Rail link with Ctg snapped after engine failure, derailment in Cumilla

Rail communication between Chattogram and rest of the country was suspended on Wednesday night after the engine of the Chattogram-bound Sonar Bangla Express had a mechanical fault and the Chandpur-bound Meghna Express derailed in Cumilla's Hasanpur area.

The engine of the Chattogram-bound Sonar Bangla Express developed a mechanical fault near the outer signal of Hasanpur Railway Station at around 7:30pm, said Laksam Railway Junction Station Master Md Omar Faruk.

Later, at around 8:00pm, the Chandpur-bound Meghna Express derailed while passing through an alternative track between Hasanpur and Gunabati railway stations, he added.

As a result, rail communication on both tracks was suspended.

Railway authorities were bringing a replacement engine to the spot. Train services are expected to resume once the engine arrives and recovery operations are completed.

Meanwhile, several trains remained stranded at Laksam and Cumilla railway stations due to the disruption, causing significant suffering for thousands of passengers.

According to the Laksam station master, at the time of the filing of this report, train services on the down line from Dhaka to Chattogram had not yet returned to normal, while the up line from Chattogram to Dhaka had been reopened.