Rajshahi rail services resume 28 hours after oil carriage carnage

Train communications between Rajshahi and the rest of Bangladesh have been restored 28 hours after derailment of nine oil carriages.

Rain and darkness of the night delayed repair work on the tracks damaged by the crash, and rescue of the derailed carriages, Bangladesh Railway Chief Engineer (West) Afzal Hossain said after the restoration of rail links on Thursday night.

The authorities removed the last oil carriage around 9:45pm and it took about 45 more minutes to prepare the tracks for the resumption of train services for now, according to Afzal.

The repairs will resume on Friday morning, he said, adding that trains will travel at a maximum speed of 10 kilometres per hour in the area until the repairs are done.

The Rajshahi-bound trains that were stranded at stations after the accident on Wednesday evening started for the northern district at 10:30pm, according to the official.

Dhaka-bound Padma Express was scheduled to leave Rajshahi Railway Station at 11:30pm and Dhumketu Express at 2am on Friday, he said.

All train services to and from Rajshahi were cancelled after the oil carriages of the train bound for Rahanpur in Chanpainawabganj from Ishwardi Railway Junction in Pabna went off the tracks at Charghat Upazila when it travelled about a kilometre from Sarada Station towards Rajshahi about 6:30pm on Wednesday.

The tracks in the area were undergoing repairs when the accident took place, Bangladesh Railway General Manager (West) Shahidul Islam said.

Initial investigation found negligence in repairs caused the accident, he said. 

The workers had not put back a few pins called dog spikes that attach sleepers to the tracks leading to the crash, according to Shahidul.

The authorities suspended Bangladesh Railway (West) Assistant Executive Engineer Abdur Rashid in the aftermath of the derailment.