2 trains cancelled, 6 diverted after freight wagons derail near Rajhara railway station

Daltonganj: Two trains were cancelled and six others were diverted after several wagons of a freight train carrying coal derailed near Rajhara railway station on Thursday. The derailment snapped power lines and suspended train operations on the railway route, which comes under the Dhanbad railway division of East Central Railway (ECR) zone.Daltonganj station superintendent Umesh Kumar said, “The 116-wagon coal-laden train was travelling from Tori towards Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay station when 18 wagons derailed near pole number 302/21 while shifting from the Up line to a reversible line.” The derailment took place around 1:15 pm. No crew member of the train was injured in the incident.ECR officials said Ranchi-Sasaram Intercity Express and Barwadih-Dehri-On-Sone passenger trains were cancelled after the derailment. Railway sources said more than half a dozen trains including Jharkhand Express for Anand Vihar Terminal, Palamu express train for Patna, Sambalpur Jammu Tawai express train, Shaktipunj express train were diverted.Restoration work was underway till the time of filing the report.Railway sources said an inquiry has been ordered. Possible causes under examination include axle failure, defective bearings, track defects or mechanical faults. The train’s long haul and coal loading may also have impacted stability due to centre-of-gravity issues, officials suspected.