Ekota Express derailment snaps northbound rail services

Several trains remain stuck at different stations after the incident

The derailment of Panchagarh-bound Ekota Express near Pabna’s Ishurdi Bypass Station has severed Dhaka’s rail connection with northern districts.

On Monday, the train went off the tracks around 4pm, said Abu Hena Mostafa Alam, divisional railway manager of the Western Railway’s Pakshi division.

Railway officials said the derailment occurred moments before the train entered the bypass station, sending all eight wheels of two coaches off the tracks. No casualties were reported.

The disruption left several trains stranded at different stations, causing major inconvenience for passengers.

A relief train from the Ishuardi Locomotive Diesel Workshop was sent to the site to remove the derailed coaches and restore the track as quickly as possible.

The Pakshi Railway Division has launched an inquiry into the incident, headed by Divisional Transport Officer Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan.

The five-member committee has been asked to submit a detailed report within three working days to determine the cause of the derailment.