Dolanchapa Express Coach Derails at Badarganj in Rangpur, Train Services Halted on Parbatipur-Rangpur Route

A coach of the Dolanchapa intercity train has derailed near Badarganj railway station in Rangpur. As a result, rail communication on the Parbatipur-Rangpur route remains closed. The accident took place near Badarganj railway station on Saturday evening.

Local sources said that when the Santahar-to-Panchagarh Dolanchapa intercity train reached line number 1 near Badarganj station in the evening, four wheels of one coach derailed. Train movement on that route was disrupted as a result.

After the accident, passengers got off the train and set off for their destinations by alternative transport. However, long-distance passengers suffered, because after suddenly getting off the train in the evening it was not easy for them to find another vehicle.

Parbatipur-bound passengers Obaidul Haque and Majed Ali said a fault appeared in the train after it passed Auliaganj station. There was a lot of noise. When it reached Badarganj station, four wheels in the middle section of coach number four derailed. Their account suggests there were signs of something abnormal in the train even before the derailment.

On the other hand, several eyewitnesses near the station claimed the accident may have happened because bamboo and firewood had been placed on the railway line. Questions have also been raised about how such an obstruction came to be on the line.

After the accident, several passengers expressed anger blaming the driver. At one stage, the driver and the guard were reportedly beaten. Seeing the situation deteriorate, driver Rafiqul Islam got off the train.

Confirming the accident, Badarganj Station Master Imrul Kayes said the train derailed because bamboo and firewood had been placed on the railway line. Train services will return to normal once a rescue train from Parbatipur reaches the scene, he said.

However, as of the last reports at 8:30pm on Saturday, the rescue train had not yet reached the scene. As a result, the work of removing the derailed coach and clearing the line could not begin by then either.

Rangpur railway station superintendent Abdullah Al Mamun said the Dolanchapa train, which had left Santahar, was heading towards Panchagarh. When it reached the Badarganj railway station area, a coach of the train derailed. Panic spread among the passengers. However, there were no casualties.

He said the railway divisional headquarters has been informed. A rescue team from Lalmonirhat has left for the scene. For now, train movement through Badarganj remains closed.

Although there were no casualties in the accident, the closure of the route has affected passengers across the entire Parbatipur-Rangpur line. Until the rescue team arrives and lifts or removes the coach, there is no prospect of normal services returning on this route.

Everyone is now waiting for the rescue train and team to reach the scene. Once they arrive, work will first begin to remove the derailed coach, and then, after checking the condition of the line, a decision will come on restoring train services. At the same time, a railway explanation may also come on how the bamboo and firewood came to be placed on the line.