Two goods trains collide near West Bengal's Bankura, derailment affects train services
What happened?
On Sunday, June 25, 2023, around 4 am, two goods trains collided with each other at Onda railway station in Bankura district of West Bengal. The collision caused 12 bogies of the trains to derail, blocking the tracks and disrupting the train services on the Kharagpur-Bankura-Adra line of the South Eastern Railway (SER).
According to a senior official, the likely cause of the accident was that the driver of the moving goods train overshot the home signal at Onda, which was red. No injuries or casualties have been reported, except for minor injuries to the driver of one of the goods trains.
What are the consequences?
The accident affected the train services in the Adra division of SER, which serves four districts of West Bengal and three districts of Jharkhand. Several trains were cancelled, diverted or short-terminated due to the derailment.
The railway authorities restored the upline for normal train services within hours of the collision and the first train passed through at 8.35 am. However, more trains are likely to be cancelled due to the incident.
The railway officials said that they are trying to assess the cause of the mishap and clear the tracks as soon as possible.
What is the context?
The incident comes just a month after a horrific triple train collision in Odisha's Balasore district, which claimed at least 275 lives. On June 2, 2023, three trains - Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express and a goods train - collided one after another near Bahanaga Bazar station due to signal failure.
The collision involving two goods trains in West Bengal has raised concerns about the safety and maintenance of railway infrastructure in India.
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FAQ's
Where did the two trains collide?
BALASORE, India (AP) — Rescuers found no more survivors in the overturned and mangled wreckage of two passenger trains that derailed in eastern India, killing more than 280 people and injuring hundreds in one of the country's deadliest rail crashes in decades, officials said Saturday.
Which local train collide in Sealdah?
Local train services between Ranaghat and Sealdah under the Sealdah North section of Eastern Railway were disrupted for about an hour when a Sealdah-bound Santipur local hit a Maruti van near a level-crossing at Mansapota area close to Shimurali rail station in Nadia on Friday afternoon.
What happens if trains collide?
Very cold weather can cause a derailment – when a train comes off the tracks. Specifically, freeze thaw can lead to this problem. This is when a very wet autumn is followed by a sharp drop in temperature, which can freeze the rain in the ballast (the stone bed that supports the tracks) and move the track when it thaws.
What is the famous train collision?
The Great Train Wreck of 1918. On July 9, 1918, two passenger trains collided head-on in Nashville, Tennessee. Today, it remains the worst railroad accident in United States history.
