On Monday morning, a tragic accident occurred when a goods train collided with the rear-end of the Sealdah-bound Kanchanjunga Express near Rangapani, about 10 km south of New Jalpaiguri. The collision, which happened at 8:55 am, resulted in the deaths of nine people.
Despite the impact, the Kanchanjunga Express, with its 19 unaffected coaches, resumed its journey to Kolkata around noon with 1,293 passengers. The train reached Sealdah in Kolkata at approximately 3:15 am on Tuesday. Passengers described the experience as a nightmare. One woman recounted, “It is the mercy of God that I am alive today. There was a huge jerk, and I fell from the upper-tier.”
Railway officials have cleared both the up and down lines, resuming services. However, several trains, including the Rajdhani Express and Vande Bharat Express, were diverted on Monday due to the accident.
The death toll stands at nine, with six bodies identified and handed over to families, while three remain unidentified. Initial reports suggest the accident may have been caused by a combination of a signaling fault and human error by the goods train driver. Investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause.
