Rail links with Rajshahi restored after 28 hours

The rail communication of Rajshahi with other parts of the country was restored after 28 hours disruption following derailment of a freight train in Dighalkandi area of Charghat upazila in the district on Wednesday.

Khandaker Shahidul Islam, general manager of Bangladesh Railway (West Zone) said of the train’s 30 oil tanker wagons, eight went off the lines in outer Sardaha Road Station area around 6:00pm, damaging around 500 metres of the tracks.

Later, a relief train from Ishwardi rushed to the spot and salvaged the train around 10:30pm on Thursday after over 25-hour struggle amidst inclement weather, said the official.

The derailment caused immense suffering of thousands of people including the Hajj pilgrims, as journey of all the scheduled trains between Rajshahi and other parts of the country had been cancelled.

After successful salvation of the oil tankers on the repaired track, Rajshahi-bound intercity train Padma Express from Dhaka that remained stranded at Sardaha station left the area around 11:30pm on Thursday.

Shahidul Islam said the engineers primarily detected a spread of gauge (space between the lines) that caused the oil train derailment. They also had found a portion of the rail lines broken, he added.

Meanwhile, the railway authority has formed a five-member probe body headed by divisional transport officer Abdullah Al Mamun to investigate into the derailment incident asking it to submit its report within next 72 hours.

Abdullah Al Mamun told newsmen that the probe body has been asked to find the cause of the accident and persons responsible and submit the report within three days.

Source: bss