A number of long-distance passenger trains, including three Rajdhanis, were diverted after a goods train went off tracks near Durgawati station, around 296km west of Patna.
The movement of trains on the Gaya-Mughalsarai section of the East Central Railway was suspended after 26 wagons of a coal-laden goods train derailed on Thursday around 9.30pm, 100 yards from the Durgawati station. The goods train was going to Harduaganj in Uttar Pradesh,
Rajdhani Express trains bound for Bhubaneswar, Sealdah (Calcutta) and Howrah were re-routed via Patna. Several other trains such as Kalka Mail, Buddha Purnima Express and Mahabodhi Express were stranded at different stations till the filing of this report.
A number of trains were also cancelled. Gaya railway station manager Sandeep Kumar told The Telegraph: “Both the up and down railway lines have been closed after the accident. Varanasi-Asansol Express and Gaya-Mughalsarai Express were cancelled.”
He added: “The lines are likely to become operational again by 11pm today (Friday).”
Mughalsarai divisional railway manager Anup Kumar and the Bhabua Road station manager Saroj Ranjan Singh rushed to the spot of the accident on Thursday night. Durgawati station is around 20km from the Bhabua Road station in Kaimur district.
Anup later said it would take at least 52 hours to make the tracks fully operational. “The long distance trains on the route would be diverted through Asansol in Bengal and Patna,” he added.
Though no official explained the reason for the accident, sources said the track had broken down. No casualty was reported.