Four air-conditioned coaches of the Chauri Chaura Express derailed as the train left Kanpur Central station on Wednesday evening, in India’s second train derailment of the day.
The train, number 15003, running from Anwarganj to Gorakhpur, departed platform seven at Kanpur Central at 5:03 p.m. Four coaches — B4, B5, B6 and B7 — came off the tracks at about 5:05 to 5:07 p.m. as the train moved out of the station.
Around 300 passengers were in the affected coaches. No casualties or injuries were reported, according to North Central Railway, and railway staff moved quickly to help passengers out of the derailed coaches.
One trolley, or wheelset, of each coach came off the tracks. The cause of the derailment is not yet known, and an inquiry has been ordered. Railway engineers were working through the evening to re-rail the coaches and clear the line.
A special train was arranged from Kanpur Central for the affected passengers, and the remaining coaches were moved to platform three so the journey could resume. Other train operations at the station were not affected.
It was the second derailment on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, the Kolkata–Sairang Express derailed at Digaru in Assam, with five coaches and the engine coming off the tracks and four passengers suffering minor injuries. Around 800 passengers were moved by a relief service.
Two derailments on the same day will raise fresh questions about track maintenance and safety on the Indian Railways network, which carries more than 20 million passengers a day and has been under pressure to reduce accidents.
The railway ministry has invested heavily in track renewal and in the Kavach automatic train protection system, but derailments continue to occur, often because of track defects, mechanical failure or, in some cases, sabotage.
Passengers on the Chauri Chaura Express described a sudden jolt and a loud noise as the coaches left the tracks, followed by confusion as staff asked them to leave the train. Many were able to continue their journey on the special train arranged by the railways.
The inquiry will look at the condition of the track at the point where the coaches derailed, the speed of the train as it left the station, and the maintenance history of the affected coaches. Its findings are expected in the coming days.
