A fatal train accident occurred in Darjeeling district on Monday when the Kanchanjungha Express collided with a goods train from behind. The incident claimed the lives of 10 individuals and left over 60 injured. In the aftermath, several trains on this route have been cancelled for Tuesday, with others diverted. The Northeast Frontier Railway announced the cancellation of five trains, including the Katihar-Siliguri Intercity Express, Siliguri-Katihar Intercity Express, New Jalpaiguri-Howrah Shatabdi Express, Howrah-New Jalpaiguri Shatabdi Express, and Siliguri-Jogbani Intercity Express.
Changes in routes
Additionally, the New Jalpaiguri to New Delhi-bound train number 12523 Superfast Express will now depart at 12:00 PM. Routes have been adjusted for trains arriving from New Delhi, including train number 20504 Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express, and trains arriving from Silchar, like train number 13176 Siyaldeh Kanchanjunga Express and train number 12523 New Delhi Superfast Express.
Restoration efforts
Railway officials are working overnight to repair tracks. Safety inspections are underway near the accident site, and tracks adjacent to the incident location will soon be operational. The damaged train, Kanchanjungha Express, has been moved to the Siyaldeh station in Kolkata after repair work was completed.
Cause of the accident
The tragic incident occurred around 8:55 AM near Jalpaiguri station when the driver of a goods train overlooked signals and collided with the Kanchanjungha Express heading towards Siyaldeh. This accident happened in the Farsidewa area of Darjeeling district. Nine casualties were reported, including six passengers and three railway personnel, with over 50 others injured and hospitalised for treatment.
Also read | Kanchanjungha Express accident: Rail services resume after 12 hours, first video emerges | WATCH
