Tripura: Passenger train narrowly escapes accident after hitting stone-laden trolley

The Agartala-Sabroom local passenger train experienced a derailment on Saturday in Tripura when it collided with a trolley filled with stones that had been accidentally left on the single-track line. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

According to officials, while heading for Sabroom in southern Tripura, the train’s driver spotted the stone-laden trolley on the track and stopped the train near Gautamnagar, close to the Bishalgarh rail station in the Sepahijala district.

However, the trolley became struck with the train and caused one of the front wheels of the train engine to come off the track.

A passenger on board said, “The train had left Agartala railway station en route to Sabroom, a town in the South Tripura. Unexpectedly, the train came to an abrupt halt and experienced a jolt due to its collision with the trolley. It created panic and anxiety among the passengers.”

He mentioned that after the collision, when the train stopped suddenly, passengers quickly got off the train.

Subsequently, railway authorities, along with personnel from the Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF), arrived at the location, which was 27 kilometers south of Agartala.

During the incident, around 1,000 passengers were on board. Concerned passengers expressed their frustration, highlighting what they perceived is the “negligence” of the workers, supervisors, and the station master at Bishalghar railway station.

Passengers voiced questions about safety protocols and the rationale behind leaving trolleys loaded with stones on the railway tracks while trains are in operation.