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Early Saturday morning, a close call unfolded near Nalpur station, 41 kilometers from Kolkata, as three coaches of the 22850 Secunderabad-Shalimar Weekly Express derailed. The incident, which occurred at approximately 5:31 AM, involved two AC coaches and a parcel van. Thankfully, despite the derailment, no passengers were injured. The train, traveling at a speed of around 15 kilometers per hour, was in the process of changing tracks when the accident occurred.
Immediate action was taken to address the situation, with relief and medical trains from Santragachhi and Kharagpur dispatched to the scene. Passengers stranded due to the derailment were transported to Shalimar using 10 buses and an EMU train. The incident, however, caused significant disruptions to rail services. Several long-distance trains and local EMUs faced delays, including the Howrah-Puri Vande Bharat and Howrah-Ranchi Vande Bharat, which experienced delays of at least four hours. It wasn't until 6 PM that the tracks were cleared, allowing for the resumption of normal services.
An investigation into the cause of the derailment is underway, led by a five-member committee of senior railway officials. While the engine and the remaining coaches remained on the designated track, the parcel van and the two derailed coaches ended up off the tracks. Preliminary suspicions point to potential issues with the points, movable sections of track that determine the train's route. Factors such as weather conditions, debris on the tracks, a faulty drive mechanism, or even incorrect setting could contribute to points failure. The condition of the train's rake and bogies is also under scrutiny.
The derailment comes just a day after a report from the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) attributed the June 17 Kanchanjungha Express-freight train crash near Jalpaiguri, which claimed 10 lives and left 43 injured, to the negligence of several railway personnel. This recent incident serves as a stark reminder of the critical importance of maintaining rigorous safety protocols within the railway system to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.
Source: Close Shave as Three Coaches of Secunderabad-Shalimar Express Derail Near Kolkata