Jamui/Patna: Rail traffic on the busy Howrah–Patna–Delhi main line was severely disrupted after a goods train derailed late on Saturday night near Simulthala station, with several wagons plunging into a river and others piling up on the tracks.
The incident occurred around 11.30pm when the cement-laden freight train, travelling on the up line from Jasidih towards Jhajha, derailed on bridge number 676 near Telwa Bazar Halt. Several wagons fell into the Barua River, while around a dozen others collided with each other and came to rest on the down line, bringing train movement to a halt in both directions.
Railway officials said all the wagons were scattered around the bridge, while the locomotive rolled on for nearly 400 metres before stopping near Telwa Bazar Halt. No injuries were reported, but the derailment caused widespread disruption to passenger services during the night.
Operations on both the up and down lines have remained affected since the incident, with several express and passenger trains stranded at different stations. Railway sources said the movement of about two dozen trains was disrupted overnight, causing considerable inconvenience to passengers.
The train’s driver and guard immediately alerted Simulthala station authorities. By around 1am, the station manager Akhilesh Kumar, along with Railway Protection Force outpost in-charge Ravi Kumar and permanent way inspector Randhir Kumar, had reached the site to assess the situation.
A spokesperson for the Asansol Railway Division said a relief and restoration team had been dispatched from Asansol to clear the debris and restore rail traffic. The cause of the derailment is yet to be ascertained, and an inquiry is expected once normal operations resume.
