Watch | Ashwini Vaishnaw rides pillion on a motorbike to Kanchanjunga train accident site, says ’no time for politics’

Kanchanjunga train accident: On Monday afternoon, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw inspected the site of the train collision at Rangapani near New Jalpaiguri station in West Bengal to assess the situation. A goods Train that overshot signal rammed into the 13174 Agartala-Sealdah Kanchanjunga Express, killing 15 people and injuring over 60 people.

Ashwini Vaishnaw traveled pillion on a motorbike to reach the accident site due to the narrow road unsuitable for larger vehicles. Vaishnaw also visited a hospital in Darjeeling where the injured have been admitted.

At the Kanchanjunga train accident site, the Union Minister for Railways, said that the ‘focus is on restoration’. Viashnaw added, “This is the main line. The rescue operation has been completed. This is not the time for politics.”

Kanchanjunga Train Accident

According to a Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) official, a goods train collided with the Sealdah-bound Kanchanjunga Express from behind near Rangapani station on Monday morning, resulting in fatalities and injuries to several individuals.

The express train was struck from behind by a goods train at Rangapani, near New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal.

According to a railway official, the automatic signaling system between Ranipatra Railway Station and Chattar Hat Junction in West Bengal, where a goods train rear-ended the Sealdah Kanchanjunga Express, had been defective since 5:50 AM.

"Train No 13174 (Sealdah Kanchanjunga Express) departed Rangapani station at 8:27 am and stopped between Ranipatra railway station and Chattar Hat due to automatic signalling failure from 5:50 am," the source told PTI.

The Railway Board in its initial statement said that the driver of the goods train violated the signal.

The Kanchanjunga Express operates daily, linking West Bengal state with various cities in the northeast. It serves as a popular choice for tourists heading to Darjeeling, especially during the peak season when other parts of India experience intense summer heat.

India boasts an extensive railway network covering 64,000 kilometers of track, with over 14,000 trains carrying more than 12 million passengers daily. Despite ongoing governmental initiatives to enhance rail safety, the country still witnesses several hundred accidents annually, often attributed to human errors or outdated signaling systems.