Three Coaches of Secunderabad-Shalimar Superfast Express Derail near Howrah

Three coaches of the Secunderabad-Shalimar Superfast Express derailed on Saturday morning near Howrah in West Bengal. The incident, which occurred at approximately 5:31 am, involved a parcel van and two passenger coaches, including the B1 coach. According to South Eastern Railway, the derailment occurred while the train was shifting from the middle track to the outer track. No casualties or major injuries have been reported.

"At 5:31 am, the Secunderabad-Shalimar Weekly Express train derailed while going from the middle line to the down line. One parcel van and two passenger coaches have derailed. No major injury or casualty has been reported. Around 10 buses have been arranged for passengers for their onward journey,” said Omprakash Charan, Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of South Eastern Railway.

Emergency teams were immediately dispatched to the site. Relief trains and medical assistance from Santragachhi and Kharagpur reached the location promptly. Buses were also arranged to transport stranded passengers to their destination. "We are actively assisting the passengers," Charan added.

The cause of the derailment is still under investigation, with initial reports suggesting the train was shifting tracks when the accident took place. This derailment comes amid ongoing concerns about railway safety. Over the past five years, 351 people have died and nearly 1,000 others have been injured in consequential railway accidents, according to data from Indian Railways. Despite these statistics, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw recently noted improvements in safety, stating, "Ten years ago, there were 171 accidents per year; this has come down to 40 accidents now."​