Train Tragedy at Rangapani: Calls for Enhanced Safety Measures Surge

A routine operational procedure at Lumding station turned disastrous for passengers on the 13174 Agartala-Sealdah Kanchanjunga Express when a goods train struck the express train from behind at Rangapani, near New Jalpaiguri. The incident has sparked urgent calls for improved train safety measures.

A routine operational procedure at Lumding, involving a direction reversal for trains, turned into a life-altering event for passengers on the 13174 Agartala-Sealdah Kanchanjunga Express on Monday.

The express train was struck from behind by a goods train at Rangapani, near New Jalpaiguri, West Bengal. The direction reversal at Lumding meant that coaches initially at the front became the train's rear end.

A passenger in a sleeper coach located in the middle of the rake said, ''The affected coaches were in the front till Lumding.'' He explained that post the direction reversal, the affected four coaches — a general seating coach, two parcel vans, and a guard van — were at the rear end. The general seating coach was most affected, being thrown onto adjacent tracks, he added.

''Our train was moving very slowly when it reached Rangapani, a few kilometers from New Jalpaiguri,'' recounted another passenger, standing beside one of the mangled coaches. Another passenger described a sudden, sharp jerk accompanied by a loud sound, and the train came to an abrupt halt. Upon disembarking, he saw the goods train had hit their rake from behind.

''We were having tea when the train stopped suddenly with a jerk,'' another passenger said. A pregnant woman, traveling with her family, said she fell off her seat upon impact.

''It felt like an earthquake. It took us some time to collect ourselves and understand what happened,'' she said, sitting with her family in one of the air-conditioned sleeper coaches. A local man, who was among the first to start rescue operations, mentioned that the express train was moving slowly when the faster-moving goods train rammed into it from behind.

Visiting the accident site, Darjeeling MP Raju Bista said rescue work was carried out despite inclement weather. ''Our primary concern is to help the affected passengers,'' he said.

Siliguri mayor Goutam Deb, who also visited the accident site, emphasized the need for anti-collision devices in trains to ensure passenger safety. ''Instead of spending huge amounts on bullet trains, the priority should be installing safety devices in trains,'' he said.