TRAIN DERAIL: Three Coaches, Including Parcel Van, of Secunderabad-Shalimar Express Derail Near Howrah

Three coaches of the Secunderabad-Shalimar Superfast Express (Train No. 22850) derailed near Nalpur Station in Howrah, West Bengal, on Saturday morning. According to Omprakash Charan, the Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of South Eastern Railway, the incident involved three coaches, including the B1 coach.

The derailment, reported early today, has raised concerns, but Charan confirmed that there have been no injuries or fatalities. In response, the railways dispatched an accident relief train and medical teams from Santragachi and Kharagpur. Additionally, buses were arranged to transport passengers to Kolkata.

Charan provided more details, saying, “At 5:31 am, the Secunderabad-Shalimar Weekly Express derailed while transitioning from the middle line to the down line. One parcel van and two passenger coaches were affected. No major injuries or casualties have been reported. Around 10 buses have been arranged for passengers for their onward journey."

Passengers affected by the derailment can contact the following help desk numbers for assistance:

Shalimar: 62955 31471

Santragachi: 98312 43655 / 89102 61621

Kharagpur: 63764 (Railway) / P/T. 032229-3764

Howrah: 75950 74714

In the past five years, Indian Railways has reported 351 deaths and 970 injuries due to railway accidents across 17 zones. However, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw mentioned last month that the number of annual accidents has significantly decreased from 171 a decade ago to 40 now.