Train collision near Shalimar leads to derailment of 3 coaches

Kolkata: Two empty coaches of the Santragachi-Tirupati Superfast Express derailed on Sunday near the Padmapukur Railway maintenance yard, close to Shalimar Station under South Eastern Railway (SER), following a sideways collision with a parcel van. Another coach from the other train involved in the incident also derailed.

There were no injuries or casualties reported as the Tirupati Express was not carrying passengers. However, train services were disrupted due to the incident, as the derailed coaches blocked the important loop line running from Shalimar to Santragachi.

Railway officials said that the incident occurred around 9:30 am during rake shunting, the process of moving, sorting and organising rail coaches. The empty Tirupati Express was travelling from Santragachi to Shalimar, while a locomotive pulling two coaches, including an SLR (Sitting cum Luggage) coach, was stationed on a side track. Sources suggest the collision was caused by a misreading of signals by the two drivers in charge of the shunting operation, leading them to move forward simultaneously and causing the sideways collision. Railway officials have initiated an inquiry into the cause of the incident.

Due to the incident several trains, including the Dhauli Express and East-Coast Express, experienced delays of several hours. The Tirupati Express, initially scheduled to depart at 2:55 pm, was delayed by nearly nine hours, with its rescheduled departure time pushed to midnight. The Dhauli and East-Coast Expresses were delayed by approximately

five hours. Road traffic was also impacted as the Padmapukur Rail Crossing was blocked, leading to severe congestion on Carry Road and Andul Road.