Nationwide train delays as Panchagarh Express derailed in Dhaka

Rail services across Bangladesh were thrown into disarray after the Panchagarh Express derailed near Kamalapur Railway Station late Thursday night.

The incident, occurring around 12:30 am in the outer signal area of the station, led to widespread delays, impacting train schedules from Dhaka on Friday morning.

The derailment brought train operations on both eastern and western routes to a standstill, leaving trains stranded at multiple stations, including Joydebpur, Pubail, and Tongi in Gazipur; Jinaradi and Ghorashal in Narsingdi; and Dhaka Airport, Tejgaon, and Cantonment stations. The result was a ripple effect of delays, with several trains departing 5-7 hours behind schedule.

According to the Kamalapur Railway Station’s dashboard, significant delays included:

Mahanagar Godhuli (Chattogram-bound): Scheduled for 7:45 am, departed at 3:00 pm.

Burimari Express (Lalmonirhat-bound): Scheduled for 8:30 am, departed at 3:30 pm.

Rangpur Express: Scheduled for 9:10 am, departed at 3:40 pm.

Ekota Express (Panchagarh-bound): Scheduled for 10:15 am, departed at 2:15 pm.

Parabat Express (Sylhet-bound): Scheduled for 6:35 am, departed at 2:52 pm.

Other services, such as the Sonar Bangla (Chattogram), Egarosindhur Probhati (Kishoreganj), Teesta Express (Dewanganj), Mohua Commuter (Mohanganj), and Nilsagar Express (Chilahati), experienced delays of 3-5 hours.

Anowar Hossain, station master at Kamalapur, confirmed that three trains were canceled due to scheduling disruptions: the Kishoreganj-bound Kishoreganj Express, the Panchagarh-bound Panchagarh Express, and the Tarakandi-bound Agnibina Express, leaving passengers stranded.

Hossain explained that four carriages of the Panchagarh Express derailed but did not overturn, and no injuries were reported. The derailment occurred just two minutes after the train left the station, running approximately 30 minutes behind schedule. Eyewitnesses reported track damage at the derailment site, though the train’s low speed likely prevented injuries.

Earlier Thursday morning, another derailment involving a Dhaka-Narayanganj local train at Gopibagh led to a five-and-a-half-hour suspension of train services on the Dhaka-Khulna route, further complicating the day’s train operations.

In response, Bangladesh Railway formed a committee led by Divisional Railway Manager Mohammad Mohiuddin Arif to investigate.