West Bengal: What Caused Bankura Train Accident? Railway Official Reveals

Two goods trains of the Indian Railways collided at the Onda railway station in Bankura of West Bengal, on the morning of June 25, 2023. As per the visuals, several wagons and engine of a goods train derailed in the accident. Eleven trains have been cancelled so far. As per a South Eastern Railway official, the goods train (BCN) overshot the red signal, didn't stop, and derailed with the BRN maintenance train.

The railways have restored the UP Mail Line and UP Loop Line, and train movement has resumed. The initial investigation reveals that one of the goods train failed to stop on time and crashed on another parked maintenance train. 

"A goods train was standing in the loop line, and another train was supposed to stop at the signal, but it overshot the red signal, leading to derailment. Restoration work was completed around 7.30 a.m., and the first train has been moved from the site at around 8.30 a.m. As of now, 11 trains have been cancelled," Aditya Kumar Chaudhary, CPRO South Eastern Railway told ANI.

The accident came just weeks after the horrific triple train collision involving the Coromandel Express and two other trains in Odisha's Balasore that claimed at least 275 lives and injured 1,000.

As per a report submitted to the Railway Board, the Coromandel Express travelling from Shalimar to Chennai Central was at a speed of 128 kmph, when possible signalling failure sent the train to the loop line instead of the main line just ahead of the Bahanagar Bazar railway station. The express train then rear ended into a parked goods train on the loop line, resulting in 4-5 coaches to scatter on the adjacent track.

Around the same time, the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express was running at a speed of 116 kmph. The coaches of Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express capsized after crashing into the coaches of Coromandel Express that had scattered on the adjacent track.