Setabganj Train Derailment Disrupts Services

A brief disruption to railway operations occurred on Sunday morning after a coach of the Dolonchapa Express, bound for Panchagarh, derailed at Setabganj Railway Station in Bochaganj upazila of Dinajpur district. Swift action by railway authorities ensured that normal services were restored within a short period, preventing major delays on the route.

According to officials from Bangladesh Railway, the incident took place at approximately 8:13am when the train was entering platform line number one at Setabganj station. The ‘G’ coach of the Dolonchapa Express suddenly lost alignment, causing two of its wheels to leave the track. The derailment led to the immediate suspension of train movement on the affected line, creating temporary operational pressure at the station.

Eyewitnesses and station sources reported that although line one was blocked, train movement continued without interruption on the adjacent line two, allowing other scheduled services to pass through the station as normal. This parallel operational capacity helped minimise overall disruption to the wider railway network.

Setabganj Station Master Mominur Rahman stated that a railway rescue team arrived promptly at the scene and initiated recovery operations. He further explained that efforts were made to detach the affected coach from the rest of the train in order to resume its onward journey to Santahar with minimal delay, ensuring passengers faced the least possible inconvenience.

Dinajpur Station Superintendent A.B.M. Ziaur Rahman confirmed that despite initial operational pressure caused by the incident, the situation was quickly brought under control through alternative routing and coordinated management. He also noted that other intercity services, including the Ekta Express departing from Panchagarh, continued their journeys through stations such as Thakurgaon, Pirganj, Setabganj and Dinajpur towards Dhaka without disruption.

Preliminary assessments suggest that the derailment may have been triggered either by a mechanical fault in the track infrastructure or a technical issue with the coach wheel assembly. However, railway authorities have launched a formal investigation to determine the exact cause of the incident.

Officials reiterated that passenger safety remains the highest priority, and all necessary steps are being taken to complete recovery and repair operations swiftly. They also emphasised that routine inspection of both railway tracks and rolling stock will be further strengthened to reduce the likelihood of similar incidents in the future.

Incident Overview