The railway authorities are working on a war footing to restore normal operations. Officials say that the circumstances surrounding the incident and responsibility for it will become clear only after the investigation.
DRM Reaches the Spot
Vinod Kumar, DRM of the Danapur Railway Division, has reached Ara Railway Station and begun investigating the accident. Senior railway engineering officials from the Danapur Railway Division have also arrived with him.
There has been no loss of life or property in the incident. The mill is being placed back on the track with a jack, and operations on the up line will resume within an hour. – Saraswati Chandra, Chief Public Relations Officer, East Central Railway, Hajipur
