UNB :
Rail services between Dhaka and Chattogram have been suspended since Tuesday morning, following the derailment of a freight train at Tongi junction of Gazipur district.
Nur Mohammad, in-charge of Tongi railway, said that three bogies of the freight train veered off the tracks in the junction area around 10.30 am, disrupting rail services on three key routes — Dhaka-Chattogram, Dhaka-Sylhet and Dhaka-Mymensingh.
Though authorities managed to restore services on the Dhaka-Mymensingh and the Dhaka-Sylhet routes, train communication on the Dhaka-Chattogram route is yet to resume.
A relief train has already reached the spot to conduct the salvage operation.
No causality was reported till the filling of this report around 1 pm.
Meanwhile, Dhaka’s rail link with Chittagong and Sylhet was restored nine hours after a freight train derailed in Gazipur’s Tongi on Tuesday morning.
Three carriages of a Dhaka-bound freight train from Chittagong veered off the tracks around 10:30am at Keranir Tek area, snapping Dhaka’s rail link with the rest of the country.
Confirming the matter, Airport Railway Station Master Md Halimuzzaman said no casualties were reported at the time.
Although the rail link with North Bengal resumed shortly after, the capital’s rail link with Chittagong and Sylhet remained suspended for nine hours, he added.
“Rail service on the Dhaka-Chittagong-Sylhet route later resumed at around 7:30pm after a relief train arrived on site and removed the carriages from the tracks,” he also added.
Meanwhile, a five-member investigation committee was formed over the incident, said Bangladesh Railway’s Dhaka Divisional Manager (DRM) Sadequr Rahman after inspecting the spot.
He said the committee was directed to submit the investigation report within the next three working days.
“After the investigation, we can confirm why the accident happened and the people responsible as well as the extent of damage,” he added.
