Fifty-three of 58 coal-laden compartments of an East Central Railways (ECR) goods train derailed on the Gaya-Dhanbad section, forcing the diversion of more than a dozen long-distance passenger trains ahead of Chhath, when tens of thousands of migrant workers return to Bihar and Jharkhand to celebrate the festival.
According to officials, no casualties were immediately reported, and the derailment occurred after the train’s brakes failed and it collided with an electric pole while crossing a hilly area. The train was travelling from Gaya to Koderma.
According to officials, the loco pilot attempted to reduce train speed after noticing brake problems, but due to the steep slope, this was not possible.
ECR chief public relations officer Birendra Kumar said the train derailed at 6.24am. “…due to the accident, movement on both tracks have been disrupted, leading to diversion of passenger trains. Senior railway officials have reached the accident site and are probing the cause of the derailment while efforts are on to put back the derailed coaches on the tracks.”
Kumar said it will take some time before the tracks are cleared. “The primary objective is to restore the train movement to both sides.”
The coal was strewn across the railway tracks, causing damage to several pillars, electrical poles, signal posts, and both tracks.
The train movement on the Howrah-Deen Dayal Upadhyay route was disrupted by the derailment. Some trains have been routed via Sasaram-Ara-Mughalsarai, Gaya-Patna, and Dehri-on-Sone-Chopan-Allahabad, while others have been routed via Mughalsarai-Patna-Jhajha. Due to the detours, passengers will have to travel six to ten hours longer to their destinations.