Railways attributes Assam train derailment to loco pilot speed control failure

NEW DELHI — Four people sustained minor injuries on Wednesday when the locomotive and five coaches of the Kolkata-Sairang Express derailed near Digaru railway station in Assam’s Kamrup (Metropolitan) district.

The incident, which occurred as the train was entering the station, left passengers shaken as the carriages continued to move for nearly a kilometre off the tracks before coming to a halt. Railway authorities and state officials deployed rescue and recovery teams to the site, while stranded passengers were provided alternative transport arrangements to continue their journeys.

According to a Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) spokesperson, the accident occurred because the loco pilot, having given precedence to another train, was unable to control the speed as the express approached Digaru station. This led to the locomotive and five coaches derailing. A recovery train was dispatched to the site to clear the tracks and manage operations.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma confirmed that four individuals suffered minor injuries and were promptly taken to the Sonapur Primary Health Centre for medical attention. In a social media post, Sarma stated that all other passengers were safe and that the state administration coordinated closely with the Ministry of Railways. He added that basic necessities were distributed to stranded passengers and an alternative train was arranged to transport them onward.

A pantry car manager aboard the train recounted that passengers were asleep around 5 am, and conditions appeared normal until the train neared Guwahati and slowed down approaching Digaru.

“When it crossed the platform at the station, a sound was heard. We don’t know what that sound was. Barely a few metres ahead, I felt the engine derail. We moved for another km in that derailed state,” the crew member said, as quoted by the news agency ANI.

Describing the immediate aftermath, the crew member said he fell from his seat three times and that passengers were unable to open the train gates due to anxiety before the train finally stopped after 10 minutes. He noted that the power car and engine sustained extensive damage.