Key Highlights
- Incident:Kolkata-Sairang Express derailed near Digaru railway station.
- Time:The derailment occurred at approximately 6:54 a.m. on Wednesday.
- Casualties:No fatalities reported; four passengers sustained minor injuries.
GUWAHATI, Assam — Panic swept through early-morning commuters in Assam's Kamrup (Metropolitan) district on Wednesday when the Kolkata–Sairang Express (Train No. 13125) jumped the tracks near Digaru railway station. The derailment, which occurred at approximately 6:54 a.m., sent the locomotive and at least five coaches off the rails as the train was being received into the station loop.
The train was en route from Kolkata to Sairang, near Aizawl in Mizoram, serving as a critical rail link between Mizoram and eastern India. According to initial statements from the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), the derailment took place while the locomotive was yielding precedence to allow another train to pass.
"The accident occurred when the Kolkata-Sairang Express was entering Digaru railway station and the loco pilot gave precedence to another train, but could not control the speed," an NFR spokesperson explained. "This resulted in an unfortunate incident of derailment, in which the locomotive along with 5 coaches derailed."
Local residents in the surrounding area reported hearing a loud, terrifying grinding noise as the train lurched off the main line. Eyewitnesses rushed to the site—just 500 meters from the station building—to assist passengers exiting the tilted carriages. Initial reports raised concerns of severe casualties given the speed and scale of the derailment. However, official sources confirmed that miraculous luck prevailed, with no fatalities reported.
Four passengers who sustained minor injuries were promptly transported to the Sonapur Primary Health Centre for medical treatment. Meanwhile, Northeast Frontier Railway officials confirmed that stranded passengers received basic necessities on-site before being transferred to an alternate train to continue their journeys to Mizoram and eastern Assam. To manage the response directly, NFR General Manager Vivek Khare and senior divisional managers arrived at Digaru to oversee track clearance and coordinate ongoing relief operations.
A heavy-duty relief train equipped with cranes and restoration equipment arrived at the derailment site shortly after the incident. Railway engineers are currently working to clear the damaged cars and inspect the track infrastructure. While initial assessments point to a failure to regulate speed during station reception, senior railway officials have ordered a formal safety inquiry to establish whether brake failure or mechanical issues contributed to the derailment. Restoration work is expected to continue throughout the day to reopen the key rail corridor.
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