18 coal-laden wagons derail in Latehar, Rail traffic disrupted

PNS

Daltonganj

Rail services on the Up line under the Dhanbad Division of East Central Railway (ECR) were severely disrupted on Thursday after 18 coal-laden wagons of a goods train derailed near Rajhara railway station in Jharkhand’s Latehar district.

According to railway sources, the incident occurred around 1:15 pm when a long-haul coal train comprising 116 wagons was moving from the Tori side towards Mughalsarai. The derailment took place near railway pole number 302/21 while the train was negotiating a route from the Up line to a reversible line.

Confirming the incident, Daltonganj Railway Station Superintendent Umesh Kumar said that 18 coal-loaded wagons went off the tracks. Fortunately, no injuries or casualties were reported among the locomotive crew, guard, or any railway personnel.

The derailment, however, caused significant damage to railway infrastructure, including overhead electrical equipment (OHE), with several wires snapping during the mishap. As a result, all train movement on the Up line was suspended immediately after the accident.

Railway officials said restoration work was launched on a war footing, but normal operations are expected to resume only after another four to five hours. Heavy machinery and technical teams have been deployed at the site to clear the affected wagons and repair damaged infrastructure.

The disruption has impacted both short-distance and long-distance passenger services. The East Central Railway headquarters announced the cancellation of the Ranchi–Sasaram and Barwadih–Dehri-on-Sone passenger trains. Several important long-distance trains, including the Jharkhand Express, Palamu Express and Jammu Tawi Express, have been diverted for June 4.

There was initial confusion regarding the exact number of derailed wagons. While a railway traffic inspector put the figure at 16 and an ECR note suggested that wagons numbered 18 to 32 had derailed, senior railway officials consistently maintained that 18 wagons were involved in the accident.

Railway authorities have ordered an inquiry into the cause of the derailment. Officials said several factors can trigger such incidents, including broken axles, roller-bearing failures, defective spring gears, track geometry defects and other mechanical faults. Sources also indicated that the loading pattern and weight distribution in the long-haul coal train could be examined as part of the investigation.

Restoration efforts continued late into the evening as railway teams worked to restore normal traffic on the busy route.