Late on Saturday night, a goods train derailment in Bihar’s Jamui district brought rail traffic on one of eastern India’s busiest corridors to a halt, triggering cancellations, diversions and overnight delays for thousands of passengers.
Eight wagons of the goods train derailed between Lahabon and Simultala railway stations under the Asansol division of Eastern Railways at around 11.25 pm.
The stretch lies on the Howrah-Patna-Delhi route, a key artery for long-distance passenger and freight movement. No casualties have been reported so far, officials said.
An Eastern Railway official said that an inquiry has been ordered into the cause of the accident. The derailment disrupted the movement of around two dozen trains overnight, adding to passenger inconvenience on a weekend night.
Accident relief trains were rushed to the site from Asansol, Madhupur and Jhajha stations. According to the official, clearing of the tracks and restoration work were being done on a war footing.
The blockage led to widespread operational changes. Several express and passenger services were cancelled, rescheduled or diverted due to the derailment of the goods train, the ER official said.
Among the cancelled trains were the 12369 Howrah-Dehradun Kumbha Express, 13105 Sealdah-Ballia Express, 13030 Mokama-Howrah Express, along with a number of MEMU services.
Railways also diverted multiple long-distance trains through alternative routes, including via Dhanbad-Gaya.
These included the 12305 Howrah-New Delhi Rajdhani Express, 22347 Howrah-Patna Vande Bharat Express, 22500 Varanasi-Deoghar Vande Bharat Express, 22499 Deoghar-Varanasi Vande Bharat Express and 13332 Patna-Dhanbad Intercity Express.
As restoration work continues, railway authorities have advised passengers to check train status before travel, while the inquiry into the cause of the derailment remains underway.