Several trains cancelled, diverted; restoration work underway
Mail News Service
Seraikela, Aug 9: Rail services in Jharkhand’s Adra Division were thrown into disarray on Saturday morning after two goods trains were derailed between Chandil and Nimdih close to Chandil railway station on Saturday at 02:45 hours.
According to South Eastern Railway (SER) officials, a goods train loaded with iron ore was travelling from Tatanagar to Purulia. After crossing Chandil station, several of its wagons derailed and encroached onto the adjacent track. At that juncture, another goods train was approaching from the opposite direction. The derailed wagons struck the middle portion of the oncoming train, causing multiple wagons from both trains to go off the rails.
While initial media reports suggested a head-on collision, SER clarified that the incident involved derailments during parallel movement, not a frontal crash. The accident site was between Pitki railway gate and Chandil station.
A few crew members suffered minor injuries and were admitted to a nearby hospital. However, there were no serious casualties. Officials noted that had a passenger train been involved instead of freight trains, the consequences could have been far more severe.
The impact of the derailment caused significant track damage, halting all train operations on both up and down lines in the Chandil–Gunda Bihar section. Senior Divisional Commercial Manager (Adra Division) Vikash Kumar confirmed that efforts were underway to restore services at the earliest.
Preliminary reports indicated that the mishap might have been triggered by technical issues, though a detailed inquiry was in progress. Senior railway officials, engineers, and accident relief teams were at the site overseeing recovery operations and track repair.
The disruption had affected both passenger and freight operations on the Chandil–Tatanagar and Chandil–Bokaro routes. As a result, several express and passenger trains had been cancelled, diverted, or short-terminated. Passengers were being informed through station announcements and helpdesk services.
Hundreds of travellers were reported to be stranded at various stations. The railway was arranging alternative transport to help them reach their destinations.
Track clearance, repair work, and re-railing operations were being conducted on a war footing. Heavy machinery had been deployed, and railway teams were working round the clock to resume operations on the affected section.
A South Eastern Railway spokesperson said, “Passenger safety is our top priority. Our staff are working tirelessly to restore normal train services, and passengers are requested to stay updated through official channels.”
Railway officials expect partial operations to resume soon, though complete restoration may take longer given the extent of track damage.
